Dec 10, 2025 · Federalism, mode of political organization that unites separate states or other polities within an overarching political system in a way that allows each to maintain its own integrity.

Federalism is a mode of government that combines a general level of government (a central or federal government) with a regional level of sub-unit governments (e.g., provinces, states, cantons, …

By allocating power among state and federal governments, the Framers sought to establish a unified national government of limited powers while maintaining a distinct sphere of autonomy in which state …

The features of a country’s federal system reflect the influences of history, circumstances, and configurations of political forces at the founding and over time. Every federal polity experiences …

The maze of national and state regulations results from federalism — the decision made by the Founders to split power between state and national governments. As James Madison explained in …

Aug 10, 2025 · Federalism is a system of government that divides power between a central authority and constituent political units, such as states. This division ensures both the national government …

This article briefly outlines how American federalism developed and how it serves as the basic organizing principle of American government.

In the United States, the Constitution has established a system of “dual sovereignty,” under which the States have surrendered many of their powers to the Federal Government, but also retained some …

Aug 28, 2024 · Federalism is a form of government in which power is divided between the national government and other, smaller governmental units.

Federalism required the branches of the national government created by the new Constitution—legislative, executive, judicial—to balance national and local power from the outset.