Federalism

Federal Text Version Federalism is the division of power between national and state governments, and it’s what we have in the United States today. But why do we have a system of federalism? Some Founding Fathers were worried about a central government having too much power or states losing power to one another. Others believed a strong federal government was needed to unite the new country. Federalism was the compromise. In the United States, some powers are delegated to the national, or federal, government in Washington, D.C. Other powers are reserved for state governments. One power given to the federal government is regulating trade between states. Another federal power is the power to declare war. Each state also has a capital and governmental powers, like the power to protect its citizens through law enforcement agencies. Another power granted to states is to regulate their own education systems. But there are also some powers shared between the federal and state governments, like the power to tax. This system of federalism allows each level of our government a share of the power. And it’s a system that works!