What is the fedral system of government?

Answer 1

In a very short summary, our Federal system of government is one that creates three balanced branches of government, with power and authority shared among them and limits placed upon each branch. The Federal government is assigned the task of improving things of national importance.

Our Federal system leaves the great majority of power in the hands of the individual states. Each state has its own constitution, governor, legislature, etc. The Federal government was designed to have minimum interference in affairs the states should control.

Over the years since the Civil War and the 14th Amendment, and especially after the Depression and Great Society years, the Federal government has slowly assumed more power and the states, less.

Answer 2

Federalism and the federal system define the basic structure of American government. There were many disagreements at the Constitutional Convention. Many delegates feared a national government that was too strong and many delegates feared that states' rights would merely continue the weak form of government under the Articles. The Constitution created a federal system of government (federalism) as a compromise. Under federalism, power is shared and divided between national and state governments. Each has specific powers unto themselves while they also share certain powers. Both levels have their own agencies and officials and directly affect the people. The Founding Fathers really had no other choice except federalism. The weak union created under the Articles would not work yet people did not want to give all the power to a national government. Federalism was the middle ground--compromise--a way to distribute authority between the states and the national government.