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Federalism

Federalism was the Framers' response to the weakness of the original government of the United States. Under the Articles of Confederation, power was distributed among the States, which remained sovereign, while the national government was almost powerless. Though they recognized the problems with the earlier system, the Framers did not want to convert to a unitary system like that of Great Britain.

Like separation of powers, federalism divides the authority of the government. Under the new federal system, the national (or federal) government was given control over some matters while the States were given authority over others. The States and the federal government share responsibility over some areas, including taxation (both have the right to tax).

Federalism is a compromise between the centralism of the British system and the loose affiliation of the Confederation period. Although the States retained much of their earlier authority, the Constitution made some significant changes. Most importantly, the federal government became the only sovereign entity: only the federal government can declare war and negotiate with other countries.

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10y ago

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