Definition: Federalism

Federalism is the division of power between the state and federal governments. According to Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution, the Congress has delegated, or enumerated, powers including declaring war and coining money. According to the Tenth Amendment, states have reserved powers. This means they are reserved the right to control other things, such as education, marriage, and driving laws. Some powers are shared, such as taxation. These are called concurrent powers. Here is what you need to know about the basics of federalism:

Note: An incredibly common error is for students to mix up separation of powers and division of powers (federalism). Don’t do that! Federalism means division of power between the federal and state governments. The word federal is right in the term! Separation of powers deals with the three branches within the national/federal government.

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