What is federalism

Article I, Section 8 Article I , Section 8 of the Constitution describes specific powers which belong to the federal government. Tenth Amendment The Tenth Amendment reserves powers to the states, as long as those powers are not delegated to the federal government. Concurrent Powers Concurrent powers refers to powers which are shared by both the federal government and state governments.

Constitution The Federalist No. Maryland , 17 U. One solution is a political system called federalism. But what exactly is federalism? And why might a country consider adopting a federal system? The answer is that federalism provides a practical way for groups of people who have some things in common, but also some important differences, to live together.

They do this by sharing powers over the things they have in common — like international trade, for example. At the same time these groups maintain some level of self-rule over those things that concern their own interests, for example, education, primary healthcare and broadcasting. It is also often chosen by countries which have a very diverse population, living in different parts of the country, who wish to preserve their own identities.

Their diversity could be ethnic, religious or linguistic. Belgium, Switzerland and Nepal are such countries. As a response to these challenges of size and diversity, federalism can take various forms. And, since no single country is exactly like another, no federal system is exactly alike either. Nevertheless, federalism does have some distinct, defining characteristics which make it different from other forms of decentralisation.

The first characteristic is that federal systems have at least two levels of government. There is a central level of government also sometimes known as the federal or union level which governs the entire country in relation to issues of importance to everyone.

There you have it. A very brief overview of what federalism is and how it works. Federalism Bill of Rights Institute. What is Federalism? History on the Net. US Law Essentials. Stay up-to-date on news from the states. Get weekly round-ups, delivered on Fridays, featuring the latest success stories, research, and news on policy developments in the states.

June 11, Policy Solutions. When was federalism adopted in the United States? This article is part of our larger resource on the Colonial America culture, society, economics, and warfare. Click here for our comprehensive article on Colonial America. What is Federalism?