Federalism in the Constitution

Federalism is the distribution of powers between a central government and regional units (called states in the United States). More than one government is responsible for the duties and obligations of government in the United States and more than one government can directly affect the lives of citizens. In fact, when one considers all of the local governments, special districts, and state and national governments, there are more than 87,000 functioning governments in the United States today.

When the Constitution was established, the founders saw a need for a central government to unify the thirteen states. The country lacked a unified foreign policy, common domestic currencies, and trade policies, and the ability to act for the common concerns of the states in commerce and domestic affairs.

On the other hand, the states had experienced a distant central government with little regard for the rights of Americans as citizens of Britain. The task at hand was to create a system of government meeting common concerns of the states, but reserving most powers to state governments for the protection and regulation of the health, safety and morals of citizens. These are commonly known as the "police" powers of government.

Americans had experienced both a unitary system under British rule, in which one central government posses the power to govern, and a confederacy, a loose association of states, under our own first constitution. The federal system was a compromise between the two.

Most of the world uses the unitary organization of government.

Click on each system below for more information.