The principle dividing governmental powers among federal, state, and local authorities is called what?

The principle dividing governmental powers among federal, state, and local authorities is called what?

• A. Federalism
• B. Separation of powers
• C. Judicial review
• D. Federal supremacy

Answer: (A)

Federalism is the system that divides governmental powers among different levels—federal, state, and local—so each has its own defined authority. This structure lets the national government handle national concerns like defense and interstate commerce, while states manage areas such as education and criminal law, and localities handle policing and zoning within those state frameworks. Separation of powers describes distributing government into branches within the same level, judicial review is the courts’ power to interpret laws and strike them down, and federal supremacy refers to federal law taking precedence over state law when there’s a conflict. So the principle described is federalism.

Federalism is the system that divides governmental powers among different levels—federal, state, and local—so each has its own defined authority. This structure lets the national government handle national concerns like defense and interstate commerce, while states manage areas such as education and criminal law, and localities handle policing and zoning within those state frameworks. Separation of powers describes distributing government into branches within the same level, judicial review is the courts’ power to interpret laws and strike them down, and federal supremacy refers to federal law taking precedence over state law when there’s a conflict. So the principle described is federalism.