A system where power is divided between national and state governments.

A system where power is divided between national and state governments.

• A. Checks and Balances
• B. Separation of Powers
• C. Consent of the Governed
• D. Federalism

Answer: (D)

Federalism is the arrangement in which authority is shared between a central national government and regional state governments. This setup allows the national government to handle national concerns—defense, currency, intergovernmental relations—while states manage local matters like education, policing, and licensing. The Constitution outlines this division and also includes mechanisms that let both levels operate within their appropriate areas, with some overlap where both can legislate and enforce. This balance protects local autonomy while enabling a unified national policy on broad issues. The other ideas describe different structures: checks and balances focuses on how the three branches restrain each other at the national level; separation of powers refers to dividing governmental power among those branches; consent of the governed speaks to the legitimacy that comes from the people’s support.

Federalism is the arrangement in which authority is shared between a central national government and regional state governments. This setup allows the national government to handle national concerns—defense, currency, intergovernmental relations—while states manage local matters like education, policing, and licensing. The Constitution outlines this division and also includes mechanisms that let both levels operate within their appropriate areas, with some overlap where both can legislate and enforce. This balance protects local autonomy while enabling a unified national policy on broad issues. The other ideas describe different structures: checks and balances focuses on how the three branches restrain each other at the national level; separation of powers refers to dividing governmental power among those branches; consent of the governed speaks to the legitimacy that comes from the people’s support.