Federalism

The division of power between a central government and constituent states

Overview

Federalism splits sovereignty, assigning enumerated powers like war and currency to the center while reserving police power over health, safety, and morals to the states. The American version polices the line through the commerce and other enumerated powers, with eras of narrow and broad readings. Germany, Canada, Australia, India, and Brazil run their own variants, and the EU debates whether it is one. Dual sovereignty underlies distinct state legal systems and the separate prosecutions it permits. The American Civil War settled the question of secession, leaving the balance to be argued in courts.