Federalism is the sharing of powers by which governments?

• A. The federal and state governments
• B. The judicial and executive branches
• C. The state governments only
• D. The federal government only

Answer: (A)

Federalism means power is divided and shared between two levels of government—the national (federal) government and the state governments. Each level has authority in distinct areas, with some powers reserved for the national level and others for the states, and both may act in certain domains too. This is why the sharing happens between the federal and state governments. The other options mix up levels or focus on branches rather than levels: the judicial and executive branches are branches within one government, not separate levels; relying only on the state governments ignores the national government; and relying only on the federal government ignores the role of states in a federal system.