Federalism refers to what concept?

• A. Unitary control
• B. Division of power between federal and state governments
• C. Separation of church and state
• D. Isolation of state governments

Answer: (B)

Federalism is the division of authority between the national government and state governments. The Constitution assigns certain powers to the federal level—like defense, currency, and foreign policy—while reserving others for the states—such as education, policing, and licensing. Some powers are shared or concurrent, like taxation and law enforcement, allowing both levels to operate within their spheres. This setup preserves national unity while maintaining local control and autonomy, and it differs from centralized (unitary) control, which concentrates power at one level, and from separation of church and state or isolation of states, which aren’t about how power is distributed between levels.