What is federalism, and how does the Constitution allocate powers between national and state governments?

• A. Federalism means the national government has all powers and the states have none.
• B. Federalism is a division of power between national and state governments; the national government has enumerated and implied powers; states retain reserved powers; some powers are concurrent.
• C. Federalism means states have all powers and the national government has none.
• D. Federalism means power is shared only within the executive branch.

Answer: (B)

Federalism is the division of governing powers between the national government and the states, so each level has its own set of responsibilities and some shared areas. The national government has powers that are spelled out in the Constitution (enumerated powers) and additional powers inferred from the Necessary and Proper Clause (implied powers) to carry out those duties. The Tenth Amendment reserves all powers not delegated to the national government to the states, or to the people, giving states broad authority over matters like education, criminal law, and public health. Some powers are shared between the two levels (concurrent powers), such as collecting taxes and enforcing laws, while conflicts between national and state law typically resolve in favor of the national government in areas of federal authority due to the Supremacy Clause. This combination—enumerated and implied national powers, reserved state powers, and concurrent powers—best captures how power is allocated in a federal system.