| Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary 1,515,529,843 visitors served. |
|
Dictionary/ thesaurus | Medical dictionary | Legal dictionary | Financial dictionary | Acronyms | Idioms | Encyclopedia | Wikipedia encyclopedia | ? |
federalism |
Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Legal, Wikipedia, Hutchinson | 0.07 sec. |
|
federalism. 1 In political science, see federal government federal government or federation, government of a union of states in which sovereignty is divided between a central authority and component state authorities. 2 In U.S. history, see states' rights states' rights, in U.S. history, doctrine based on the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution, which states, "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people. federalismPolitical system that binds a group of states into a larger, noncentralized, superior state while allowing them to maintain their own political identities. Certain characteristics and principles are common to all successful federal systems: a written constitution or basic law stipulating the distribution of powers; diffusion of power among the constituent elements, which are substantially self-sustaining; and territorial divisions to ensure neutrality and equality in the representation of various groups and interests. Changes require the consent of those affected. Successful federal systems also have a sense of common nationality and direct lines of communication between the citizens and all the governments that serve them. Examples of modern federal systems include the U.S., Brazil, Germany, and Nigeria. See also Federalist papers; Federalist Party. How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
|
| ? Mentioned in | ? References in periodicals archive | |
|---|---|---|
He helped ratify the Constitution by coauthoring The Federalist with John Jay and Alexander Hamilton and used his debating expertise to defeat his fellow Virginian Patrick Henry, who was opposed to the Constitution. Our Constitution's framers designed a carefully limited federal government, in which, as James Madison's Federalist 45 emphasized, ``The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the Federal Government are few and defined. Online, self-paced civics courses that include ones about the Founding Fathers, Constitutional Law, the Declaration of Independence, Revolutionary War Era Sermons, and The Federalist Papers. |
| Encyclopedia |
| Free Tools: |
For surfers:
Browser extension |
Word of the Day |
Help
For webmasters: Free content | Linking | Lookup box | Double-click lookup | Partner with us |
|---|