Federalism is a system of government in which power is divided between a national government and a number of regional governments. In the United States, federalism refers to the division of power between the federal government and the state governments. The Constitution of the United States establishes a federal system of government, and the federal government shares power with the state governments.The Constitution gives the federal government certain specific powers, such as the power to tax, to regulate interstate commerce, and to declare war. The federal government also has general powers, such as the power to make laws that are necessary and proper for carrying out its specific powers. In addition, the Constitution gives the federal government the power to preempt or override state laws in certain cases.The Constitution also establishes a system of checks and balances, which means that each branch of the federal government (the executive, the legislative, and the judicial) has some power to check the actions of the other branches. This system of checks and balances helps to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.The federal government shares power with the state governments in a number of ways. The Constitution gives the states certain powers, such as the power to regulate intrastate commerce, to establish local governments, and to ratify amendments to the Constitution. The states also have general powers, such as the power to pass laws that are necessary and proper for carrying out their specific powers. In addition, the Constitution gives the states the power to secede from the Union, although this power has never been exercised.The federal government and the state governments also share power in a number of other ways. For example, both the federal government and the state governments have the power to raise revenue through taxation. both the federal government and the state governments have the power to borrow money, and both the federal government and the state governments have the power to regulate labor and industry.