what you know about the u.s. constitution and how federalism works
Video: Federalism & the Supremacy Clause: Definition & Example. The United States is a federalist government, where the citizens are subject to the powers of several governmental units. Our United States Constitution tells us that the federal government is the highest, or supreme, governmental power. This lesson explores the concept of federalism and the supremacy clause.
In a federalist government, the power is divided between the national government and other governmental units. In the U.S., this means the power is divided between our federal government and our state and local governments. This is different from a unitary government, where one unit holds the power. It's also different from a confederation, which is an association of independent governmental units.