Bar Exam Practice Questions 2025 – Your All-in-One Guide to Mastering the Bar Exam!

Federalism is the term that describes the division of power between the national government and state governments. It is a foundational principle of the U.S. Constitution and establishes a system in which multiple levels of government have authority over the same geographical area and the same people. Under federalism, powers are both shared and divided; certain powers are reserved for the federal government, while others are reserved for the states. This structure allows for a balance of power and encourages diversity in governance, as states can enact laws that may be more reflective of their local populations' needs and values, while still adhering to the overarching national framework.

The other terms in the question refer to different principles in government. Checks and balances relate to the mechanisms established to prevent any one branch of government from becoming too powerful. Popular sovereignty denotes the idea that the power of government is derived from the consent of the governed. Delegated powers refer specifically to the powers explicitly assigned to the federal government by the Constitution, as opposed to those that are reserved for the states. Thus, while all these concepts are important in understanding governance, federalism specifically addresses the division of power between national and state governments.