Federal and State

Americans live under two governments at once: the United States and their state. Federalism is that dual sovereignty. The Constitution enumerates federal powers and, via the Tenth Amendment, leaves the rest to the states or the people.

Some powers are obviously national: print money, declare war, make treaties, maintain an army and navy, regulate interstate commerce. States run elections (within federal constitutional bounds), most criminal law, schooling, police and fire protection, driver’s licenses, and land-use rules.

The overlap is where politics lives. Medicaid, highways, education standards, and disaster response are shared in practice. When people say “the government,” it is worth asking which one — and which level is actually allowed to act.