federalism

System of government in which two or more separate states unite into a federation under a common central government. A federation should be distinguished from a confederation, a looser union of states for mutual assistance. The USA is an example of federal government.

The US federal government is organized with an executive (administrative) branch, a legislature (law-making body), and a judiciary (courts system); each has means to control both of the other branches, thus creating a system of checks and balances, which was considered necessary for fair governing by the framers of the US Constitution. Each of the 50 states retains rights and privileges that overlap with those of the branches of the federal government. When jurisdiction (legal power) is challenged, cases are decided by the US Supreme Court of the judiciary branch, thus creating constitutional law.

Switzerland, Canada, Australia, and Malaysia have federal governments, as do Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Brazil, Comoros, Ethiopia, Germany, India, Mexico, Micronesia, Montenegro, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, St Kitts and Nevis, Serbia, Sudan, UAE, and Venezuela. Many supporters of the European Union see it as the forerunner of a federal Europe.