Beginning of Essay
One of the six basic principles of the Constitution is federalism. Federalism is a system of government in which power is shared by the national and state governments, which came into existence when the United States declared its independence in 1776. A fede ....

Middle of Essay
.... the National Government and the States. That division of powers was implied in the original Constitution and then in the Tenth Amendment: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." Therefore, federalism produces a dual system of government. It provides for two basic levels of government, each with its own authority and each operates over the same people and territory at the same time. Federalism's major strength is that it allows local actions in matters of local concern and national action in matters of wider concern. Fede ....