The political practice specified in the U.S. Constitution in which powers are divided between two relatively autonomous levels of government—the state and federal governments.

• A. Checks and Balances
• B. Separation of Powers
• C. Sovereignty
• D. Federalism

Answer: (D)

Federalism is the division of power between national and state governments, giving each level its own sphere of authority and some independence. The Constitution outlines powers for the national government (like defense and currency) and reserves others for the states (such as education and local law enforcement), creating two relatively autonomous levels of government. This idea contrasts with checks and balances, which concerns how the branches of the federal government check one another, and with separation of powers, which distributes powers among branches within the national government. Sovereignty is the broader concept of ultimate authority, but in the U.S. system authority is shared between the national and state governments, not placed in a single level. Federalism best matches the description because it emphasizes this two-level, interrelated yet autonomous structure.