Prepare for the Social Studies Praxis Test with flashcards and multiple-choice questions. Each question comes with hints and explanations to ensure you are exam-ready!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.


Federalism is best defined as a system of government in which?

  1. power is divided between national and subnational governments

  2. power is centralized in a national government that can devolve certain authority and responsibility to subnational governments

  3. a group of sovereign governments shares a supranational judicial institution

  4. citizens determine national policy by voting directly in national referenda

The correct answer is: power is divided between national and subnational governments

Federalism is best defined as a system of government in which power is divided between national and subnational governments. This structure allows for a distribution of authority and responsibilities, where both the national government and regional or local governments maintain certain powers and functions independently. This division is crucial because it enables different levels of government to address issues and respond to the needs of their constituents more effectively while maintaining a balance of power that can prevent any single entity from becoming too powerful. In a federal system, both levels of government are sovereign in their own areas of influence, meaning that specific powers are designated to the national government, while others are reserved for state or local governments. This arrangement often leads to a more nuanced approach to governance, as different regions can tailor their policies to better fit the demographics and cultural contexts they serve. The other options misinterpret or misrepresent federalism. For example, a system where power is centralized with a national government that can devolve authority does not accurately reflect the inherent division of power that characterizes federalism, which is not merely about the delegation of authority but an established constitutional framework delineating powers between levels of government. The idea of a group of sovereign governments sharing a supranational judicial institution pertains more to international relations and cooperation, rather