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Basic Governing Principles
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Federalism refers to the apportioning of power between the federal government and the states. By the time the American Revolution had been waged and won, state governments were fully entrenched. It was unlikely, therefore, that the states would agree to the creation of a powerful central government at the total expense of its self-governing authority. Granting the states specific self-governing powers and rights was not only politically expedient, but also served the Framers' intent to limit the central government's authority. The sharing of power between the states and the national government was one more structural check in an elaborate governmental scheme of checks and balances.
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