Federal state

A federal state is a union of states under a central government, that is a non-unitary state as opposed to a unitary state.

In the American federal form of political organization, the exercise of power is divided between two levels of government. The U.S. federal government and the state governments. Both of these levels of government act on the same citizen body and exercise these powers as matter of right as derived from the U.S. Constitution and subsequent amendments to this constitution.

In accordance with the U.S. Constitution there are exclusively national powers and state powers. As well as concurrent powers such as levying taxes and regulating commerce, that both the national government and state governments can do. Also there are powers prohibited to the national government such as described in the Bill of Rights. And the state governments, such as foreign relations and the monetary system. Also there are powers prohibited to both the U.S. national government and the U.S. state government's such as granting titles of nobility and ex-post facto laws.