Federalism: The Federal System
When the founding fathers first began drafting the Constitution, they wanted to create a system of Government known as Federalism. According to the 8th grade U.S. History Textbook, federalism is "...a system that divided powers between the states and the federal government"(144). The Constitution writers believed that this form of government would make the federal government strong enough to protect its citizens but not so strong that it could harm its citizens. In addition, this system would allow the states to control local issues.