Federalism: Federalism is a system of government in which power is divided between a central authority (the federal government) and individual states.
Separation of Powers: The separation of powers refers to the division of government responsibilities into distinct branches - legislative, executive, and judicial - to prevent one branch from becoming too powerful.
Checks and Balances: Checks and balances are mechanisms that allow each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to maintain a balance of power.