Central government structure refers to how power and authority are organized at the national level within a country. In relation to US history, it specifically pertains to how power was distributed among different branches or levels of government.
Related terms
Separation of Powers: This principle ensures that governmental powers are divided among three branches - legislative, executive, and judicial - providing checks and balances to prevent the abuse of authority.
Unitary Government: This form of government concentrates power in a single central authority, with regional or local governments having limited autonomy. It is the opposite of a decentralized central government structure.
Confederation: A political system where independent states join together and delegate limited powers to a weak central authority. The Articles of Confederation established a confederation as the governing structure for the United States before the Constitution was ratified.