Federal describes a system of government where power is shared between a central national government and smaller regional governments, like states or provinces. In the United States, we have a federal system: the national government in Washington, D.C. handles things like national defense, printing money, and relations with other countries, while state governments manage things like driver's licenses, public schools, and local police forces.

This sharing of power is different from having just one level of government making all the decisions.

When Americans talk about the federal government, they mean the national government, including Congress, the President, and the Supreme Court. You might hear about federal laws that apply everywhere in the country, or federal agents like FBI investigators who work for the national government rather than for individual states.

The balance between federal and state power has shaped American history. The Constitution carefully divides responsibilities: states can't print their own money or make treaties with foreign countries, but the federal government can't simply override every state decision. This system lets different states try different approaches to problems while maintaining a unified country.