Power shared between national and state governments is called what?

• A. Democracy
• B. Monarchy
• C. Sovereignty
• D. Federalism

Answer: (D)

Power being shared between national and state governments is a feature of federalism. It means a written constitution divides authority so that both levels can make laws in their own areas, with some powers potentially overlapping or concurrent. This arrangement allows the country to act for nationwide issues while letting states handle local matters, maintaining unity alongside local autonomy. In Australia, the Constitution outlines these divisions and defines how the Commonwealth and the states interact. The other options don’t fit because democracy is about how people participate in government, monarchy is rule by a king or queen, and sovereignty refers to the supreme authority of a state rather than how power is allocated between levels of government.