Federalism plays a fundamental role in the growth and development of the United States of America and is a key factor in determining the basis of power in this country. Clearly, the term federalism can be understood in many different ways depending on each person's point of view, but it can be defined more broadly in terms of the separation of state and federal government. Thomas E. Patterson defines federalism as “the division of sovereignty, or ultimate governing authority, between a national government and regional (i.e., state) governments. Each governs the people directly and derives his authority from them” (Patterson 74). He then goes on to give a more basic definition with: “American federalism is fundamentally a system of divided powers” ​​(Patterson 74). But federalism is more than just a word with a definition. It is built into the Constitution because the framers knew how important this division of power would be to the development of America and to ensuring that power ultimately rests in the hands of the people. The Constitution specifically states this division of power in Article I. Patterson points out exactly how federalism is defined in the Constitution: “the Constitution of the United States addresses the lawful authority of the national government, which is vested through enumerated and implied powers. Authority that is not granted to the national government is left – or “reserved” – to the states. Therefore, states have reserved powers” ​​(Patterson 77). More specifically, Article I, Section 8, describes these enumerated powers provided to Congress, such as the ability to regulate commerce between states, create a national currency, borrow money, raise taxes, develop a military, and declare war . Furthermore, Article I, Sec… half of the document… and the federal level allow for a hierarchy of power. Federalism can come in different forms, ideas and interpretations, but regardless of preferences it separates the power held in our country. In any structure there must always be a way to distinguish between who has authority over another to govern effectively. While there may be some cases where federalism does not seem to provide us with such a direct answer, as in the case of medical marijuana and universal healthcare, this still does not take away from the fact that it exists and is available for us to meet on important issues. Without federalism there would be no hierarchy of power in this country and instead of union there would be division. This is what makes federalism so important to the United States of America and why we have been able to thrive together as a union.