The power does not belong all to the states and not all to the national government. Instead, the power is divided between them.

One branch can keep the other branches in check to make sure they don’t overstep and vice versa.

To avoid giving too much influence to just one branch of government, the powers are divided.

The people are the ones that create the government; the government can not work without the people.

The government has boundaries that it cannot cross. It only has the powers the Constitution gives to it.

The federal courts help keep the government in check. They prevent the government from overstepping the powers it has.