Which description best characterizes the source of governmental power in a confederation?

Which description best characterizes the source of governmental power in a confederation?

• A. A strong central government with dominant authority
• B. Power rests primarily with the states
• C. Power is derived from direct popular sovereignty
• D. A system of unified executive rule

Answer: (B)

In a confederation, sovereign authority rests with the member states, and the central government exists only to handle tasks the states choose to delegate to it. The central authority is limited, deriving its power from the states themselves, and can operate only with the states’ consent. This is why the best description is that power rests primarily with the states—the central government is comparatively weak and relies on the states for its authority. This contrasts with a strong central government, which would concentrate power at the national level; with direct popular sovereignty, where the people themselves are the source of authority; and with a system of unified executive rule, which implies centralized leadership at the top—none of which capture the way a confederation preserves state sovereignty and limits central power. The historical example of the United States under the Articles of Confederation illustrates this structure: a weak central government that depended on the states for legitimacy and authority.

In a confederation, sovereign authority rests with the member states, and the central government exists only to handle tasks the states choose to delegate to it. The central authority is limited, deriving its power from the states themselves, and can operate only with the states’ consent. This is why the best description is that power rests primarily with the states—the central government is comparatively weak and relies on the states for its authority.

This contrasts with a strong central government, which would concentrate power at the national level; with direct popular sovereignty, where the people themselves are the source of authority; and with a system of unified executive rule, which implies centralized leadership at the top—none of which capture the way a confederation preserves state sovereignty and limits central power. The historical example of the United States under the Articles of Confederation illustrates this structure: a weak central government that depended on the states for legitimacy and authority.