Try the Federal Government Quiz when you finish this page.

Our government can be described in many ways. It is a democracy - it's power is shared by all its citizens. It is also a republic - meaning that it is a type of government with a president, not a king, that is elected and responsible to those who elect him/her.

Our government is also a federal government. This means that we have a central or main government in Washington DC that also shares some power with the states.

Below is a chart that shows how the power is divided by the Federal and state governments: