Question

a confederal government is ______.

a. an alliance of independent states that give power to a central government.

b. a national and state government that divides and shares powers.

c. a government that gives all power to the national government.

d. a government with a legislative, executive, and judicial branch.

Explanation:

To determine the correct answer, we analyze each option based on the definition of a confederal government:

• Option A: A confederal government is an alliance of independent states (like the Articles of Confederation in early US history) where states voluntarily give some power to a central government, while retaining most sovereignty. This matches the definition.
• Option B: This describes a federal government (e.g., the US today), where power is divided between national and state governments, not a confederal one.
• Option C: This is a unitary government, where all power is centralized at the national level, not confederal.
• Option D: This describes a separation of powers (found in many governments, including federal, unitary, etc.), not a confederal system.

Answer:

A. an alliance of independent states that give power to a central government.