Which Description Best Defines a Confederation?

Which description best defines a confederation?

A. A system in which a national government and state governments share power equally.

B. A system in which states agree to form a national government, but maintain their sovereignty.

C. A government in which all citizens vote on all major issues and the majority rules.

D. A government in which there is a single, all-powerful ruler.

Ans. B. A system in which states agree to form a national government, but maintain their sovereignty.

A confederation is a type of government where individual states unite to form a central government for specific, limited objectives, such as defense or trade. The defining characteristic of a confederation is that the states retain the ultimate power and freedom, or sovereignty. The central government derives its power from the states and is usually weak, with no immediate power to enforce laws upon citizens. This is in contrast to a federal system, in which power is distributed between the central government and governments of the states, and a unitary system, in which power is held in the central government. A confederation is actually a union of states, not a nation.