What type of government does the U.S. Constitution establish?

The United States Constitution establishes a federal republic as the structure of the government. In a federal republic, power is shared between national and state governments, allowing for a division of authority. This ensures that the central government and the state governments can each govern their respective areas of jurisdiction while still being subject to the overarching laws and principles set forth by the Constitution. The federal system is characterized by a representative democracy, meaning that officials are elected to represent the interests of the citizens. This combination of federalism and republicanism forms the basis of U.S. governance, allowing for both local control and national unity.

Understanding this structure is key to grasping how the U.S. government functions, with layers of authority ensuring a balance that aims to prevent the concentration of power. In contrast, monarchy would concentrate power in a single ruler, anarchy denotes a lack of government, and while democracy is a feature of the U.S. system, it does not fully encapsulate the complexity of federalism as outlined in the Constitution.