Final answer:
The framers instituted federalism to balance power between national and state governments, not to provide the national government with unlimited authority over the states. Federalism was meant to maintain a degree of state sovereignty and prevent centralized tyranny, ensuring that both governmental levels could function effectively.
Step-by-step explanation:
The framers of the U.S. Constitution chose to institute a system of federalism for several reasons, but not because they wanted to deny power to the states. The Constitution's framework was designed to balance the forces of decentralized and centralized governance, creating a division of power between the national government and the states. The strongest reason the framers adopted federalism was to create a federal system of government that would allow both the national government and the state governments to retain their own areas of authority.
One incorrect reason that did not motivate the framers would be the intention to allow the national government to operate with unlimited authority over the states. In reality, the framers aimed for a careful balance of power, where both levels of government could operate effectively. The Constitution’s federal design was intended to prevent any one level of government from becoming too powerful and to ensure a degree of state sovereignty.