Final answer:
Both national and state governments get their power from the people, as outlined by James Madison and anchored in the philosophy of republicanism and the phrases of the U.S. Constitution. This concept is a fundamental aspect of federalism, which is the division and sharing of powers between different levels of government as detailed in the Constitution.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to James Madison, both national and state governments derive their power from the people. This concept is rooted in the belief of republicanism held during the late 1780s, signifying that a government should obtain all its powers, directly or indirectly, from the governed. The U.S. Constitution begins with "We the People," indicating that the source of political power is the consent of the governed. Additionally, the Constitution lays out a federal system where some powers remain at the national level, whereas others are reserved to the states, and certain powers are required to be shared between both levels of government. In Federalist Paper No. 45, Madison stated that the powers granted to the national government were 'few and defined' and those reserved for the states were 'numerous and indefinite'.
The foundational principle of federalism embodies the division and sharing of powers between the national government and the states, which is a hallmark of the Constitution. The profound influence of this principle on the government's structure underlines the importance of both levels of government being derived from the people's will.