Final answer:
A confederal government is one where sovereign states hold the primary authority and provide limited powers to the central authority. This contrasts with a federal system where power is shared between the national and subnational governments, as established by the U.S. Constitution.
Step-by-step explanation:
A confederal government is one in which the power is granted to the sovereign states who, in turn, grant certain powers to the central government. In such a system, authority is decentralized, and the central government's ability to act is contingent on the consent of the subnational governments. For example, under the Articles of Confederation, which predated the current Constitution, the United States had a confederal system. States held most of the power, and the national government was subordinate and weaker. However, the weaknesses in this system, such as the inability to regulate interstate trade or address national issues effectively, led to the adoption of a federal system.
On the other hand, federalism is a system of government that balances power between a central authority and smaller regional units, as seen in the United States today. Here, federal systems are distinct from unitary systems, which concentrate power in the national government, and confederations, which grant more power to the subnational governments. The U.S. Constitution outlines federalism by specifying powers to the national government while preserving certain rights for the states, allowing a degree of autonomous regional governance.