A system of government where power is located with the independent states and there is little power in the central government is called a confederal system of government. In this type of system, individual states or regions retain a high degree of autonomy and sovereignty, while the central government has limited authority and only exercises power over certain areas that have been delegated to it by the states. This stands in contrast to a federal system of government, in which power is divided between a central government and individual states or provinces, but the central government retains significant authority over matters such as national defense, foreign affairs, and the economy.
~~~Harsha~~~