FEDERAL AND STATE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES:

The federal government of the United States is the central government entity established by the United States Constitution, which shares sovereignty over the United States of America with the governments of the individual U.S. states. It is formally known as the Government of the United States of America. The U.S. federal regime dates from 1790 and is considered to be the first modern national federation government in the world. Even so, the details of American federalism have been debated since the establishment and ordination of the constitution, with some parties arguing for expansive national powers while others have strictly interpreted the constitutional enumerations of the national government's powers. Since the U.S. Civil War, the powers of the federal government have tended to expand, although there have been periods when state's rights proponents have succeeded in limiting federal power through legislative action, executive prerogative or by constitutional interpretation of the courts. The seat of the federal government is in the District of Columbia.

State governments in the United States are those governments formed in each U.S. state. Structured in accordance with state law (including state constitutions and state statutes), most state governments are modeled on the federal system, with three branches of government—executive, legislative, and judicial. Under the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, all governmental powers not granted to the federal government by the Constitution are reserved for the states or to the people. The governments of the 13 colonies that formed the original union under the Constitution trace their history back to the royal charters which established them during the year of colonialism. Most other states were organized as federal territories or parts of other states before forming their governments and requesting admittance into the union. Notable exceptions are California, Vermont, Texas and Hawaii, which were sovereign nations before joining the union. REF: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_governments_of_the_United_States