Political feeralism is a political philosophy in which a group of members are bound together (Latin: foedus, covenant) with a governing representative big head. The term federalism is also used to describe a system of the government in which sovereignty is constitutionally divided between a central governing authority and constituent political units (like states or provinces). Federalism is the system in which the power to govern is shared between the national and state governments, creating what is often called a federation. Proponents are often called federalists.