The concept of federalism is when the national, state and local governments intermingle willingly and collectively to solve common problems, rather than making policies separately. Dual federalism is also known as “layer cake federalism,” or separated sovereignty is a political arrangement in which the power is divided between the federal and state governments into clearly distinct terms, with state governments utilizing those powers accorded to them without intrusion from the federal government.
Cooperative federalism is when federal and state governments collaborate on policy. Dual federalism was the chief variable for interpreting the constitution from 1789 to 1901. It referred to a period of American political history when the constitution was interpreted by creating separate and distinct governments.