Under dual federalism, the state governments have more jurisdiction over a broader range of matters than the federal government. The federal government’s powers are limited to those specifically enumerated in the Constitution, such as foreign affairs, military matters, and commerce with foreign nations, between states, and with Indian tribes. In contrast, states retain all other powers not explicitly given to the federal government or prohibited to them by the Constitution, often referred to as "police powers," which include public health, safety, welfare, property laws, family law, education, criminal law, and local governance

. This division creates distinct and separate spheres of authority, with the federal government and states each sovereign within their own domains. The federal government cannot interfere with state matters, and states cannot interfere with federal matters. This separation is often visualized as a "layer cake," where each layer (state and federal) operates independently without overlap

. In summary, under dual federalism, states have more extensive jurisdiction in internal and local matters, while the federal government has jurisdiction over a narrower set of national and interstate issues