Send a Quote Enter a brief message. SendOk2 “It is federal, because it is the government of States united in a political union, in contradistinction to a government of individuals, that is, by what is usually called, a social compact. To express it more concisely, it is federal and not national because it is the government of a community of States, and not the government of a single State or Nation.” ~ John C. Calhoun (1782-1850) American statesmanSource: 1850, John C. Calhoun's essay entitled A Discourse on the Constitution and Government of the United States