In the United States, federalism originally referred to belief in a stronger central government. When the U.S. Constitution was being drafted, the Federalist Party supported a stronger central government, while "Anti-Federalists" wanted a weaker central government. This is very different from the modern usage of "federalism" in Europe and the United States. The distinction stems from the fact that "<answer>federalism" is situated in the middle of the political spectrum between a confederacy and a unitary state</answer>. The U.S. Constitution was written as a reaction to the Articles of Confederation, under which the United States was a loose confederation with a weak central government.
On the political spectrum, where does federalism stand? 
federalism" is situated in the middle of the political spectrum between a confederacy and a unitary state