What is the main difference between federal and confederal system of government?

In a federation, the central government and the smaller states or municipalities work in agreement but are separate from one another. The powers of the central government and the states are typically enumerated in some type of document, such as a constitution. Conversely, a confederation is basically an alliance between states or nations that agree to work together toward common interests but still retain their individual powers of governance.The United States utilizes a federal system. The federal government is granted specific powers by the U.S. Constitution, and any powers not granted to the federal government within the Constitution are granted to the states. The states retain some level of independence but are still subject to the governance of the federal government. However, if the United States operated as a confederation, the situation would be reversed. Each state would have the power to override federal power as it saw fit.