How did the government of the United Provinces divide power between the provinces and the States General?

The government of the United Provinces was defined by a decentralized structure where sovereignty resided primarily within the seven individual provinces rather than the central government.12

Provincial Sovereignty

Each of the seven provinces—Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Gelderland, Overijssel, Friesland, and Groningen—was sovereign. They were governed by assemblies of provincial States, which represented the landed nobility and towns. Because no part of this provincial sovereignty was surrendered to the central authority, the States General functioned as a body of delegates rather than a supreme national government.123

The Role of the States General

The States General was responsible for military and diplomatic affairs, yet it remained explicitly subordinated to provincial authority. Its power was constrained by two key factors:23
* Rule of Unanimity: No important national decision could be enacted without the unanimous vote of all seven provincial States.12
* Limited Taxation: The States General lacked the right to levy direct taxes, relying instead on provincial subsidies and specific duties assigned to the admiralties.12

In practice, the wealthiest province, Holland, exerted significant influence, often acting as the preponderant political force alongside the stadtholders of the House of Orange.23