Civics Education Federalism Constitutionally, Who’s the Boss? The Supremacy Clause and the Hierarchy of Laws While states clearly have many powers and responsibilities, it is worth remembering that the U.S. Constitution and federal laws trump state...
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Civics Education Federalism Constitutionally, Who’s the Boss? The Supremacy Clause and the Hierarchy of Laws While states clearly have many powers and responsibilities, it is worth remembering that the U.S. Constitution and federal laws trump state legislation. This is a result of the “Supremacy Clause” in Article VI of the U.S. Constitution, which states: “This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.” The following chart illustrates the hierarchy of laws in our nation, with the U.S. Constitution being the supreme Law of the Land. Hierarchy of Laws The issue of negotiating the balance of power between the federal government and state governments has existed since the founding
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