Article VI declares the Constitution, federal laws made under it, and treaties the "supreme Law of the Land," binding state courts and subordinating state constitutions to federal authority. This establishes a clear legal hierarchy where federal law prevails when conflicts arise between state and federal law, regardless of which came first.
State judges must follow federal law even when their state constitutions or statutes say otherwise. The phrase comes from the Supremacy Clause, which solved a critical weakness in the Articles of Confederation that left federal statutes unable to bind state courts.
However, this supremacy has limits: federal laws must stay within the Constitution's enumerated powers granted to Congress and cannot violate constitutional protections like the Bill of Rights. The Founders created this hierarchy to prevent the chaos of 13 states operating under different legal systems while still preserving federalism's division of powers between national and state governments.
The Supremacy Clause establishes that federal law prevails when it conflicts with state law (if the federal law is within constitutional bounds). This hierarchy prevents chaos that would result if states could nullify federal authority.
People sometimes think the Supremacy Clause means federal law always wins. It doesn't: federal laws must stay within the Constitution's enumerated powers, and cannot violate constitutional rights. Federal supremacy applies only within the Constitution's boundaries.
The Supremacy Clause establishes that federal law prevails when it conflicts with state law (if the federal law is within constitutional bounds). This hierarchy prevents chaos that would result if states could nullify federal authority.
People sometimes think the Supremacy Clause means federal law always wins. It doesn't: federal laws must stay within the Constitution's enumerated powers, and cannot violate constitutional rights. Federal supremacy applies only within the Constitution's boundaries.