Article VI, Clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution

E27412

Article VI, Clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution, known as the Supremacy Clause, establishes that the Constitution, federal laws, and treaties are the supreme law of the land, overriding conflicting state laws.


Statements (46)
Predicate Object
instanceOf Supremacy Clause
constitutional clause
adoptedOn 1788
alsoKnownAs Supremacy of the Constitution Clause
appliesIn all U.S. states
all U.S. territories
appliesTo Constitution of the United States
federal statutes made in pursuance of the Constitution
state constitutions
state court decisions
state laws
treaties made under the authority of the United States
bindingOn federal courts
state governments
state judges
cameIntoForceOn 1789-03-04
category Clauses of the United States Constitution
constitutionalPrinciple federal supremacy
hierarchy of laws
preemption of state law
contradicts state constitutional provisions that conflict with the U.S. Constitution
state laws that conflict with valid federal law
country United States
draftedAt Philadelphia Convention
ensures priority of federal treaties over conflicting state law
uniform application of federal law across all states
hasShortName Supremacy Clause
interpretedBy Supreme Court of the United States
jurisdiction United States
language English
legalEffect binds state judges to apply federal law over conflicting state law
establishes the Constitution as the supreme law of the land
gives supremacy to federal laws made pursuant to the Constitution
gives supremacy to treaties made under the authority of the United States
invalidates conflicting state constitutions
invalidates conflicting state regulations
invalidates conflicting state statutes
partOf Article VI of the U.S. Constitution
Constitution of the United States
relatedDoctrine federal preemption doctrine
judicial review
state nullification (rejected doctrine)
textBeginsWith "This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof;"
textContains "any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding"
"shall be the supreme Law of the Land"
"the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby"

Referenced by (10)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Cooper v. Aaron ("Article VI of the United States Constitution")
Hines v. Davidowitz
constitutionalProvision
Article VI, Clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution ("Article VI of the U.S. Constitution")
Oaths Clause ("Article VI of the United States Constitution")
partOf
Article VI of the United States Constitution ("Article VI, Clause 2")
citedAs
Twenty-sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution ("Article VI of the United States Constitution")
constitutionalArticleModified
De Canas v. Bica ("Article VI of the United States Constitution")
constitutionalProvisionInvolved
The Federalist No. 43 ("Article VI of the United States Constitution")
discusses
Cooper v. Aaron ("The Supremacy Clause makes the Constitution and federal court decisions binding on the states")
holding
Texas Constitution ("Supremacy Clause of United States Constitution")
subjectTo

Please wait…