The Supremacy Clause in Article VI of the Constitution establishes that:

Question

Accepted Answer

Federal law is the supreme law of the land when it conflicts with state law. The Supremacy Clause, found in Article VI, Clause 2 of the Constitution, establishes that the Constitution, federal laws made pursuant to it, and treaties made under its authority constitute the "supreme Law of the Land." When a valid federal law conflicts with a state law, the federal law prevails, and state judges are bound by this principle regardless of anything in their state constitutions or laws.

The Supremacy Clause does not establish presidential authority over national security  -  the President's powers as Commander in Chief come from Article II. "State constitutions take precedence over federal statutes..." states the exact opposite of what the Supremacy Clause provides. While the Supreme Court is the highest court in the federal judiciary, its authority over lower federal courts derives from Article III and the Judiciary Act, not from the Supremacy Clause.

The Supremacy Clause has been central to numerous landmark cases. In McCulloch v. Maryland (1819), Chief Justice Marshall invoked it to rule that Maryland could not tax the Second Bank of the United States because "the power to tax involves the power to destroy," and a state cannot destroy a legitimate federal institution. The clause also played a key role in the enforcement of civil rights legislation, as federal law preempted discriminatory state laws. Understanding the Supremacy Clause is crucial for the CLEP exam because it defines the hierarchical relationship between federal and state law, a fundamental aspect of American federalism.

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