federal laws
Countrywide legal mandates
Federal laws are statutes enacted by a national government, as distinguished from state, provincial, or local laws.
In the United States, federal laws are passed by Congress and apply uniformly across all states: Federal laws on immigration supersede state regulations.
They typically govern matters of national concern—interstate commerce, national defense, civil rights—while leaving other matters to lower jurisdictions.
- enumerated powersAuthorities explicitly granted by constitution
- supremacy clauseRule establishing legal precedence
- complianceAdhering to requirements
- regulatory agenciesGovernment entities enforcing compliance
- preemptionActing to prevent another's action
anti-discrimination policies · checks and balances · constitution · environmental law · controlled substances · whistleblower protections · sentencing guidelines · judicial review · bill of rights · civil rights · separation of powers · congressional oversight · executive order · federalism · due process · equal protection · Miranda rights · treaty obligations
- drug lawscontrolled substances, drug scheduling, drug classification, Schedule II, Schedule IV
- lawlaw, lawyer, lawyers, attorney, attorneys
- lawsstatute, ordinance, acts, statutes, code
- drug policynarcotics, drug reform, drug enforcement, drug policy, decriminalization
- Federal Lawscongressional acts, acts, Civil Rights Act, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act
- Canadian lawcriminal code, court decisions, Supreme Court of Canada, judgments, rulings
federal lawslocal ordinances
Laws enacted by municipalities
municipal codes · state laws · county regulations · local regulations · city ordinances
federal lawssocial norms
Shared behavioral expectations
informal rules · moral codes · cultural taboos · etiquette · gentlemen's agreements
federal lawstribal law
Indigenous community legal system
religious law · natural law · moral codes · social norms · corporate policies