Georgia Milestones Assessment System (GMAS) Government Practice Test

The main idea here is the hierarchy of laws in the United States. The Supremacy Clause, found in the Constitution, says the Constitution is the supreme law of the land. Federal laws and treaties made under the Constitution are also part of that supreme law. That means when a conflict exists between a state’s law and federal law, the federal rule wins and the state must follow it. Judges in every state are bound to apply the Constitution, federal statutes, and treaties. International law doesn’t automatically override the Constitution; it becomes part of U.S. law only if it is adopted through treaties or other mechanisms that fit within the federal legal framework, and even then it must operate under the Constitution. So the clause establishes that the Constitution and federal law have ultimate authority over state and local laws.