Section Warm-Up
America has become an increasingly mobile society. It is not uncommon for people to relocate to another state several times in their lifetime. For many people this is a major adjustment.
If you moved to another state, how might the other state be different?
Did you note different graduation requirements? Requirements to get a driver’s license? Requirements for admission to the state college? Different laws for marriage, divorce, child custody? Did you note varying requirements to be a nurse, doctor, lawyer, and technician? Did you note different criminal laws? For example, in 11 states possession of marijuana is not a crime; a person only faces civil penalties like fines. In other states it’s a misdemeanor, and in some a felony. Federal law makes the first offense for possession of marijuana a misdemeanor punishable by fines and up to a year in jail.
How can we have conflicting laws? Different penalties? How can something be criminal in one state and not criminal in another state? Because we are a federal system, each state can set its own standards in most areas of daily life, leaving to the federal government standards that affect the entire nation.
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Visit this site from the U.S. government and download How the U.S. is Governed for a short handbook that explains the relationship between local, state, and federal governments. |
