Constitution of the United States: 4: The States

Article 4 deals with the relations of the states (see conflict of laws), providing that “Full faith and credit shall be given in each State to the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other State.” Section 2 prohibits any state from discriminating against citizens of other states, or in favor of its own. It also provides for the extradition of criminals. The article guarantees a republican form of government to every state and provides for the admission of new states as well as the government of territories.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• The Other Amendments
• The Bill of Rights
• The Amendments
• 5: Amending the Constitution
• 4: The States
• 3: The Judiciary
• 2: The Executive Branch
• 1: Congress
• The Articles
• The Preamble
• Bibliography

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

See more Encyclopedia articles on: U.S. Government