Federal authority originates with which document?

Federal authority originates with which document?

• A. The Constitution
• B. The State Constitution
• C. The Local Ordinance
• D. An International Treaty

Answer: (A)

Federal authority comes from the United States Constitution, the document that creates the federal government and spells out its powers and limits. It outlines what Congress can do, what the president can do, and how the courts operate, and it places boundaries on federal power. The Supremacy Clause makes the Constitution the highest law in the land, so any federal action or law must be grounded in constitutional authority. State constitutions and local ordinances derive their power from the state and local governments that operate within that national framework. International treaties are binding only because they have authority under the Constitution and relevant statutes; they do not by themselves originate federal power.

Federal authority comes from the United States Constitution, the document that creates the federal government and spells out its powers and limits. It outlines what Congress can do, what the president can do, and how the courts operate, and it places boundaries on federal power. The Supremacy Clause makes the Constitution the highest law in the land, so any federal action or law must be grounded in constitutional authority. State constitutions and local ordinances derive their power from the state and local governments that operate within that national framework. International treaties are binding only because they have authority under the Constitution and relevant statutes; they do not by themselves originate federal power.