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How does Article IV govern relations between U.S. states?
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constitution
Original copy of the Constitution of the United States of America, housed in the National Archives in Washington, D.C.
Article IV of the U.S. Constitution establishes the framework for relations between the states and defines their obligations to one another. Key provisions include:
- Full Faith and Credit Clause: This requires each state to recognize and respect the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state.12
- Privileges and Immunities: States are required to provide citizens from other states with the same privileges and immunities that they afford to their own citizens.2
- Republican Government: The Constitution guarantees that every state in the Union shall have a republican form of government.2
- Admission of New States: Article IV, Section 3, grants Congress the authority to admit new states into the Union, while placing specific restrictions on how those states may be formed from existing jurisdictions.34
Additionally, this article empowers Congress to manage and create regulations for territories and other property belonging to the United States.4