Understanding Federal Laws
Federal laws are laws passed by the federal government. Federal laws affect everyone who lives within the nation, no matter what state they reside in. Federal laws exist to govern health care, political policies, welfare, environmental issues, labor, immigration, finances, taxation, building of roads and building, transportation policies, and military rules. Federal laws affect every aspect of a citizen’s life and they are designed to ensure that the nation remains safe for all citizens. One of the greatest controversies about federal laws is part of the federalist and state power debate. That is, some claim that federal laws help protect all citizens by providing uniform and approved-of laws for all. These claim that since the federal government is more powerful and wealthy than the state governments of some states, they can pass and enforce laws to protect citizens more effectively than states can. Some groups further argue that federal laws that affect al citizens also bring the nation closer and ensure that all citizens are treated the same way. As more and more people move around often during their lifetime, they argue, federal laws ensure that they are protected even as they change states of residence often. These people argue that stressing federal laws prevents individual states from undermining national standards and policies. Some people oppose what they see as federal bullying through federal laws. These people often claim that one-size-fits-all federal laws do not address the very different needs of people in different states. They argue that states should be allowed to create more laws to address the very specific needs of each state. These groups argue that federal laws cost more money, offer less flexibility, and create less stability. They argue that de-emphasizing