Which of the following accurately describes the relationship between the Constitution and state laws?

The Constitution establishes a hierarchy of laws in the United States, with federal laws taking precedence over conflicting state laws. This principle is rooted in the Supremacy Clause found in Article VI of the Constitution, which asserts that the Constitution, along with laws made in accordance with it and treaties made under its authority, is the supreme law of the land. This means that if there is a conflict between a state law and a federal law, the federal law will prevail.

This structure is crucial in maintaining a cohesive national legal framework, ensuring that individual states cannot enact laws that contradict or undermine federal regulations. Since the Constitution was created to unify the states, any state law that conflicts with federal law is rendered ineffective.

The other choices do not accurately reflect this relationship: state laws cannot be deemed supreme, nor can they be established in a manner that contradicts federal authority. Additionally, federal laws do not require approval from states to be enacted; they are enacted by Congress and applied uniformly across all states.