State Legislation and Administrative Law
Kent C. Olson
Federal law affects more people than the law of any one state, but it is state laws that determine most of the basic rules of society. State law governs such matters as contracts, criminal law, family law, landlord-tenant relations, wills, and intestate succession. The U.S. Constitution limits the powers of the federal government, in theory at least, and those powers not expressly delegated to the United States are reserved to the states under the Tenth Amendment. In practice, the scope of federal power is a hotly contested issue among politicians and in the courts.