The doctrine providing that a higher level of government can buy legislation to prevent a lower level of government dealing with a certain subject matter.

Preemption is the principle that a federal law supercedes or trumps any inconsistent state law or regulation. (See also "Supremacy Clause").

the judicial principle asserting the supremacy of federal over state legislation on the same subject

a complex one that is likely to be the subject of continuing debate as Congress and the states respond to popular sentiment for regulating health plans

a frequently debated topic in the current Congress because provisions of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) that preempt state law in six areas will soon expire

a question of law

Doctrine adopted by the U.S. Supreme Court, holding that certain matters are of such a national, as opposed to local, character that federal laws preempt or take precedence over state laws. As such, a state may not pass a law inconsistent with the federal law.

The right of one law over another in circumstances where the rights or remedies of the one law conflict with the other. Generally, federal laws preempt state laws.

legal doctrine by which federal government will regulate a given area exclusive such that states do not have jurisdiction over that activity.

A principle of asserting the supremacy of federal over state legislation on the same subject, or, state over local supremacy.