Final answer:
The state government (option D) specifies the rights and responsibilities of partners in a marriage, although they must comply with federal constitutional protections such as the Fourteenth Amendment. Federal-level decisions such as United States v. Windsor and Obergefell v. Hodges also play a crucial role.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the United States, the rights and responsibilities of the partners in a marriage are specified primarily by the D state government. Each state has its own set of marriage laws, but these must align with the federal constitution, as determined by Supreme Court rulings. For instance, marriage as a fundamental right is protected under the Fourteenth Amendment, as seen in landmark cases such as United States v. Windsor and Obergefell v. Hodges.
After the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was passed in 1996, there was significant federal involvement in defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman, which affected same-sex couples' rights on a national level. However, the Supreme Court's decision in United States v. Windsor invalidated this aspect of DOMA, empowering states to define marital relations. Ultimately, the Supreme Court's ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015 ensured the right to marry for same-sex couples national wide.