Question

The full faith and credit clause of the Constitution

A. requires the national government to accept a state's outstanding debt at the time of ratification.
B. requires the national government to accept the outstanding federal debt accumulated under the Articles of Confederation.
C. requires states to normally honor each other's public acts and legal decisions.
D. requires states, but not the federal government, to run a balanced budget.
E. requires the federal government, but not states, to run a balanced budget.

Answer 1

The full faith and credit clause of the Constitution, found in Article IV, section 1, requires states to honor each other's public acts and legal decisions, such as driver's licenses and judicial rulings.

Step-by-step explanation:

The full faith and credit clause of the Constitution, found in Article IV, section 1, is a pivotal component of interstate relations. Its primary function is to ensure that states within the United States maintain a level of mutual respect and recognition regarding public acts, records, and judicial rulings. The clause stipulates that a decision or public act in one state must be recognized by others. For example, it ensures that a driver's license or an adoption certificate issued in one state is valid in another. Furthermore, it signifies that legal decisions like marriage certificates must be respected across state lines, which was a contentious point before same-sex marriage was federally legalized.

Considering the given options, the correct answer is: C. requires states to normally honor each other's public acts and legal decisions. Options A, B, D, and E do not correctly describe the purpose of the full faith and credit clause as they relate to different aspects of constitutional mandates or fiscal policies.