Final answer:
The Supremacy Clause stipulates that the Constitution and federal laws supersede state laws in a conflict, a principle upheld by the Supreme Court in cases like McCulloch v. Maryland.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Supremacy Clause, found in Article VI of the U.S. Constitution, establishes that the Constitution, federal laws, and treaties are the supreme law of the land. This means that if there is a conflict between federal and state laws, the federal laws take precedence, provided they are in line with the Constitution. State judges and officials are required to uphold the Constitution even if it contradicts the state laws.
The Supreme Court has a crucial role in interpreting the Constitution and has used the Supremacy Clause to resolve conflicts between state and federal laws, as seen in the landmark case of McCulloch v. Maryland. In this case, the Court affirmed the federal government's right to establish a bank and declared that states could not tax this federal entity, reinforcing the concept that legitimate federal laws trump conflicting state laws.