Federalism and State Powers

Article IV, Section 1 provides that "[f]ull faith and credit shall be given in each state to the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state . . . " Furthermore, Article IV, Section 2 provides that "[t]he citizens of each state shall be entitled to all privileges and immunities of citizens in the several states." Taken together, the above language means that states should honor valid judgments rendered in sister states and should not discriminate against another state's citizens. As a practical matter, however, a state may balk at recognizing a claim which is valid in another state if it regards such a claim to be against its own public policy.