Also known as: allies · allied · allying · alliance · coalition partner
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
2 senses
A nation tied to another by treaty or alliance. The Constitution prohibits states from entering such arrangements without congressional consent.
A citizen or subject of an allied nation.
Each sense below has its own examples, sources, and questions.
A nation tied to another by treaty or alliance. The Constitution prohibits states from entering such arrangements without congressional consent.
Select any source to read its text and confirm it supports the definition.
A citizen or subject of an allied nation.
Select any source to read its text and confirm it supports the definition.
The governor of New York signed an agreement with officials from Canada establishing mutual defense commitments. Federal authorities challenged the pact as an alliance. The court held the arrangement invalid under the constitutional bar on state alliances.
Massachusetts and allied states petitioned the EPA to regulate greenhouse gases from vehicles. The agency denied the petition. The Supreme Court recognized the states' standing to challenge the denial as sovereign allies in protecting their territory.
Church of the Lukumi Babalu Aye formed an alliance with a foreign religious group for ritual practices. The city enacted ordinances targeting the alliance. The Supreme Court invalidated the laws as targeting the allied religious conduct.
Antonio Alvarado sought membership in the Boy Scouts as a representative of an allied youth organization. The organization revoked his membership. The Court upheld the right of expressive association for the allied group.
One sense refers to a nation bound by treaty while the other refers to an individual citizen of such a nation. The Constitution addresses only the national sense by barring states from forming alliances.
Supporting sources
The prohibition covers any treaty alliance or confederation entered by a state. Courts examine the substance of the arrangement rather than its label to determine if it creates an alliance.
Supporting sources
Avalon Pharmaceuticals sued Aether Technologies in federal court over a contract breach. Aether moved to dismiss for lack of complete diversity because one plaintiff was a citizen of an allied nation. The court applied supplemental jurisdiction rules to retain the case.
Alfred Ashford, a citizen of an allied nation residing in Connecticut, challenged a state ban on contraceptive counseling. The Court recognized a right of privacy that extended to such individuals through the allied relationship. The statute was struck down.
Yes when the allied status brings the individual within the scope of recognized liberties such as privacy or association. Courts have extended protections to such citizens in appropriate cases.
Supporting sources
…courts and the argument of Connecticut in this Court, the State claims but one justification for its anti-use statute. Cf. Allied Stores of Ohio v. Bowers , 358 U. S. 522, 530; Martin v. Walton , 368 U. S. 25, 28 (DOUGLAS, J., dissenting). There is no serious contention that Connecticut thinks the use of artificial…