The United States has a central federal government, the authority of which is restricted to those powers given to it by the Constitution. Each state has its own system of legislative and judicial functions that operate in areas not within the exclusive control of the federal government.
Attempts have been made to provide an organized system of uniformity of legislation throughout the states. The Commissioners on Uniform Laws, a group established in 1890, has been instrumental in persuading the states to adopt uniform laws, particularly in the realm of commercial law. The Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) is one example of the achievements of the Commissioners on Uniform Laws.
