States, cities & tribes
home rule
State authority letting a local government act without specific permission for each power, as long as it does not conflict with state law.
In full
Home rule inverts the default: instead of asking whether the state granted a power, a home rule city asks whether the state forbade it. It is granted by state constitution or statute, usually to municipalities above a population threshold that adopt a charter, and its scope is regularly litigated where local ordinances meet state policy.
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A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.