this function, as do persons serving in a state defense force with federal oversight under . The idea of allowing Congress to have say over agreements between states traces back to the numerous controversies that arose between various colonies. Eventually compromises would be created between the two colonies and these compromises would be submitted to the Crown for approval. After the American Revolutionary War, the Articles of Confederation allowed states to appeal to Congress to settle disputes between the states over boundaries or "any cause whatever". The Articles of Confederation also required Congressional approval for "any treaty or alliance" in which a state was one of the parties. A number of Supreme Court cases have concerned what constitutes valid Congressional consent to an interstate compact. In Virginia v. Tennessee, , the Court found that some agreements among states stand even when lacking the explicit consent of Congress. One example the court gave was a state moving some goods from a distant state to itself, for which it would not require Congressional approval to contract with another state to use its canals for transport. According to the Court, the Compact Clause requires Congressional consent only if the agreement among the states is "directed to the formation of any combination tending to the increase of political power in the States, which may encroach upon or interfere with the just supremacy of the United States". The Congressional consent issue is at the center of the debate over the constitutionality of the proposed National Popular Vote Interstate Compact entered into by fifteen states plus the District of Columbia. Notes References Further reading Irons, Peter H. (1999). A People's History of the Supreme Court. New York: Penguin. External links Davis, Z. (2001). "Presidential Vetoes, 1989–2000." Kilman, J. & Costello, G. (Eds). (2000). The Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation. s CRS Annotated Constitution: Article 1 "Resources Regarding the Origination Clause" (from TIFIS) National Cable Satellite Corporation. (2003). "Capitol Questions." 1 Legislative branch of the United States government