In the United States v. Alabama et al., 1959, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the federal government and against Alabama's attempts to resist desegregation orders from a lower court. The case arose after African American students were denied admission to public schools in Macon County, Alabama despite a district court ruling that ordered their admittance under racial integration laws. The state of Alabama sought to challenge this order by claiming it violated states' rights principles and interfered with its ability to control local education policy. However, the Supreme Court rejected these arguments on appeal and upheld the lower court's decision enforcing school desegregation as mandated by Brown v Board of Education (1954). This case was significant because it reinforced federal authority over states in matters related to civil rights enforcement during a period when many Southern states were resisting efforts at racial integration.

In the dissenting opinion for UNITED STATES v. ALABAMA et al., 1959, it was argued that the federal government should not interfere with state affairs unless absolutely necessary. The dissenters believed that Alabama's voter registration process did not violate any constitutional rights and therefore, there was no need for federal intervention. They contended that states have a right to manage their own internal affairs without interference from the federal government as long as they do not infringe upon individual civil liberties or contradict national laws. This includes managing their own voting processes and requirements which are designed to ensure only eligible citizens vote in elections. Furthermore, they asserted that if every state had uniform voting procedures enforced by the federal government, this would undermine states' rights and potentially lead to an overreach of power by the central authority.