Chapter 1 presents the theoretical framework used throughout the book. We argue that the federalist system creates varying layers of inequality for women in their human security. We argue that it is crucial that we understand how and under what circumstances domestic violence policies are adopted so that we can better assess what the laws are intended to fix and how reformers can utilize these pathways in the future to address domestic violence. We provide an overview of the scholarship on federalism as well as descriptions of domestic violence offenses, the rates of domestic violence , and a roadmap for the rest of the book.