reciprocity
Reciprocity is the mutual exchange of privileges between states, nations, businesses, or individuals for commercial, political, or diplomatic purposes. For example, Minnesota and Wisconsin have a reciprocity agreement that allows citizens of either state to attend the other states’ public universities at the in-state rate.
The United States Constitution contains the Full Faith and Credit Clause, which guarantees interstate reciprocity of “public acts, records, and judicial proceedings.”
An example of commercial reciprocity might be the free trade agreement between the United States and Canada between the 19th and 20th centuries, where natural resources had no protective tariffs.
[Last reviewed in August of 2026 by the Wex Definitions Team]
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