Law is a set of rules that a government creates and enforces in order to govern itself, its people and their relationships. These rules govern everything from the most trivial matters, like obscene phone calls, to the most complex issues, such as international treaties. They are often based on an underlying principle, such as fairness or the prevention of violence. The laws that a society or country has in place also shape its politics, economics and history in many ways.
There are many different theories of what law is and how it works. Various books and articles have been written describing the different concepts and ideas about this subject, but most of these theories revolve around the idea that law is a system of rules and regulations that are created by a sovereign authority and then enforced through sanctions against those who break them.
Generally, there are two types of laws: legislative and regulatory. Legislative laws are passed by a legislature, such as a parliament or congress, and they are usually described in statutes and codified into a code. Regulations are enacted by executive branch agencies, and they are sometimes published in the Federal Register or codified in the Code of Federal Regulations. In some areas, such as aviation and railroads, the federal government has developed a powerful scheme of laws that preempts state law, but in other areas, such as family law, a small number of federal statutes coexist with a larger body of state law.
Both of these types of laws serve a number of purposes, including establishing standards, maintaining order, resolving disputes and protecting freedoms and rights. In a democracy, laws are typically created by a democratic process that includes the input of the public. In contrast, many authoritarian governments develop their laws through a process of autocracy and dictatorship, where they control the activities of the people through military force and the power of bureaucrats.
In addition, there are other branches of law, such as contract, criminal and property laws. Contract law regulates agreements between individuals and businesses, and it covers everything from buying a loaf of bread to trading options on the stock market. Criminal law is the area of the legal system that deals with crimes and violations of civil liberties. Property law outlines people’s rights and duties toward their tangible possessions, such as their homes and cars, and it also encompasses intangible property, such as bank accounts and shares of stock. There are also laws governing maritime activities, medical jurisprudence and the intersection of law with the biosciences. Each of these areas of the law requires specialists to study and practice them. These experts are often called lawyers, judges or magistrates. Some people may even have a passion for a particular type of law, and this can lead them to become involved in the political process by volunteering as a magistrate or serving on the local council. Others may pursue a career in law by studying for a degree in law school.