Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – Part One Chapter Two deals with laws and the fact that laws come from many different sources. What is the most obvious place that our laws come from in the United States? That’s Right: The U.S. Congress!!! The U.S. Congress is made up of: The House of Reps (435 Members) The Senate (100 Members)

Chapter 2 – Part One Laws passed by the United States Congress makes laws called statutes that are binding to all people and states of America. Federal Statutes usually deal with issues that have a national impact such as: taxes the environment, public health, defense and agriculture. The Constitution lays out the areas in which the National Government can make laws. Those laws are the top laws of the land because of the Supremacy Clause.

Chapter 2 – Part One States also have a legislature that passes laws that have impact on that state including: education, traffic, marriage and crimes. Beyond Federal and State Laws, local governments also pass their own laws via groups like County Commissions and City Councils.

Chapter 2 – Part One If a law is unclear, Judges have rules that they must follow when following. The first thing Judges must look at is what was the Legislative Intent, meaning “What did the law makers want the law to do?” If a word is up for debate, a judge must assume the words represents its everyday use. Finally, if a law is written too vaguely a judge cannot enforce the law.

Chapter 2 – Part Two The court system also can make laws in the United States. When a party is not happy with the result of a trial, they can appeal. When an Appellate Court (Appeals Court) makes a decision, a judge will write an opinion. The opinion sets a precedent that all lower courts must follow.

Chapter 2 – Part Three The final group of law makers in the United States are Federal and State Agencies. These groups are authorized by Congress or state legislatures, to make laws more specific. For instance one of the agencies, The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, (OSHA) creates rules on safety such as how high guard rails must be in a factory or how many fire extinguishers a school must have.

Chapter 2 – Part Three