1. Chapter 19 Laws and Our Society
Focus:
Comparing and contrasting:
- Points about the different types of laws
- Different reasons for laws
- Different places these laws are made

2. Section 1: Why We Have Laws
Laws are a set of rules that allow people to live peacefully in society
They are for everyone and are enforced by the government
No one is above the law- the Rule of Law
Their main purpose is to keep peace and prevent violent acts

3. They set punishments that are meant to discourage potential criminals
Laws also set the rules for resolving disputes and give you rights if your property is damaged

4. They protect freedoms and protect our society, according to the Constitution
The Bill of Rights protect individual freedoms and other amendments, like the 14th, make sure that the laws are applied fairly

5. To be fully effective, laws should be fair and treat all equally
To promote the common good, laws protect society from negative externalities like pollution
If most people understand laws and believe they are fair and reasonable, then they will be obeyed
Laws reflect our values and beliefs

6. Some people disobey the law is it goes against their morals
Beliefs about what is fair and what is wrong or right are called morals, most of us have similar morals
Some people disobey the law is it goes against their morals
Civil Disobedience is breaking a law in a nonviolent way
Henry David Thoreau, Gandhi, MLK

7. Section 2: Where Our Laws Come From
Laws made by a legislature are called statutes
Laws passed by Congress reflect basic values shared by most Americans- type of Public Law
Most laws are made by some type of legislature
Judges decide cases based on laws that already exist

8. Many of our laws are based on Common Law
laws based on custom
Administrative Law is the body of law that governs the activities of administrative agencies of government
For example, the EPA sets regulations to meet the requirements of laws passed by Congress to protect the environment
Laws are organized into legal or penal codes- written collections of laws, often organized by subject
Legal codes have a long history

9. Section 3 Kinds of Laws There are many different kinds of law
Criminal law refers to laws that break the penal code or crimes against the state that harms society
The main purpose of criminal law is to punish law breakers
These laws must set fair and reasonable penalties if they are broken

10. Crimes are divided into two categories, felonies and misdemeanors
A felony is a serious crime for which the penalty can be imprisonment for more than a year
A misdemeanor is a non-serious crime like littering

11. Civil law is a group of laws that help settle disagreements between people
When someone sues someone, it is a civil type of case
Family law is a type of civil law that involves divorce or child custody
Sometimes situations involve both civil and criminal law

12. Other types of law
Public law is any area of law dealing with the people and the government including criminal law, Constitutional law deal with interpretations of the Constitution
Administrative law is law that governs the operation of government agencies
International Law deals with laws that apply to all nations, like international trade, and boundary disputes
There are no enforcement powers for international law
Most laws are statutory laws, meaning they have been made by a legislature