Law is a set of rules created by a government that citizens must follow. It helps ensure that there is cooperation between people in a society and also prevents conflicts. When a person breaks a rule they may be punished by the government, for example, if someone steals something they might be fined. Laws can be made by a group of legislators or by a single legislative body, which results in statutes; by the executive branch through decrees and regulations; or by the judiciary through case law or precedent. Private individuals can also create legally binding contracts that regulate their behavior, such as employment contracts or insurance agreements.
The precise nature of law is a subject of ongoing debate. The philosopher Jeremy Bentham, for example, used utilitarian reasoning to define law as “commands, backed by the threat of sanctions, from a sovereign, to whom people have a habit of obedience.” Natural lawyers such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau argued that laws are essentially moral and unchangeable, reflecting an innate sense of fairness.
Many scholars believe that the interpretation of law varies by country and even time. For example, a nation’s laws can be influenced by the dominant culture of a region; an authoritarian regime may keep the peace but oppress minorities and political opponents (e.g., Nazi Germany or Saddam Hussein’s Iraq); or it may serve more broadly to maintain social order, protect individual rights and provide a platform for gradual social change.
