WHERE  OUR  LAWS  COME  FROM
Laws  in  the  United  States  come  from  two  sources:  through  rules  written  by   legislatures,  and  through  decisions  made  by  judges.
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Laws  Made  by  Legislatures
When  a  problem  arises,  citizens  turn  to  the  legislative  branch  for  solutions.    If  it  is  a   local  problem,  such  as  too  much  litter,  then  the  town  or  city  council  may  pass  a  law   increasing  the  fine  for  littering.    If  it  is  a  state  problem,  like  people  being  injured  in   motorcycle  accidents,  the  state  legislature  may  pass  a  law  requiring  helmets.    If  it  is   a  national  problem  such  as  inflation,  Congress  may  respond  by  increasing  Social
Security  payments  to  the  elderly.
All  of  these  are   statutes ,  written  laws  passed  by  legislatures.
Laws  tend  to  be  guided  by  the  morals,  values,  beliefs  and  customs  shared  by  most   people  in  the  society.    Laws  passed  by  Congress  reflect  basic  values  shared  by  most
Americans.    States  may  pass  their  own  laws  reflecting  the  needs,  interests  and   values  of  their  citizens,  which  may  not  be  the  same  as  people  living  elsewhere.
Today,  some  states  allow  same-­‐sex  marriage  while  others  do  not.    Some  states  have   recently  passed  laws  legalizing  medical  marijuana.    Most  states  allow  gambling  in
some  forms,  but  some  do  not.

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Other  Effects  on  Law
Judges’  decisions  must  be  followed.    These  rulings  clarify  laws  and  attempt  to   follow  established  precedents  (previous  court  decisions).    The  practice  of   following  court  rulings,  and  having  government  agencies  enforce  those   decisions,  is  an  old  tradition  started  in  England  called   common  law .    Through
the  practice  of  common  law,  court  rulings  are  usually  in  keeping  with  society’s   long-­‐held  beliefs  and  customs.
Regulations  by  Government  Agencies  also  carry  the  weight  of  law.    Congress   passes  laws  and  then  gives  responsibility  for  enforcing  those  laws  to  appropriate   government  agencies.    For  example,  the  Department  of  Agriculture  is   responsible  for  enforcing  laws  requiring  school  cafeterias  to  provide  healthy   lunches.    The  Environmental  Protection  Agency  (EPA)  is  responsible  for  setting   emissions  standards  on  cars  to  ensure  that  we  have  clean(-­‐ish)  air  to  breathe.
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How  Laws  Are  Organized
Legal  Codes :  To  help  keep  track  of  laws,  lawmakers  have  organized  them  into   legal  codes.    A   legal  code  is  a  written  collection  of  laws,  organized  by  subject.
For  example,  traffic  laws  are  collected  under  the  motor  vehicle  code,  while   education  policies  are  organized  under  the  state  education  code.    Legal  codes   have  a  long  history,  going  back  to  the  ancient  Babylonian  king  Hammurabi  (the
Code  of  Hammurabi  contained  almost  300  laws,  carved  on  stone  tablets,  and  was   the  first  known  collection  of  laws  in  human  history).
Constitutions :  The  US  Constitution  and  the  various  state  constitutions  are  also   collections  of  laws,  mostly  dealing  with  government  itself.    Constitutions  tell  how   laws  can  be  made,  and  what  sorts  of  laws  government  can  and  cannot  make.

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Changing  The  Law
Laws  can  be  amended  or  abolished  by  new  laws.    If  citizens  don’t  like  the  laws  that  a   legislature  passes,  they  can  elect  new  representatives  to  change  the  laws.    Laws  are   often  changed  because  of  changing  beliefs,  values,  or  customs.    For  example,  slavery   and  segregation  are  no  longer  legal  while  they  were  once  widely  accepted.    Many   different  groups  within  society  have  gained  rights  as  the  American  people  have
changed  their  attitudes  towards  them.
Those  laws  that  last  are  those  that  are  seen  as  fair,  reasonable,  and  understandable   by  a  majority  of  the  people  they  affect.