Gov - Chapter 19 - Laws and Our Society

written laws made by legislatures

• legal code
• criminal law
• morals
• statutes
• civil law

group of laws against acts that are considered harmful to society

• legal code
• criminal law
• morals
• statutes
• civil law

a group of laws that helps to settle disagreements

• legal code
• criminal law
• morals
• statutes
• civil law

a written collection of laws

• legal code
• criminal law
• morals
• statutes
• civil law

beliefs about what is fair and what is right or wrong

• legal code
• criminal law
• morals
• statutes
• civil law

Laws differ from other types of rules because laws

• set standards
• identify penalties
• must be obeyed by everyone
• tell people how something should be done

Usually Americans obey the laws because

• they do not want to pay fines
• the laws reflect their morals
• they do not want to go to jail
• they are afraid of the punishments

When taking part in civil disobedience, a person is doing all of the following EXCEPT

• breaking the law
• refusing to accept punishment
• taking a moral stand
• refusing to obey a law that goes against his or her beliefs

Congress passes laws that usually

• reflect basic values shared by most Americans
• apply only in the nation's capital
• are called ordinances
• do not have to be obeyed in individual states

Judges usually decide a case by

• being guided by earlier court decisions
• writing laws and then applying them
• overlooking local customs and beliefs
• trying to make a decision that differs from the decision in a past case