Ethics, Government, and Laws Vocabulary

Administrative Law

• rules, regulations and interpretations of statutory law

• guidelines for ethical business practices

• procedures for criminal investigations

• principles of international trade agreements

Ethical Choices

• choices based on moral principles and values

• decisions made without considering consequences

• random selections made in uncertain situations

• choices influenced by peer pressure

Arbitration

• A method of informal negotiation between parties

• A formal method of settling a disagreement with the assistance of an impartial third party who makes the final decision to resolve the conflict

• A process of mediation where a neutral party facilitates discussion

• A legal process where a judge makes a ruling without any input from the parties involved

Federal Income Tax

• percentage of the total income paid by individuals or percentage of businesses profits paid by sole proprietorships and partnerships

• a flat fee paid by all citizens regardless of income

• a tax only applied to corporations and large businesses

• a tax that is only applicable to foreign income

Right-To-Work Laws

• Laws that require all employees to join a union

• Laws allowing employees the ability to work for a company, even though the employee may not be a member of the union

• Laws that prohibit any form of union activity

• Laws that mandate higher wages for union members

Property Tax

• A fee paid for property maintenance

• A percentage of the value of the property paid on land, structure and other owned property

• A tax on income generated from property rentals

• A fixed annual charge for owning property

Common Law

• laws based on statutes enacted by legislatures

• laws based on precedents established by judges’ decisions

• laws that are universally accepted without exception

• laws that are only applicable in civil cases

Organized Labor

• employees who come together to form a labor union

• individual workers acting independently

• a group of employers negotiating wages

• a government agency overseeing labor laws

Statutory Law

• laws written by the legislative branch

• laws created by judicial decisions

• laws based on customs and traditions

• laws enforced by executive orders

Code of Ethics

• set of written guidelines which govern behavior based on ethical values

• a collection of laws that must be followed

• a personal belief system that varies by individual

• a set of rules for financial transactions