Law of the United States facts for kids
The law of the United States is like a big set of rules that everyone in the country follows. These rules come from many places. The most important rulebook is the U.S. Constitution. It created the federal government and explains what powers it has.
Federal laws are rules made by the national government. These include laws passed by Congress, agreements with other countries called treaties, rules made by the President's team (the executive branch), and decisions made by federal courts. All these federal laws are collected and organized in something called the United States Code.
Contents
Federal and State Laws: How They Work Together
In the United States, we have a special system called federalism. This means power is shared between the national (federal) government and the individual states.
Federal Law: The Big Rules
Federal laws and treaties are very powerful. If a state law goes against a federal law, the federal law usually wins. This is called "preemption." However, the federal government's power is not unlimited. The Constitution gives it specific powers, and states have many powers of their own.
State Laws: Rules for Daily Life
Each of the 50 states has its own constitution and its own set of laws. States can even give their citizens more rights than the federal Constitution, as long as they don't take away any federal rights.
Most of the laws that people deal with every day are state laws. These include rules about:
- Contracts: Agreements between people or businesses.
- Torts: When someone harms another person or their property.
- Property: Owning and using land or things.
- Crimes: Actions that are against the law.
- Family matters: Like marriage or adoption.
Because states make many of their own laws, rules can be very different from one state to another.
Where U.S. Law Comes From
The legal system in the United States is mostly based on something called common law. This system came from England and was used when the United States was first formed.
Common Law: Decisions from Courts
In a common law system, judges' decisions in past cases are very important. When a judge makes a ruling, it helps set a precedent, which is like a guide for future cases. This means that if a similar situation comes up later, judges will often look at how it was handled before.
Changes Over Time
Even though U.S. law started with English common law, it has changed a lot. American law has developed its own unique ways of doing things. It has also borrowed some ideas from another legal system called civil law, which is used in many other countries.
Images for kids
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The Constitution of the United States is the highest law in the country.
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Members of the United States Congress make federal laws inside the U.S. Capitol building.
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The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court. It helps explain what laws mean when there are disagreements.
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Laws affect many parts of daily life, even where you can park. Signs often show which laws apply.
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The United States Code is where federal laws are officially collected.
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The Code of Federal Regulations contains rules made by government agencies.
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The United States Reports are official books that record decisions from the U.S. Supreme Court.
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These books show the California Penal Code, which contains criminal laws for the state of California.
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The Uniform Commercial Code helps make business laws similar across different states.
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This book, the Restatement (Second) of Torts, helps explain United States tort law.
See also
In Spanish: Derecho de los Estados Unidos para niños
