Introduction to American Law The United States is a former English colony, and its laws were initially based on the common law of the parent nation. The states that were settled by Spain, France, and Mexico before joining the country developed civil-law systems, though they abandoned them afterward (Siegler , pp. 70-71). In common-law frameworks, judges interpret the laws passed by legislators and make decisions that are later used as precedents for future cases (Siegler, p. 70). Judges are expected to abide by these precedents in a principle that is known as stare decisis. With that said, the United States has diverged from the English procedure considerably over time with the intent of modernizing and simplifying it, particularly in matters of pleading (Friedman, p. 116). As such, nowadays, the two legal systems are considerably different in practice despite their shared underlying principles. Laws are differentiated into a variety of categories that are separated by level, source, and intention. Neubauer and Meinhold distinguish national, state, and local law, constitutions, statutes, and administrative regulations, and case law, public and private law, civil and criminal law, and substantive and procedural law as different areas (p. 30). Federal law is recorded in the Constitution and statutes and regulations that are issued by the Congress and federal agencies. In some fields, it takes precedence over state law, but the latter is generally responsible for defining everything not covered by the broader legislation. States can delegate some of their lawmaking capabilities to counties, cities, and other entities and usually do so, generating the lowest level of local law. Private law governs interactions between individuals as opposed to the government for public regulation. Civil and criminal laws diverge in the nature of the harm (private or public). Lastly, substantive law refers to rights, while procedural law governs the enforcement of these rights. The United States Constitution The United States Constitution was drafted in 1787 and ratified in 1788 as an attempt to replace the ineffective Articles of Confederation. It is separated into seven articles, each of which deals with a specific aspect of government (Hurt, p. 37). Article I defines the legislative branch, and articles II and III outline the executive and judicial ones, respectively. Article IV explains the roles of the state in the broader national framework. Article V provides a procedure for the introduction of amendments to the Constitution. Article VI cements its position as the supreme law of the nation, positioned above that of the states. Lastly, Article VII is an instruction regarding the ratification of the document. The Constitution has also been amended twenty-seven times throughout the years, with the first ten amendments being known as the Bill of Rights. The name comes from the history of the introduction of the ten amendments as well as their purpose. Most of the Anti-Federalist faction, as well as some Federalists, were concerned that the government would seize excessive power and restrict the freedoms of the people. Signorelli adds that the unchecked power of the English government and its abuses in America served as examples of such power and its misuse (p. 27). Ack