At sports events, like soccer matches and basketball games, rules dictate the behavior of players, coaches, referees, and fans. When playing games such as chess, rules specify the ways in which the chess pieces can be moved and the ways in which players may proceed. At school, rules determine teacher-student relationships in addition to how students contribute to class discussions, when students need to turn in homework, and how students must behave in and out of the classroom. In the workplace, rules govern when employees begin their workday and when the workday ends, and rules govern proper behavior and performance expectations of workers and administrators. Laws, often defined as rules made, carried out, and enforced by local, regional, and national governments, are pervasive too.
Laws influence our lives in many ways and play many roles in society.
Laws define what duties the government will perform and, in some locales, limit the power of governmental officials. An examination of this list reveals the varying functions of laws in society. Laws serve many different purposes, though not every rule or law is a good one. This introduction only briefly discusses select issues related to rules and laws. The topic is actually quite extensive.