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Law is defined as a body of rules of action or conduct prescribed by controlling authority, and having binding legal force

Laws are meant to maintain order, describe legal rights and responsibilities, and define the outer limits of our interactions with each other and the government

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A constitution is a charter that establishes the government and the rules under which the government must be run (lawshelf.com)

Discusses what the responsibility and power of the government is

Provides guidance on how the government is organized

Considered our "supreme law of the land"

There is a federal constitution and separate constitutions for each of the 50 states

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Statutes are laws written by legislative bodies of government at the federal, state, and local levels

Courts must apply statutes, if available, to the facts of the case (lawshelf.com)

If a state law contradicts a federal law, the state is required to abide by the federal law (apnm.org)

State legislatures regulate statutes more than Congress. For example, states have more statutes regarding the creation of public health agencies and disease control and prevention

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Regulations are rules issued by state or federal administrative agencies

Provides the rules for how a law will be applied and enforced (lawshelf.com)

Created by executive branch administrative agencies

Regulations play a crucial role in health policy and law

Developed through formal and informal rulemaking

Can be overridden by a statute

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Common law is a body of unwritten laws based on legal precedents established by the courts (Segal)

Also known as judge-made law

Judges are able to interpret the meanings of the law by applying them to real life people and cases

When a judge decides a case and publishes a written decision, the decision becomes precedent for future litigation (apnm.org)

Influenced by stare decisis, which says prior case law decisions should be followed and not frequently overturned

Lower courts can never overturn decisions made by higher courts