Law is any system of rules that an authority makes and which citizens must follow. It includes rules about commerce (like contracts and consumer protection), property (including land, buildings, clothes and cars) and money (such as banking regulation, taxation and the rights of depositors and shareholders). It also governs a range of public services, utilities and public goods like energy, water and telecommunications. Law may be formal and written, such as a statute or a regulation, or informal and unwritten, like international customary law or an unofficial code of conduct. It may be enforced by coercion or by persuasion, for example if you break the law you can be fined or imprisoned, or it might be interpreted by an impartial judge. Law is the foundation of democracy, which entails giving people freedom to choose their own government and to change it.
The concept of law is a complex one. For example, those who believe that law is power backed by threat often argue that a government must have the right to force its subjects to obey the laws or face consequences. However, many governments allow their citizens to vote for or against government officials and to remove them if they don’t do a good job. This arguably allows a form of law with a much greater degree of accountability than would be possible under pure power-based rule.
The study of law encompasses a wide range of topics, including legal philosophy and history, constitutional law, criminal law, corporate law, family law, employment law, and international law. There are also a number of professions that deal with advising on or applying law, representing clients in court, and making decisions and punishments. These include lawyers, judges, and police officers.