Law consists of a series of rules that govern the behavior of people in a society, that allow for resolution of disputes between the members of a society and between individual and the governmetn and that provides a means for the state to control the behaviors of its citizens. (Child Welfare and the Law pg. 2 and 3) It embodies a philosophy of humankind and of the relationship between government and the members of society. The rules of law in any society cannot be understood outside of the social context in which they were formed and which sustains them.
2. The four sources of law are; constitutional law, statutuory law, administrative regulations and judicial decision. The constitutional law: The U. S. Constitution is the supreme law of the land, the constitution have articles of the constitution which describe the divison of responsibility among executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government. The Constitution also have admendements. The Bill of Rights simply state the basic freedoms of all citizens.
The Statutory Law: is enacted by the U.S. Congress or the legislatures of each state and signed into law by the president or state govenor. (pg. 5).
The Administrative Law: Congress or the legislature of any state may delegate rule-making authority to a governmental agency. The federal Administrative Procedures Act sets forth the rules for delegating such authority to federal agencies, when implemented, regulations have the force of law. .
Judicial Law: Also known as the common law. It is made up of rules created by judges to settle disputes, it serves as precendents that guide jugdes confronted with cases whose facts are similar to those already decided.
3. According to Stein, Social workers and administrators must have knowledge of the law and the myriad ways in which the law influences practice and administration. (Pg.1_ To be effective, workers must understand more than their duties as set forth in the law.
