ABSTRACT
Routinely and ostensibly mechanically, at the local, state, and federal levels, legislative,administrative, and judicial bodies grind out annually tens of thousands of new laws. But, despite the piecemeal appearance, each law is unique. Each has its own distinct set of precipitating factors, special history, and raison d’être. Still, some generalizations are possible about how laws are formed, the sociological factors that play a role in lawmaking, and the social forces that provide an impetus for making or altering laws. This chapter focuses on the more important sociological theories of lawmaking; the ways in which legislatures, administrative agencies, and courts make laws; the roles of vested interests, public opinion, and social science in the decision-making process; and the sources of impetus for laws.
