ABSTRACT
The United States is a nation governed by the rule of law. The rule of law is the framework of this society in which pre-established norms and procedures provide for decisions to be made consistently and without favoritism. The law, after all, is simply a compact among the citizens to establish a system of rules to govern society. The law dictates acceptable behavior for citizens and government, and it settles disputes among members of society, and between citizens and their government. The law is not merely a friendly agreement, though; government enforces the law through sanctions against violators, and those penalties include the elimination of basic individual rights and liberties.
