Law is not a static phenomenon, yet in certain ways it appears bounded and clear cut.
Where it holds jurisdictional authority, law provides a set of rules for behavior. When
these rules are broken, behavior is punishable. If you have been driving carelessly and hit
another car, you might pay money damages. If you are caught stealing, you might go to
jail. If you are caught polluting, you may be forced to stop. The creation of law and the
delivery of sanctions for rule breaking are contested processes. How law is made, how it
is enforced, and how it is interpreted are always in dispute, constantly changing, and
responsive to the power relations that surround it. Still, we can identify its purposes: law
both sets behavioral standards and sets up a system for compliance with them. Within the
reach of a legal system, we are on notice that we must meet its standards or risk penalty.
Chances are we were not directly involved in the making of the rules—we may even
disagree strongly with them—but we understand that the legal system shadows us
anyway. It may be the closest we can get to a shared reality.