The relationship between a people's culture and the law Research Paper (Research Paper Sample)

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The relation between a people’s culture and the Law
The law is an essential aspect of a state's governance; it enables maintenance of order and offers a sense of equality to the people. The culture of a people involving their customs, ideas and social beliefs and is an influencing factor in the formulation of regulatory laws that govern them. America just like any other democratic nation has it owns laws influenced by the culture upheld by its people. Its laws are inclined based on the cultural values of its people and this factor beneficially influences the decisions and actions undertaken by the government to the citizens of the country. Nonetheless, these same laws undermine to a considerable extent a section of its citizens for instance, minority groups such as homosexuals who do not share the same sentiments regarding the American sexual culture. This divergence has led to the law compromising their liberty and violating such people’s rights. Lawrence M. Friedman states, “Legal culture is the source of law –its norms create the legal norms; and it is what determines the impacts of legal norms on society” (Friedman, 118). Through this statement, he characterizes a people’s culture as having a significant role in the laws upheld in the state and America is at no exception, its laws are largely in the source from the beliefs, norms, and values of its people. Because of this, its impacts are in showcase both positively and negatively to everyone bound by these laws. Therefore, in this contemporary issue, I argue to agree that dominant cultural beliefs influence American law and the undertaking of decisions and actions in the country.