The law shapes politics, economics and history and serves as a mediator of relations between people. It has a number of branches: contract law regulates agreements for the exchange of goods or services; property law defines people’s rights and duties toward tangible objects like buildings, cars and clothes, as well as intangible things such as intellectual properties and shares of stock; criminal law covers the punishment of offenses against a public authority; civil law relates to disputes between individuals, including tort laws such as those covering automobile accidents and defamation of character; constitutional law governs the fundamental rights of the citizens; and administrative law deals with the procedures, structure and functions of government.

The precise nature of the law is a topic of ongoing debate. A common definition, influenced by Bentham’s utilitarian theories, is that it consists of commands from a sovereign, which are enforceable under threat of sanctions, to which people have a habit of obedience. This concept of law, however, is not universally accepted. Jean-Jacques Rousseau, for example, argued that laws should be based on principles of natural justice that are innate in human beings.

A number of terms are used to describe law and its role in society: rule, principle, precept, regulation, statute, ordinance and canon. Other articles that address the relationship of law to political structures are constitution; ideology; and political system.