Rules serve as the foundation for any healthy society. Without them society would likely deteriorate into anarchy. Rules protect people by normalizing behavior. It creates boundaries that place limits on behavior. Rules are only effective if there is a means to impose consequences on those who violate them. Some people will not care but most people will follow accepted rules to avoid negative consequences.

Situations in which there is not a working government chaos tends to rule the day. Whether it is the result of natural disasters or internal strife people will take advantage of the situation and use it to their advantage. Riots, looting, and assaults are common right after governments are rendered incapable of responding to a crisis. Each person’s actions have the potential to impact many others. For example dumping hazardous waste in the water may be an easy way for one person to get rid of it but the environment and people downstream are greatly impacted. Society could not function without rules and regulations to protect the greater good. Even the freest societies must have rules in order to prevent exploitations and tyranny while promoting the common welfare.

Rules establish frameworks for society. The United States is a nation of laws and the governing principles are outlined in the constitution. The freedoms outlined exist because the majority has agreed to follow and consent to be governed by such a constitution. The benefit of such a system enhances all in society. Each person is guaranteed certain rights and the government is limited in its power in order to ensure that it does not become powerful enough to suppress liberty. Checks and balances and divisions of power between states and the federal government further protect individual liberty. Freedom was established by rules limiting both the federal government and states power.

Rules create a sense of justice. In order to keep the strong from dominating the weak rules need to be in place to prevent exportation and domination. Without rules Social Darwinism would dominate in which those with the power controlled the system. Rules create a stable system that provides justice. Even the richest and most powerful in society have limitations on what they can do. If they violate laws and take advantage of people there are repercussions both criminally and through civil courts.

Rules are important for a healthy economic system. Without regulation of business power would centralize around monopolies and threaten the vitality and competitiveness of the system. The free market system works because of its competitive nature. During the robber baron era monopolies limited competition and as a result product safety, employee safety, and product quality declined. Antitrust laws were created to keep any company from cornering the market. Copyright and patents help protect intellectual property. Regulations also keep the banking system stable. The depression showed what can happen to the banking system if not regulated. Even the most recent financial crisis shows that rules are needed to keep the system stable.