Why do we Obey the Law? - There are a number of reasons why people obey the law. Many people understand that laws are there to protect us and that without them there is not much to stop someone who wanted to hurt, steal or exploit others. The law protects us from a world without rules, in which we are not all necessarily able to protect ourselves. Another reason we obey laws is that we understand society needs laws in order to function peacefully. For example, we might not appreciate stopping for a red light when we are late driving somewhere, but we can understand the consequences of what would happen if we didn’t stop. This idea can be applied to many laws. While we might not like it in theory, we understand that there is a need for it. As a result, it is important for lawmakers to develop laws that citizens think are acceptable or understandable. This means people should understand why the law exists, and it should reflect their own values of right and wrong. For instance, if the government introduced a law that required us to wear sunglasses whenever we were awake, it is unlikely that many people would obey this law as there is no real need to wear sunglasses constantly. It would also be a very difficult law for police to enforce, especially when people are in their own homes. In contrast, if people agree with or understand the need for a law, they are much more likely to obey that law. We also obey laws because most of us do not want to get in trouble. If we are caught breaking the law, we can be punished. Depending on the law that is broken, people can be fined, jailed or required to do community service for breaking the law. The fear of punishment is supposed to be a deterrent from breaking the law, which means that it will discourage people from doing it.