Government Law

In the Government Law topic at FreeAdvice, you’ll find information about civil rights law, education law, Social Security law, public contracts, environmental law, and more. Government law examines interactions of the public with government. Whenever a citizen or other person interacts with the government or an agent of the government (such as a government employee) there are certain laws and standards that the government must follow. Some laws are designed to protect individual taxpayers, and other, the public at large. To learn more about government law, explore the links to Government Law topics on this page. There are two major categories of protections: civil rights emanating from the Bill of Rights, and federal laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act that build upon those civil rights.

The first set includes protections that originate in the Bill of Rights - the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution. The Bill of Rights, which originally protected citizens and others within the United States from the actions of the federal government, was made applicable to the states through the 14th Amendment. The 14th Amendment contains language that specifically requires states to provide all people within their jurisdiction equal protection under the laws. As a result, both state and federal governments may not infringe on fundamental rights without a compelling reason to do so. Lesser rights not considered fundamental are also protected to some extent.

The second type of protections that are examined at FreeAdvice in Government Law are federal laws (and some state protections) enhancing civil rights. Over time, Congress has added numerous laws to the protections provided by the Constitution by specifically protecting certain rights of the people. For example, the Civil Rights Acts of 1866 and 1968 protected against discrimination on the basis of race. Most state constitutions and legislation also contribute to civil rights protections for their citizens. Among other issues, we examine the rights of the people to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures and the rights of those within certain classes to be free from discrimination in the workplace, in housing, and by government agencies and officials.

In addition to civil rights, FreeAdvice examines other laws and regulations pertaining to interactions with the government. In Education Law, the rights of students are examined. We also explore civil rights as they apply at public schools, including anti-discrimination laws, as well as laws and regulations pertaining to attendance, discipline, dress codes, and special education.

Public Contracts are another area of law relating to people and government and the relationships between them. Since the United States Government and state and local governments require goods and services to operate, public contracts between the government and businesses are common, and are strictly regulated in order to protect the public and taxpayers and to prevent patronage and favoritism.

Government Law also includes information on Social Security Law. Information on applying for benefits, eligibility of beneficiaries and their family members, and appealing benefit assessments are just a few of the topics examined. To learn about Civil Rights, Education Law, Environmental Law, Public Contracts, Social Security Law or Military Law, choose the topic from the list of links and explore the articles and answers to frequently asked questions in each topic.