In the United States, there are four primary sources of law. The major origin of public legislation includes the Constitution, federal and state statutes, administrative regulations, and case outcomes. According to Schowalter, the US Constitution is considered the supreme legal authority.
In other words, if other laws contradict this one, they will be nullified. Essentially, it is challenging to amend the US Constitution without the consent of the states through Congress. The “Equal Protection Clause” of the Fourteenth Amendment is an example. The second source of law is federal and state statutes, enacted based on the Constitution’s enumerated powers granted to the federal government.
Anti-discrimination statutes are an example of federal or state statutes. In contrast, administrative regulations are always issued by state and federal executive agencies. Examples include the Environmental Protection Agency and the Internal Revenue Service. They specify how the law will be applied and implemented. Finally, there are the judicial decisions, also known as common law.
State and federal legislation must abide by the US Constitution. As a result, legal concepts restrict the authority to legislate. An instance of the judicial decision is the first sentence in Planned Parenthood S.E Pennsylvania v. Casey, a 1992 abortion decision. Generally, judicial rulings are an essential aspect of private law; hence, they are relevant to healthcare administrators.