Does a Law Matter If No One Follows It?

I read an interesting article about the Republic Windows & Doors factory shut down in the New York Times. The interesting part of the article was when the author talked about how the federal law designed to force companies to notify employers 60 days in advance of any mass layoffs essentially was practically never followed and routinely un-enforced.

What happens when laws aren’t followed? Also what causes that to happen is it the lack of enforcement, are the laws not publicized enough for the company to know to follow these requirements. Or when there enough exceptions in the law that everyone meets the exception?

What happens when laws become ignored, is that anarchy or is that a government with too many laws, or something else? Who do you even complain to when that happens, hopefully not Andrew Jackson.

Just a thought at 1 in the morning.

Flickr photo courtesy of: Josh Bancroft.