Imagine you are at a store in the mall. A police officer comes up to you, puts you in handcuffs, and takes you to jail. What is wrong with this scenario? Right, as a citizen, you cannot be thrown into jail without steps being taken first. You have the right to a lawyer, you have the right to know what you are being arrested for, and you have a right to see the evidence against you. This is the fundamental principle known as the rule of law, defined by the U.S. State Department as:

"Rule of law means that no individual, president or private citizen, stands above the law. . . Laws should express the will of the people, not the whims of kings, military officials, religious leaders, or self-appointed political parties."

No one is above the law; no one is below the law. The rule of law in many respects is like following the rules when driving a car. You must follow the laws to protect the safety of all. Today we are going to look at three different historical documents in order to see how the understanding of the rule of law has changed over time.