Which term refers to laws that are written and passed by governments?

The term that refers to laws that are written and passed by governments is statutes. Statutes are formal laws enacted by a legislative body at the federal, state, or municipal levels. These laws are created to address specific issues, uphold public order, or provide guidance on conduct within a jurisdiction. Statutes are distinct from other forms of law, such as common law, which is based on judicial decisions and precedents established in previous court cases, and case law, which refers specifically to the law established through the outcomes of individual court cases.

Regulations, on the other hand, are rules created by governmental agencies based on the authority given to them by statutes. They provide more detailed guidelines on how statutes should be implemented, making them subordinate to the written laws passed by legislatures.