so many questions about why people or groups do things

or don't do things

@Peter (politics.stackexchange.com/questions/18921/…) The state / government / us have authority over non-citizens and prisoners because enough we give it that authority.

We, through our legislative, define crime and punishment, subject to the limits of our constitution... But is this really what you're asking? It seems pretty low-level. Maybe I've misunderstood.