A degraded flight control law may be caused by:

A degraded flight control law occurs when the aircraft's flight control systems are unable to perform optimally due to a limitation or malfunction. In the context of the A320, this can occur due to multiple system failures that impact the aircraft's capability to control flight surfaces effectively. When there is a failure in more than one system, such as hydraulic or electrical systems, the flight control laws may revert to a less sophisticated mode, which does not provide the same level of handling and safety as when all systems are fully operational.

This response encompasses scenarios where the redundancy designed into the A320's systems can fail. For instance, while a single hydraulic system failure or high angle of attack protection may lead to certain limitations, they may not comprehensively dictate the overall flight control law adaptation as multiple simultaneous failures would. Similarly, alpha floor engagement seeks to provide additional thrust while preventing stalling but does so without necessarily inducing a complete degradation of flight control laws. Therefore, the significant impact on overall performance and control levels arises primarily when multiple systems fail, leading to a clear understanding of the risks associated with such failures in flight.