Legislative—Makes laws (Congress, comprised of the House of Representatives and Senate) Executive—Carries out laws (president, vice president, Cabinet, most federal agencies) Judicial—Evaluates laws (Supreme Court and other courts)
The legislature, Congress, is elected by the People (and per the Constitution, the States, prior to the 17th Amendment). The legislature within the constraints of the Constitution, writes laws and sets policy. If members of the other two branches do not perform as expected, or extra-constitutionally, they may impeach, try (or not), and convict (or not) members of the other two branches. Conviction could lead to penalties of severance, up to imprisonment, and everything in between.
The judiciary, Courts - Judges are appointed by the executive branch with the advice and consent of the legislature. Though the executive appoints, the legislature must confirm, and has the final say in the appointment of judges. At the state and local levels, judges may be elected by the People. Judges try cases where the law has been broken. The judge does does not determine guilt or innocence. That is done by a jury of citizens. The jury may find 1 of two verdicts; guilty, or not guilty. Judges then set the penalty within parameters prescribed by the law. If the judge feels the law is unconstitutional, or the defense files a motion, the judge may render a verdict of acquittal. In any event, that verdict may be appealed to higher courts, all the way to the Supreme Court, where, ultimately, the law will be judged, and either upheld or struck down. The judiary also hears civil disputes, which are judged within the confines of the law, and the Constitution.
The executive- This includes the President (as well as governors and mayors), and Department Secretaries and Agency heads appointed with the advice and consent of the legislature, as well as the entire “civil service” and the military. The President is elected by the States (the Electoral College), with the advice and consent of the People. Governors and mayors are elected by the People. The executive branches sole authority is to enforce and prosecute the laws of the legislature, and execute policy pursuant to the will of the legislature.
The announcement made by President Lincoln during the Civil War on September 22, 1862, emancipating all slaves in states still engaged in rebellion against the Union. Although implementation was strictly beyond Lincoln's powers, the declaration turned the war into a crusade against slavery. It went into effect on January 1, 1863.
Racial policies were mostly those that dealt with the issue of slavery at first and later with the issue of civil rights. Court's decision to have the anti-slavery acts and to later have the civil war acts impacted African-Americans a lot. A case when it comes to ethnicity is for example the court's decision that affirmative action can often be treated as positive racism and that such laws and policies have to pass strict scrutiny and be analyzed to prevent discrimination. Religious groups often had court problems because of issues regarding homosexuality or abortions in which it was established that religious groups have all the freedom to believe what they want but same-sex marriages and abortions can be provided to all people regardless of religion.
