[ELI5] In practice, what’s the difference of Policy, Regulation, and Law?

Question

[ELI5] In practice, what’s the difference of Policy, Regulation, and Law?

In: 1

Answer 1

Laws are pass by the legislative branch and can make law anything that is within the scope of that legislative branch to make a law (e.g. state legislatures make laws affecting the whole state, but not outside the state).

Regulations are made by executive branch departments, and only apply to the things that said department is involved in. The ability of a department of make a regulation is an extension of the law (passed by the legislature) that created said department in the first place. Through this regulations can have the force of law even if they weren’t directly created by the legislative branch.

Policies are documents that outline a high level position or goal. The basically direct someone or some organization to do or achieve something.