Re:under what authority? (Score 5, Informative)

Ever heard of Administrative Law? Most of the laws in this country are made by federal and state executive agencies. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Administrative_Law

And to blow your mind even further, the judicial branch makes law too! It's called common law. The federal judiciary and 49 of the 50 states operate under common law. If you don't like it, you have to move to Louisiana or France.