In 150 words, describe the powers of federal and state agencies

Federal and State agencies put into practice the laws that legislatures pass. This is important as most laws define the broad strokes of what is hoped to be accomplished. So, agencies then step in and fill in the games. They have the authority to think creatively when filling in the gaps but they are also unelected.

So, federal and state agencies exist as unelected executors of law, with all that that encompasses from filling in gaps to determining and applying sanctions.