One result of this popular conviction is acquiescence in exercise of executive power which, in former times would have been interpreted by the people as “executive usurpation.” At present the people rely upon their executives,—Governors, Presidents,—to act as a check,—a limitation,—on unwise legislation. This reliance, or expectation, is a powerful element in practical politics. Thus the limitations of government in America are threefold: first, the American constitutions themselves; secondly, frequent popular elections, and thirdly, the judiciary in its interpretation of constitutions and laws. These limitations are constitutional limitations. There is a fourth limitation but it belongs to another sphere,—the sphere of politics.[421] CHAPTER XI THE LAW OF FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS 149. The people of the several States, and the people of the United States, have delegated powers to the governments which they have respectively created. The powers thus delegated are general, or special. Doubtless the special are implied in the general, but in order to secure precision, and thus to mark off, in practical fashion, the boundaries of the grants, the delegation of a power, or the reservation of a power is declared as clearly as possible in language of adjudicated meaning, or capable of interpretation according to such meaning. In the American constitutions, both federal and State, many provisions are administrative, that is, prescriptive of method, or procedure, as the strictly parliamentary provisions on the legislative respecting sessions, the journal, the quorum, adjournments, the method of passing bills, and the like. In the article on the judiciary, in State constitutions, provisions are found concerning appeals, writs, minor court officials, sessions of courts, records, decisions, and the like, all of which are of secondary importance as compared with the general grant of judicial power. In the executive article,—and notably in State constitutions, all that does not strictly belong to the executive office,—that is, to the distinctive functions of the Governor, is administrative. In the Constitution of the United States there is little of this administrative matter formally expressed, but much by implication,—for the appointees of the President (excepting the federal judges) are administrative officers, and the appointees of the President, of the heads of departments, or of the courts of law,—constituting what is known in law as “inferior officers”[422] comprehends quite all persons in the employ of the federal government.