We all accept that there are such things as laws or decrees sent down in government. In a democracy like the one we have in America, laws are made by a legislature, mediated by a judiciary, and enforced by a executive.

Yet, as legislatures in America don't enforce their own laws, how do they get people in the other branches of government to follow them? How do they get the general public to obey them?

The answer is respect (and to lesser extent fear). People in a democracy elect officials into a legislature. Those people elected, generally share the views of large segments of the population. Those who disagree with those views, generally accept that a majority of people disagree with them but that their majority status means they should embrace those values.

While legislatures have formal powers to remove executives and judicial members for ignoring their decrees, they very rarely have to do this. Not only are people in other branches afraid of being impeached, they generally respect the laws as being the will of the majority of people.

The general populace may to a degree fear the powers of the executive and the courts, but they also largely respect the decisions of government. Power used by government is considered legitimate by people. This is witnessed by the fact that there are many laws as written are largely unenforceable, but people still follow them.