Legislation: Legislation refers specifically to laws that are created by legislative bodies such as Congress at either national or state levels.
Executive Order: An executive order is a directive issued by the President that carries legal weight and has the force of law. It allows the President to take action on specific policy matters without going through Congress.
Regulation: A regulation is a rule or directive issued by an executive branch agency to implement and enforce laws passed by the legislative branch. Regulations provide specific guidelines for how policies are implemented in practice.