The Executive, Legislative, and Judicial are the three branches of the US federal government. Congress makes up the legislative branch and is in charge of passing and creating laws.
The president upholds the executive branch of government. They may seem to have absolute power, but the Constituion ensures that it is distrbuted evenly, with the checks and balances system.
James confronts John Adams about his defending British troops at the Boston Massacre. This illustrates the changing of loyalties that many had during the time of the British Colonies in America.