Jim Pasco, the executive director for the Fraternal Order of Police, was watching football on a Sunday afternoon when he got a call from Susan Rice, the top domestic policy adviser at the White House.

Negotiations over an executive order to address racism and policing were in danger of breaking down after a draft was leaked that law enforcement groups believed was too harsh toward officers. Now Rice was looking to get things back on track.

“She said they wanted to start over,” Pasco said as he looked back on that day earlier this year. “And they wanted to deal with us in total confidence.”

He agreed. The result was the executive order that President Joe Biden signed last week during a ceremony that, improbably, brought together law enforcement leaders, civil rights activists and families of people who had been killed by police.

“This is a moment where we have come together for something that is not perfect, but it's very good," Rice said. "And it moves the needle substantially.”

No one who believes that American policing needs to be overhauled — including the president himself — thinks the final order goes far enough. It does not directly affect local departments, which have the most interactions with citizens, nor does it necessarily represent permanent change. The next administration could swiftly undo it.

However, many civil rights advocates consider it an important step forward, and maybe even a building block toward more expansive legislation that has so far been elusive.

“We have to keep the dialogue going,” said Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League. "And I think this helps create the sense that we can talk, and if we do talk, we'll find some common ground.”

Biden's original hope was for Congress to pass bipartisan legislation named for George Floyd, the Black man who was murdered by Minneapolis police during an arrest in 2020.

However, the first anniversary of Floyd's death passed last year without a deal, and negotiations eventually broke down. White House officials began focusing on a potential executive order.

Previous presidents, too, have attempted to make improvements to America's law enforcement system, but Biden faced particular pressure to find the right balance.

During his campaign, Biden met with Floyd's family and pledged to make racial justice a core part of his administration.

He also had longstanding relationships with police and their unions. And he didn't want to be at odds with law enforcement when crime was a growing concern for the country, not to mention an issue ahead of this year's midterm elections.