Can 行う and 施行する be used interchangeably when meaning "to carry out?"


I'd learned 行う as meaning "to carry out" a while back, and had understood it
to mean something like carrying _an action_ out, or _performing_ an action.
[The definition offered in
Jisho.org](https://jisho.org/word/%E8%A1%8C%E3%81%86) appears to corroborate
this.

I recently learned 施行 as "carry out" too. [The definition in
Jisho.org](https://jisho.org/word/%E6%96%BD%E8%A1%8C) appears to suggest it
can be used in that meaning to denote the carrying out _of plans, policies,
rules, etc._

Can 行う also be used in the sense of carrying out a policy or a rule too? Can
施行する be used to mean carrying out anything other than policies or rules, like
more general actions?




> Can 施行する be used to mean carrying out anything other than policies or rules,
> like more general actions?

Practically no. Searching on [BCCWJ](https://clrd.ninjal.ac.jp/bccwj/), most
施行する are used in the sense of _putting (a law) into effect_ or _carrying out
(a policy)_. There are a few examples where it is used for medical
treatment/therapy, as 放射線治療を施行する.

> Can 行う also be used in the sense of carrying out a policy or a rule too?

For laws/rules, no. X法を行う does not sound idiomatic. For policies, I suppose it
is mostly ok. E.g., 経済政策を行う=carry out economic measures. Note that 行う is very
generic and it may be more common to use verbs like 実施する which is more
restrictive in terms of verb collocations.




> Can 施行する be used to mean carrying out anything other than policies or rules,
> like more general actions?

Practically no. Searching on [BCCWJ](https://clrd.ninjal.ac.jp/bccwj/), most
施行する are used in the sense of _putting (a law) into effect_ or _carrying out
(a policy)_. There are a few examples where it is used for medical
treatment/therapy, as 放射線治療を施行する.

> Can 行う also be used in the sense of carrying out a policy or a rule too?

For laws/rules, no. X法を行う does not sound idiomatic. For policies, I suppose it
is mostly ok. E.g., 経済政策を行う=carry out economic measures. Note that 行う is very
generic and it may be more common to use verbs like 実施する which is more
restrictive in terms of verb collocations.

