Branches of Government
Grace Manning
Overview
The United States Government is broken into three branches called Legislative, Executive and Judicial. The Legislative Branch is divided into two sections, the House of Representatives and the Senate. This Branch discusses and passes laws. The Executive Branch is the where the President and his advisors enforce laws but also is in control of armed services. The Judicial Branch has the U.S. Supreme Court, these high level courts have judges who interpret laws according to the Constitution. These three branches are used to divide up the power. They ensure that people's rights are protected and that the government is as effective as it possibly can be. Each branch has different powers and jobs, but they all communicate with each other to make sure the government is coherent.
Explanation
The Constitution was formed by the founding fathers to create a more perfect union between all of the states. The founding fathers also felt that it was important to have three different branches because it would help prevent too much power going to the central government. If the central government gained too much power, it could turn into a dictatorship. They wanted to have a government that would protect the rights of the people, split up the power and continue to protect the future of America.
The Functions of Each Branch
Legislative
Legislative Branch was established in Article 1 of the United States Constitution. This branch consists of the House of Representatives and a Senate. The House of Representatives is made up of 435 elected members, who were pick based of the 50 states population. The members serve two-year terms, and must be at least the age of 25, they also must have been an American citizen for 7 years as well as a state resident. The house has many duties, some being: electing the president in a tie, to initiate revenue bills and impeach federal officials.
Executive
The Executive Branch is in the President's hands, he holds all of the power. He is in charge of the armed forces, enforces the laws made by congress, and he appoints a vice president and head of federal agencies. These agencies, including the cabinet, have responsibilities, such as enforcing laws and to run programs like the Department of Defense. This branch is in Article 2 of the Constitution, in the article is talks about how the President can sign or veto laws made by the Legislative Branch and other things he is in charge of.
Judicial
The Judicial Branch is in Article 3 of the Constitution, which states that Congress has control over almost all decisions concerning the supreme courts. The judges at these district courts have no terms, they serve until they die, and convicted by the Senate or retire. The courts only take cases in which the outcome would be practical. The Judicial Branch interprets laws and their meaning and applies them to real-life situations. They also decide if the law is unconstitutional.
The three Branches of Government
Here is more information on the three branches!
The branches in the news
Here is a video of our Judicial Branch in action!