The Structure of the United States Government
Powers of the Federal Government, Government Positions
The following charts show the composition and explain the responsibilities of each branch of the federal government.
| Legislative Branch |
|---|
| The legislative branch (Congress) is made up of two houses: ā¢ The U.S. Senate ā¢ The House of Representatives |
| The House of Representatives is often called the Lower House. | The U.S. Senate is often called the Upper House. |
| Representatives in the House serve two-year terms. | Senators serve six-year terms. |
| Representatives are elected by districts in their state, each of which includes an equal number of voters. Every 10 years, the United States holds a census and the districts are redrawn. | Senators serve six-year terms. Every two years, one third of the senators are elected. They are elected by all voters throughout the state. |
| The number of representatives is based on the population of each state. States with larger populations have more representatives in the House than states with smaller populations. | Each state elects two senators regardless of its population. |
| Positions in the Legislative Branch | |
|---|---|
| Speaker of the House | The presiding officer of the House of Representatives. The Speaker of the House has always been a member of the party that holds a majority of seats in the House of Representatives. |
| President of the Senate | The vice president of the United States presides over the Senate. |
| Representative | An elected member of the House of Representatives |
| Senator | An elected member of the U.S. Senate |
Powers of the Legislative Branch
Article I of the Constitution outlines the powers of Congress. Each power that is listed is referred to as an enumerated power. Most powers are assigned to both houses, but some are given to the House of Representatives or Senate only.
The following are powers of the legislative branch:
- Veto other houseās bills
- Approve presidential nominations (Senate only)
- Control the budget
- Impeach the president (House only)
- Impeach judges (House only)
- Make laws
- Tax citizens
- Regulate commerce and currency
- Introduce bills
- Declare war
- Maintain the army and navy
- Admit new states into the Union
- Approve treaties (Senate only)
The elastic clause in the Constitution allows Congress to make laws that are necessary for the country. This clause gives Congress more power than that listed in the enumerated powers.
| Judicial Branch |
|---|
| The judicial branch has several levels: ā¢ Supreme Court ā¢ Appeal courts ā¢ District courts ā¢ Other special courts |
| The Supreme Court, the highest court in the land, is made up judges called justices who are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. They serve during good behavior, which is usually for life. Their job is to decide whether laws adhere to the rules laid out in the Constitution. Decisions are made when a majority of justices agree. When the Supreme Court interprets a law, lower courts must follow the interpretation. |
| District courts are the trial courts in the federal system. |
| Courts of appeals review appeals from the trial courts. |
| Positions in the Judicial Branch | |
|---|---|
| Chief Justice | Leader and spokesperson of the Supreme Court justices Administers the Oath of Office at inaugurations Presides over Impeachment hearings |
| Associate | Justices Supreme Court justices who are not the Chief Justice |
Powers of the Judicial Branch
The Supreme Court has the following powers:
- Ruling on cases involving laws that may violate the Constitution
- Declaring a presidentās actions unconstitutional
- Declaring laws that Congressed has passed unconstitutional
- Determining whether laws are constitutional through judicial review
| Executive Branch |
|---|
| The following are positions in the executive branch: ā¢ President ā¢ Vice president ā¢ Cabinet ā¢ Government agencies |
| The president is the chief executive of the federal government, and there are several people whose role is to brief, or advise, the president on a variety of subjects. These people are known as the presidentās cabinet. |
| The vice president and the heads of the 15 executive departments are members of the cabinet. |
| Positions in the Executive Branch | |
|---|---|
| President of the United | States Chief executive of the federal government Elected for a four-year term and can serve no more than two terms. Must be at least 35 years old Must be a natural-born U.S. citizen Must have lived in the United States for at least 14 years |
| Vice President of the United States | Assumes presidency if president cannot fulfill the duties of office Must be prepared to take over the presidency at a momentās notice Serves as president of the U.S. Senate Votes in the U.S. Senate in the event of a tie |
| Executive Department Heads | Appointed by the president, confirmed by the Senate Title is usually Secretary, except for the Attorney General who runs the Justice Department Departments include agriculture, commerce, defense, education, energy, health and human services, homeland security, housing and urban development, interior, labor, state, transportation, treasury, and veterans affairs Department heads run agencies and advise the president in their areas of expertise. |
| White House Staff | People who work closely with the president and other officials in the White House are considered part of the executive branch. |
Powers of the Executive Branch
The following are powers and responsibilities of the president:
- Nominates judges to courts in judicial branch
- Serves as commander in chief of armed forces
- Nominates executive officers and secretaries
- Enforces Congressās laws
- Can veto bills sent by Congress
- Signs treaties with other countries (treaties must be ratified by two-thirds of Senate)
- Gives an address to a joint session of Congress in January regarding the state of the union
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