Branches of Government
Legislative–
The legislative branch of government is made up of the
Congress. Article One of
the Constitution gave this branch the power to make the laws. Other responsibilities of
Congress
are:
 Makes laws controlling trade between states and between the United States
and other countries.
 Makes laws about taxes and borrowing money.
 Approves the making of money.
 Can declare war on other countries
Congress is divided into two parts: the House of Representatives and the
Senate.
The House of Representatives is made up of elected officials based on the total
population of the
respective state, representatives must:
 Be at least 25 years old.
 Be a U.S. citizen for the past 7 years.
 Live in the state they represent.
Representatives serve two-year terms. At the end of the two years, the people of the
state may
choose a new representative or may re-elect the same person. There is no limit to the
number
of years a representative may serve his/her state.
The House has special jobs that only it can do. It can:
 Start laws that make people pay taxes.
 Decide if a government official should be put on trial before the Senate if s/he
commits a crime against the country.
The Senate has only two representatives from each state regardless of population.
Each Senator
serves a six-year term and as with the Representatives, can either be re-elected or
replaced with a
new choice. Senators must:
 Be at least 30 years old.
 Be a U.S. citizen for the past 9 years.

Live in the state they represent.
The Senate has special jobs that only it can do. It can:
 Say yes or no to any treaties the president makes.
 Say yes or no to any people the president recommends for jobs, such as
cabinet officers, Supreme Court justices, and ambassadors.
 Can hold a trial for a government official who does something very wrong.
Together Congress can override presidential vetoes and pass a law.
Branches of Government
Executive–
The executive branch of government makes sure that the
laws of the United States are obeyed. The President of the United States is the head of
the executive branch of government. This branch is very large so the President gets
help from the Vice President, Cabinet Members and leaders of many individual
agencies.
The President is the elected leader of our country and the head of the military. His job
is also to
approve the laws that Congress creates. When the Senate and the House approve a
bill, they send it to the President. If he agrees with the law, he signs it and the law goes
into effect.
If the President does not agree with a bill, he can refuse to sign it. When he does this, it
is called a veto. If the President vetoes a bill, it will most likely never become a law.
Congress can override a veto, but to do so two-thirds of the Members of Congress (both
the House and Senate) must vote against the President.
The President has several other duties as well. He serves as the American Head of
State, which
means that he meets with the leaders of other countries and can make treaties with
them. (However,
the Senate must approve any treaty before it becomes official.)
The President is also the chief of the government. That means that he is technically the
boss of every
government worker.
The President appoints judges to the Supreme Court and grants pardons.
Also, the President is the official head of the U.S. military. He can authorize the use of
troops
overseas without declaring war. To officially declare war, though, he must get the
approval of the
Congress.
In order to be elected President a person must be:
 at least 35 years old,
 be a natural born citizen of the United States and have lived in the U.S. for 14
years.
Once elected, a President may serve two 4 year terms. Each term consists of 4 years.
The
President may serve only two consecutive terms. (8 years)
The Vice President is the President of the Senate and in case the President is no
longer able to
serve, takes over for him.
Cabinet Members advise the President on many issues and help carry out policies.
The purpose of
the Cabinet is to advise the President. They are the President’s closest and most
trusted advisors.
The Cabinet includes the Vice President, the heads of 15 executive branch
departments, and other
government officials chosen by the President. A few of these heads are the Secretary of
State, the
Secretary of Treasury, the Secretary of Defense and the Attorney General.
Individual Agencies help carry out policies or provide special services.
Branches of Government
Judicial–
The judicial branch of government is made up of the court system. The Supreme Court
is the highest court in the land. Courts decide arguments about the meaning of laws,
how they are
applied, and whether they break the rules of the Constitution, which is called
unconstitutional.
The Supreme Court hears cases that have made their way up through the court system.
The
Supreme Court is made up of 9 justices. The head justice is called the Chief Justice.
These justices
are appointed by the President of the United States, but must be approved by the
Senate. Justices
have their jobs for life, unless they resign, retire, or are impeached by the House and
convicted by the
Senate.
The Supreme Court only hears cases that challenge the Constitution and once they are
heard and
decided upon, the decision can only be changed by another Supreme Court trial.
The Supreme Court is the most visible of all the federal courts