The Three Branches of Government
Legislative – The main responsibility of the Legislative Branch (Congress) is to write and pass laws.
Congress is composed of two parts: the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Senate: The Senate has 100 elected senators total; 2 senators per state. Each senator serves a 6 year term. In order to be elected as a Senator a person must be at least 30 years old, lived in the United States for at least 9 years, and must live in the state that has elected him/her.
House of Representatives: The House has 435 voting representatives; the number of representatives from each state is based on the state's population. Each representative serves a 2 year term and may be re-elected. In order to be elected as a Representative a person must be at least 25 years old, lived in the United States for at least 7 years and must live in the State he/she is elected by.
Checks and Balances: All three branches are given powers which allow them to check the other branches of government. The Legislative branch has the power to check the Executive Branch by overruling a President’s veto if 2/3 of both house agree to do so. Additionally, the Legislative Branch can impeach a President if they deem him unfit to be President. The Legislative Branch is able to check the Judicial Branch because they have to power to approve or disapprove nominated judges.
Executive – The main responsibility of the Executive Branch is to enforce laws created by Legislative branch or make sure people follow laws.
The executive branch is composed of the President, Vice President and Cabinet members.
President/Vice President: The president is the head of state, head of the U.S. government and the commander-in-chief of the U.S. military. The President and Vice president serve 8 year terms and can be reelected 1 time. In order to be President or vice president a person must be at least 35 years old, lived in the United States for the past 14 years and must be born in the United States.
Checks and Balances: All three branches are given powers which allow them to check the other branches of government. The Executive branch has the power to check the Legislative Branch by vetoing or not approving laws created by the Legislative Branch. The Executive Branch is able to check the power of the Judicial Branch because it has the power to appoint the judges who serve on this branch as well as having the power to pardon people who have been found guilty of a crime.
Judicial – The main responsibility of the Judicial Branch is to evaluate laws. This includes making sure laws are Constitutional as well as determine the consequences when someone breaks the law.
The judicial branch of government is made up of the court system.
Supreme Court: The Supreme Court is the highest court in the country. The 9 justices are nominated by the president and must be approved by the Senate (with at least 51 votes). Members appointed to the Supreme Court serve life-long terms meaning they hold the position until they die or retire. There are no requirements stated in the Constitution for becoming a Supreme Court Justice, but a person must be nominated by the President and approved by the Senate.
Checks and Balances: All three branches are given powers which allow them to check the other branches of government. The Judicial branch has the power to check the Legislative Branch by declaring laws created by the legislative branch as Unconstitutional. The Judicial Branch is able to check the power of the Executive Branch because it has the power to declare the acts of the President as Unconstitutional.
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT CHECKS AND BALANCES WITH THIS FUN AND INTERACTIVE GAME! Try and play 3 rounds before your Edmodo quiz.
