The Branches of Government
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There are three branches of government in the U.S., aimed to limit the powers of each branch. This is known as a system of checks and balances. For example, if one branch wanted to make a law, it had to get approval from the other two. But what are these branches?
The executive branch carries out policies and laws. It consists of the president, vice-president, and their cabinet. The cabinet is made up of experts in a specific field. The president is the head of government (meaning they have many responsibilities toward the government) and the head of state (meaning they are the head of the army and the face of the country). They also have the power to appoint Supreme Court justices and to approve any laws made by Congress. A president, vice-president, and cabinet are collectively known as the president’s administration and can be elected for two 4-year terms.
The legislative branch, referred to as Congress, is the branch that makes laws. It has two bodies: the House of Representatives and the Senate. Members of both bodies can have unlimited terms, with House Representatives getting 2-year terms and senators getting 6-year terms.
Congress’s job is to create laws. Here’s how the process works: one body proposes a law, works on it to make a bill, votes, and then sends it to the other for its vote. If the second body votes no, it makes some changes, then both bodies vote. If the body(ies) approves, the bill is sent to the president for final approval. However, the president can veto the bill, sending it back to Congress. In this case, both bodies must have a ⅔ majority to overturn the veto.
The judicial branch is a system of national courts consisting of three tiers of courts. The low-level tier courts are called the U.S. District Courts. There are 94 of them, and they address civil and criminal cases at the federal level. If one of the parties involved wants to get their case appealed higher up, they can go to the next tier, the 13 U.S. Courts of Appeals. The areas of their jurisdiction are called circuits. If one of the parties involved wants to go even higher, they go to the Supreme Court in D.C., the head body of the branch.
SCOTUS (as it is sometimes referred to as) is made up of Supreme Justices, and they are responsible for making sure the other two branches of government aren’t breaking any rules and interpreting the Constitution. Supreme Justices are appointed by the president and approved by Congress. Once appointed, they serve for life.
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