What were they?:
In order to keep our country balanced and prevent one group of taking advantage of their power, the Framers decided to divide them into three groups. They called these groups the three branches of government. They were Executive, Legislative, and Judicial. They all have their own responsibilities and the power to check on each other and balance each other out. That is known as Checks and Balances. Look at our 'Checks and Balances' link to learn more!
Executive Branch:
Legislative Branch:
Judicial Branch:
In order to keep our country balanced and prevent one group of taking advantage of their power, the Framers decided to divide them into three groups. They called these groups the three branches of government. They were Executive, Legislative, and Judicial. They all have their own responsibilities and the power to check on each other and balance each other out. That is known as Checks and Balances. Look at our 'Checks and Balances' link to learn more!
Executive Branch:
- Led by both the president and the vice-president
- Includes executive offices, agencies, and departments
- As head of the executive branch, the president plays many roles in the actions and decisions
- Some of his responsibilities include the nation's chief executive, chief of state, commander in chief, legislative leader, and chief diplomat
- As chief executive, the president must carry out the nation's laws, being assisted by agencies and executive departments
- As chief diplomat, the president appoints ambassadors,directs foreign policy, and negotiates treaties with other countries
- Treaties must be approved by 2/3 of the Senate before going into effect
- The president can send military troops out of the country for up to 60 days but must get permission from Congress to keep them longer
Legislative Branch:
- The legislative branch is a bicameral made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Together, they call this the congress.
- Two Primary Functions: Control government spending and create that nation's laws.
- House of Rep.: 435 voting members and 5 non-voting members from Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, and the Virgin Islands
- Representatives must be at least 25 years old and serve 2-year terms
- Senate: 100 senators, 2 from each state
- Senators must be at least 30 years old serve 6-year terms
- Appropriates are funds that Congress sets aside for government spending
- All tax and spending bills must go through the House of Rep. and must be approved by both the House and the Senate before moving on to the president
- House of Rep. can impeach any federal official for abusing their power
- All members of congress must represent their constituents or people from their home districts and states
Judicial Branch:
- The Supreme Court is at the top of the American legal system.
- Composed of 9 justices: The Chief Justice and 8 associate justices
- The duties of the justices are developed through laws rather than the Constitution
- Main duty is to hear an rule on cases
- Cases given to the Supreme Court are those that affect many people in our nation
- Supreme Court is both a legal and political institution
- Legal: Responsible for settling disputes and examining the meaning of laws
- Political: When it applies to certain disputes, it often determines national policy.
- Judicial Review gives the Supreme Court the power to examine laws and eliminate them of they are unconstitutional