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Our American Government: Links and Information

The federal government is divided into three branches: the legislative branch headed by Congress, the executive branch led by the President and the judiciary branch headed by the Supreme Court.

Congress is responsible for enacting federal laws and policies. It is divided into two houses, the House of Representatives and U.S. Senate.

The House of Representatives consists of 435 members, each of whom is elected by a congressional district and serves a two-year term. Seats in the House are divided between the states based on population, with each state entitled to at least one seat. California, the most populous state in the union, currenly holds 53 seats in the House.

In the Senate each state is represented by two members, regardless of population. As there are fifty states in the union, the Senate consists of 100 members. Each Senator, who is elected by the whole state rather than by a district, serves a six-year term. Senatorial terms are staggered so that approximately one-third of the terms expire every two years.

The President enforces the laws and policies enacted by Congress through a variety of departments and agencies, including:

Agriculture Department (Purpose: To develop and execute policy on farming, agriculture and food. It aims to meet the needs of farmers and ranchers, promote agricultural trade and production, assure food safety, protect natural resources, foster rural communities and end hunger, in America and abroad.)

Commerce Department (Purpose: To promote job creation and improved living standards for Americans by creating an infrastructure that promotes economic growth, technological competitiveness, and sustainable development. Among its tasks are gathering economic and demographic data for business and government decision-making, issuing patents and trademarks and helping to set industrial standards.)

Defense Department (Purpose: To defend the United States and its interests. Agencies within this department include the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines, as well as non-combat agencies such as the National Security Agency and the Defense Intelligence Agency.)

Education Department (Purpose: To administer federal funding programs involving education and to enforce federal educational laws involved primarily with privacy and civil rights.)

Energy Department (Purpose: To execute U.S. energy policies and ensure nuclear safety. Its purview includes the nation's nuclear weapons program, nuclear reactor production for the United States Navy, energy conservation, energy-related research, radioactive waste disposal and domestic energy production, many of which are funded through its system of national laboratories, such as Los Alamos.)

Health and Human Services (Purpose: To protect the health of all Americans and to provide essential human services. Agencies within this department include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and National Institutes of Health.)

Homeland Security Department (Purpose: To protect Americans from harm and their property from damage. Formed in 2003, the department was the largest government reorganization in 50 years intended to consolidate U.S. executive branch organizations related to "homeland security" into a single cabinet agency.)

Housing and Urban Development (Purpose: To develop and execute national housing and urban renewal policies. The department regulates Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac , administers Community Development Block Grants to local cities, provides public housing assistance and doles out redevelopment grants, among other duties.)

Interior Department (Purpose: To manage and conserve most federally-owned land and natural resources. Current assests include more than 507 million acres of surface land (or about one-fifth of the land in the United States), 476 dams and 348 reservoirs through the Bureau of Reclamation, 388 national parks, monuments, seashore sites, battlefields, etc. through the National Park Service and 544 national wildlife refuges through the Fish and Wildlife Service. Energy projects on federally managed lands and offshore areas supply about 28 percent of the nation's energy production.)

Justice Department (Purpose: To enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States and to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans. Agencies within this department include the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.)

Labor Department (Purpose: To manage occupational safety, wage and hour standards, unemployment insurance benefits, re-employment services and some economic statistics.)  To view a snapshot of the U.S. economy visit the department's Bureau of Labor Statistics.

State Department (Purpose: To manage U.S. foreign policy. It advances U.S. objectives and interests in the world through its primary role in developing and implementing the president's foreign policy. The department also supports the foreign affairs activities of other U.S. government entities and provides services to U.S. citizens and to foreigners seeking to visit or immigrate to the United States through its array of embassies, consulates and missions.)

Transportation Department (Purpose: To ensure a fast, safe, efficient, accessible and convenient transportation system that meets the United States' vital national interests. The department regulates the federal highway system, railroads and U.S. airports.)

Treasury Department (Purpose: To manage the revenue of the United States government. It prints and mints all paper currency and coins in circulation through the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and the United States Mint. It collects all taxes through the Internal Revenue Service.)

Veterans Affairs Department (Purpose: To administer veterans' benefits for war veterans, their families and survivors. It operates hundreds of medical centers, clinics, benefits offices and national cemeteries throughout the country.)

Independent agencies under the executive branch:

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Environmental Protection Agency

Miscellaneous Federal Agencies and Commissions

The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States and has the ultimate authority to interpret and decide questions of law, including the Constitution.

Congressman Miller, a Republican, represents California's 42nd Congressional Ditrict in the House of Represenatatives. Cities within this district include:

Anaheim

Brea

Chino

Chino Hills

Diamond Bar

La Habra

La Habra Heights

Mission Viejo

Placentia

Rancho Santa Margarita

Rowland Heights (unincorporated)

Whittier

Yorba Linda

Counties within the 42nd district include:

Los Angeles

Orange

San Bernardino

Newspapers that cover the 42nd district include:

Orange County Register

Los Angeles Times

Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Whittier Daily News

For information about California's state government, visit:

California's Homepage

California Governor's Homepage

California State Assembly's Homepage

California State Senate's Homepage