US Government |
Governmental power and functions in the United States rest in three branches of government: the legislative, judicial, and executive. Article I of the Constitution defines the legislative branch and vests power to legislate in the Congress of the United States. The executive powers of the President are defined in Article 2. Article 3 places judicial power in the hands of one Supreme Court and inferior courts as Congress sees necessary to establish. A complete diagram of the branches of the U.S. Government (PDF, 9.7k) may be found in the U.S. Government Manual. Each branch of the federal government operates independently of the others, referred to as the "separation of powers." However, there are built in "checks and balances" to prevent overwhelming concentration of power in any one branch and to protect the rights and liberties of citizens. For example, the President can veto bills approved by Congress and the President nominates individuals to serve in the Federal judiciary; the Supreme Court can declare a law enacted by Congress or an action by the President unconstitutional; and Congress can impeach the President and Federal court justices and judges. Legislative Branch The United States Congress is made up of two houses -- the House of Representatives and the Senate. This two house system is known as a bicameral legislature. The primary duty of Congress is to write, debate, and pass bills, which are then sent to the president for his signature . Other congressional duties include investigating pressing national issues and supervising the executive and judicial branches. Every two years, voters get to choose all 435 Representatives and a third of the Senators. The entire House membership faces re-election every two years, but the Senate is a continuing body because there is never an entirely new Senate. A new Congress begins in January following Congressional elections. Since the First Congress, which met from 1789 to 1791, all Congresses have been numbered in order. We are currently in the 110th Congress. For the most part, the House and Senate each meet in their respective chamber in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
The Powers of Congress The Constitution grants Congress "all legislative powers" in the national government. Congress also controls federal taxing and spending policies-one of the most important sources of power in the government. Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution lists a wide range of congressional powers, including:
One of the most important implied powers is Congress's
authority to investigate and oversee the executive branch and its agencies,
such as the Department of Defense and the Department of Justice. As part of
this responsibility, which is known as oversight, Congress summons senior
officials to answer questions from members, orders audits of agencies, and
holds hearings to air grievances of citizens. Congress also holds hearings on matters of general public concern. Sometimes members of Congress conduct these hearings to identify problems that create a need for new laws. In other cases Congress holds hearings to raise public awareness about an issue. There are, however, some congressional powers that are rarely used such as the ability to impeach an official and the ability to amend the Constitution. In addition to the power described above, Congress shares powers with the president in matters such as, framing U.S. foreign policy and control over the military. For example, while the president negotiates treaties, they are only put into effect once the Senate approves them. Also, while Congress can declare war and approve funds for the military, the president is the commander-in-chief of the military.
The House of Representatives
There are a total of 435 members in the House of
Representatives. Seats in the House are distributed based on the
population of each state. Each state is guaranteed at
least one seat ,
The House has special jobs that only it can perform. Only
it can:
What is the Role of the State Government?
While each state sends representatives to
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