Our Government

Welcome to GovBranches! Our goal is to provide you with the best, most straightforward information on our system of government and how it came to be. The government is divided into three branches: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial. Each have their own separate functions, but they work in unison to provide us with a system that aims to be as fair as possible and limit the power of any one specific branch. 

The history of our government 

The United States government was founded on the belief that one person should not be in charge of the entire country. The writers of the Constitution (the framers) had this thought in mind when originally drafting the format of the nation's government. Before the Constitution, the United States was under the format of the Articles of Confederation. This gave the governing power to the states and made the central government very weak. After events such as Shay's Rebellion, the framers knew they needed to implement a strong central government. While collecting ideas from philosophers like Charles Montesquieu, the framers wrote the Constitution which established our three branches of government. 

The executive branch is made up of the president, vice president, the cabinet, and federal agencies. Click here to learn more!

The legislative branch is made up of a bicameral congress which includes the House of Representatives and the Senate. Click here to learn more!

The judicial branch is made up of the Supreme court, the federal appeals court, the federal district courts, and the special courts. Click here to learn more! 

Checks and Balances

Once the responsibilities of each branch were given, checks were established to ensure that once branch couldn't be too powerful. Each branch of government has certain ways it can stop another branch from going forward with a decision that they don't want. Here you will find ways that each branch can check the others. 

Executive checks

There are many ways the executive branch (the president) can check the judicial and legislative branches. The president appoints the supreme court justices, which is a way of influencing the judicial branch. The president can also grant pardons which can impact judicial decisions. For the legislative branch, the president has the power to veto laws that are passed by congress.  The Vice President can also break Senate ties in the Senate. 

Legislative checks

The legislative branch has many ways it can check the other branches. While the president does have veto power, congress can override that with a two-thirds vote. The legislative branch can also impeach the president and other executive officials. The legislative branch has the same power with the judicial branch. The legislative branch can impeach justices and can change the number of federal courts and judges.  

Judicial checks

The legislative and executive branches can also be checked by the judicial branch. One of the most powerful ways the judicial branch can check the legislative branch is by declaring proposed laws unconstitutional. This halts the legislative branch from making that law. The judicial branch can also declare if presidential actions are unconstitutional as well. Orders can also be made by the judicial branch that the president must follow. 

Why understanding is important

Knowing how our government works is one of the most important aspects of understating politics in America. At GovBranches, we believe it's the duty of every citizen to vote and have their voice heard. If you are not registered to vote, you can click here to register to vote. Now, it is easier than ever to make your voice heard!

 

Resources 

Here are some amazing resources that we believe are very helpful for understanding our government.