Search results
The U.S. federal government is composed of three distinct branches: legislative, executive, and judicial, whose powers are vested by the U.S. Constitution in the Congress, the president, and the federal courts, respectively. [2] .
Sep 20, 2024 · Learn about the 3 branches of government: executive, legislative, and judicial. Understand how each branch of U.S. government provides checks and balances.
- The Executive Branch
- The Legislative Branch
- The Judicial Branch
- Before The Constitution
The executive branch of the federal government ensures that the laws of the United States are obeyed. In carrying out this duty, the President of the United States is assisted by the Vice President, department heads – called Cabinet Secretaries – and the heads of the several independent agencies. The executive branch consists of the president, the ...
The legislative branch, composed of the House of Representatives and the Senate, has the sole constitutional authority to enact laws, declare war and conduct special investigations. In addition, the Senate has the right to confirm or rejectmany presidential appointments.
Composed of federal judges and courts, the judicial branch interprets the laws enacted by Congress and when required, decides actual cases in which someone has been harmed. Federal judges, including Supreme Court justices, are not elected. Instead, they are appointed by the president and must be confirmed by the Senate. Once confirmed, federal judg...
The first functional design for the United States government, the Articles of Confederation, established only a single branch of government—a legislative branch—took effect in 1781. Within a few years, it became clear that this system was not meeting the needs of the people. Under the Articles of Confederation, Congress was responsible for all gove...
- Robert Longley
May 17, 2021 · Our Government exercises its authority directly by regulating, legislating, and issuing executive orders and court orders. It also grants authority to, and rescinds it from, government agencies and state and local governments. See more at Government operations below.
Federalism, mode of political organization that unites separate states or other polities within an overarching political system in a way that allows each to maintain its own integrity. Learn more about the history and characteristics of federalism in this article.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
The United States is a constitutional federal republic, in which the president (the head of state and head of government), Congress, and judiciary share powers reserved to the national government, and the federal government shares sovereignty with the state governments.
People also ask
What type of government does the United States have?
How does the government exercise its authority?
What is the difference between federal government and national government?
What responsibilities does the federal government have?
Modern democracies divide governmental power in two general ways; some, like the United States, use a combination of both structures. The first and more common mechanism shares power among three branches of government—the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary.
