Have you ever wondered who make laws and who has the authority to punish those who break them in the US government?
When we think of power in the united state, we usually think of the president but he does not act alone; in fact, he is only one piece of the power puzzle and for very good reason.
When the American Revolution ended in 1783, the United State government was in a state of change. The founding fathers knew that they did not want to establish another country that was ruled by a king. So discussions were set about having a strong and fair national government that protected individual freedom and did not abuse its power.
When the new constitution was adopted in 1787, the structure of the infant Government of the united state called for 3 separate branches, each with their own powers and a system of checks and balances; this will ensure that no one branch ever becomes too powerful because the other branches would always be able to check the power of the other too. These branches work together to run the country and set the guidelines for the citizens to live by:
1. The legislative.
The legislative branch is described in article 1 in the US constitution. Many people feared that the founding fathers put this branch in the document first because they thought it was the most important. The legislative branch is comprised of 100 US senators, 435 members in the US House of Representatives, this is better known as the US congress. Making laws is the primary function of the legislative branch, but it is also responsible for approving federal judges and justices, passing the national budget and declaring war. Each state gets 2 senators and some number of representatives depending on how many number of people live in that state.
2. The executive.
The executive branch is described in article 2 of the US constitution. The leaders of this branch of government are the president and the vice president who are responsible for executing the laws that the congress set forth. The president works closely with a group of advisers known as the cabinet. These appointed helpers assist the president in making important decisions within their areas of expertise such as defense, the treasury, and homeland security.
The executive branch also appoints government officials, commends the arm forces and meet with leaders of other nations. All that combined is a lot of work for a lot of people. In fact, the executive branch employs over 4 million people to get everything done.
3. The judicial.
The third branch in the US government is the judicial branch and is detailed in article 3. This branch is comprised of all the courts in the land; from the federal district court, to the US Supreme Court. These courts interpret the nation’s laws and punish those who break them.
The highest court: the supreme court, settles disputes amongst states, hears appeals from state and federal courts, and determines if federal laws are constitutional. There are 9 justices in the supreme court and unlike any other job in the US government, supreme court justices are appointed for live, or for as long as they want to stay.
Democracy depends on informed citizenry, so it is our duty to know how it works and what authority each branch has over its citizens. Besides voting, chances are that sometime in your live you’ll be called upon to participate in your government; whether it is to serve in the jury, to testify in court, or participate in any other constitutional matter. By knowing the branches, who runs them and how they work together, you can be involved, informed and intelligent.
By Belinda Stutzman.