OUR GOVERNMENT

A System of Checks and

Balances.

OUR GOVERNMENT
The Executive Branch includes
the President, Vice President,
departments and agencies.
The Legislative Branch includes
the Senate and the House of
Representatives.
The Judicial Branch includes the
Supreme Court.

THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH

The President is the leader of the
country and the commander-in-chief
of the military.
The Vice President is the President
of the Senate and becomes
President if the President can no
longer do the job.
The Departments advise the
President on issues and help carry
out policies.
The independent Agencies carry out
policy or provide special services to
the people.

THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

The U.S. Congress is made up of
two parts, the House of the
Representatives and the Senate.
The primary duty of the
Congress is to write, debate,
and pass bills, which are then
passed on to the President for
approval.
Other powers of Congress
include making laws about
trade, taxes, money, and war.

THE JUDICIAL BRANCH

The Judicial Branch includes the
federal court system with the
Supreme Court as the highest
court.
Once the Supreme Court makes a
decision, it can only be changed by
another Supreme Court decision or
by amending the Constitution.
The Supreme Court is made up of
nine Justices appointed by the
President and approved by the
Senate.