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

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

 THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH

• The President is the leader of the country

and 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.

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

 THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

• The U.S. Congress is made up of two

parts, the House of 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.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
 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.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA