What are the three branches of government? Your guide from the oval office to congress
The United States federal government, whether you feel it is a beacon of democracy or a symbol of modern political gridlock, was undeniably a revolutionary institution at its time of formation.
Split into three branches, each sector is designed to check the others' power and balance it out so that no one branch can propagate tyranny. Within each of those branches are countless federal employees carrying out the duties delegated to that particular third of the government.
If you've been missing those episodes of "School House Rock" that broke everything from history class down real simple, don't worry we've got you covered. Here is your guide to the three branches of the U.S. government.
What are the three branches of government?
The three branches of the US federal government are:
Executive
Judicial
Legislative
What does the executive branch do?
The executive branch is occupied by the presidency. It includes not just the president, but also their cabinet and the vice president. The executive branch is charged with carrying out the laws.
The president serves as head of state, communicating and negotiating with foreign powers, and as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces — the final say in matters of military importance.
The executive branch is not tasked with writing the laws but instead implementing and enforcing them, appointing heads for federal agencies which are charged with carrying out the law of land for various aspects of American life.
The White House reports that, including members of the U.S. military, the executive branch employs over 4 million Americans.
What does the judicial branch do?
The judicial branch forms the court system in the U.S. So while it doesn't write the laws, it is charged with interpreting them. As a prime example of checks and balances, members of the judicial branch are not elected but rather appointed by the executive branch and confirmed by the legislative branch.
The White House notes that Article III of the Constitution, the article that establishes the Judicial Branch, allows for a significant amount of discretionary interpretation by Congress as to both the structure and shape of the federal court system.
As a result, Congress has established the Supreme Court, which is the highest court of the land, seating nine members since 1869 but not constitutionally bound to that number. Below the supreme court are district courts in each state where violations of federal law are most often tried, and 13 courts of appeals where those cases may be heard should they be appealed.
What does the legislative branch do?
The legislative branch is charged with making the laws. Congress, which refers to the joint bodies of the House of Representatives and the Senate is tasked with writing the codes and statutes which govern everyday American life.
The House of Representatives is home to 435 members, with each state sending a certain number based on the population of their state. The Senate, largely considered the more powerful of the two legislatures, is home to 100 members, each of the 50 states has two senators.
The legislative branch doesn't just propose bills and craft federal law though, it is also key to checking the power of the judicial and executive branches. Congress must confirm the president's nominations for the heads of federal agencies as well as any judges nominated to the bench. They also have the power to declare war.
How many members are in the Senate?
100. Two senators are sent from each state. If there is a tie in the senate, the President of the Senate, which is the Vice President, comes in to cast their vote.
How many members are in the House of Representatives?
The House has 435 representatives, with a different number of voting members coming from each state based on population.
In addition to the representative the House is also currently home to five delegates, one each from the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. There is also a resident commissioner from the US territory of Puerto Rico. These special titles mean they are non-voting members, but can vote in committee.
How about state and local governments?
Outside of the federal government, the three-branch model remains a through line. The 10th Amendment to the Constitution concludes that all powers not granted to the federal government fall to the states, and mandates that state governments must be structured in the “republican form. ”
The three-branch system is not a requisite but has become standard in all 50 states with a system of courts forming the judicial branch, a state legislature made up of a state senate and house of representatives forming the legislative branch, and a governor and their appointees forming the executive branch.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What are the 3 branches of government? Checks, meet balances.
