three branches of government essay examples

  • History Classics
  • Your Profile
  • Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window)
  • Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window)
  • Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window)
  • Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window)
  • Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window)
  • This Day In History
  • History Podcasts
  • History Vault

Checks and Balances

By: History.com Editors

Updated: July 27, 2023 | Original: November 17, 2017

HISTORY: Checks and Balances

The system of checks and balances in government was developed to ensure that no one branch of government would become too powerful. The framers of the U.S. Constitution built a system that divides power between the three branches of the U.S. government—legislative, executive and judicial—and includes various limits and controls on the powers of each branch.

Separation of Powers

The idea that a just and fair government must divide power between various branches did not originate at the Constitutional Convention , but has deep philosophical and historical roots.

In his analysis of the government of Ancient Rome , the Greek statesman and historian Polybius identified it as a “mixed” regime with three branches: monarchy (the consul, or chief magistrate), aristocracy (the Senate) and democracy (the people). These concepts greatly influenced later ideas about separation of powers being crucial to a well-functioning government.

Centuries later, the Enlightenment philosopher Baron de Montesquieu wrote of despotism as the primary threat in any government. In his famous work “The Spirit of the Laws,” Montesquieu argued that the best way to prevent this was through a separation of powers, in which different bodies of government exercised legislative, executive and judicial power, with all these bodies subject to the rule of law.

The U.S. System of Checks and Balances

Building on the ideas of Polybius, Montesquieu, William Blackstone, John Locke  and other philosophers and political scientists over the centuries, the framers of the U.S. Constitution divided the powers and responsibilities of the new federal government among three branches: the legislative branch , the executive branch and the judicial branch .

In addition to this separation of powers, the framers built a system of checks and balances designed to guard against tyranny by ensuring that no branch would grab too much power.

“If men were angels, no government would be necessary,” James Madison  wrote in the Federalist Papers , of the necessity for checks and balances. “In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty is this: You must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place, oblige it to control itself.”

Checks and Balances Examples

Checks and balances operate throughout the U.S. government, as each branch exercises certain powers that can be checked by the powers given to the other two branches.

  • The president (head of the executive branch) serves as commander in chief of the military forces, but Congress (legislative branch) appropriates funds for the military and votes to declare war. In addition, the Senate must ratify any peace treaties.
  • Congress has the power of the purse, as it controls the money used to fund any executive actions.
  • The president nominates federal officials, but the Senate confirms those nominations.
  • Within the legislative branch, each house of Congress serves as a check on possible abuses of power by the other. Both the House of Representatives and the Senate have to pass a bill in the same form for it to become law.
  • Veto power. Once Congress has passed a bill, the president has the power to veto that bill. In turn, Congress can override a regular presidential veto by a two-thirds vote of both houses.
  • The Supreme Court and other federal courts (judicial branch) can declare laws or presidential actions unconstitutional, in a process known as judicial review.
  • In turn, the president checks the judiciary through the power of appointment, which can be used to change the direction of the federal courts
  • By passing amendments to the Constitution, Congress can effectively check the decisions of the Supreme Court. But an amendment must either be proposed by Congress with a two-thirds majority vote in both the  House of Representatives  and the  Senate , or by a constitutional convention called for by two-thirds of state legislatures. Either way, a proposed amendment only becomes part of the Constitution when ratified by legislatures or conventions in three-fourths of the states (38 of 50 states).
  • Congress (considered the branch of government closest to the people) can impeach both members of the executive and judicial branches.

Checks and Balances in Action

The system of checks and balances has been tested numerous times throughout the centuries since the Constitution was ratified.

In particular, the power of the executive branch has expanded greatly since the 19th Century, disrupting the initial balance intended by the framers. Presidential vetoes—and congressional overrides of those vetoes—tend to fuel controversy, as do congressional rejections of presidential appointments and judicial rulings against legislative or executive actions. 

Executive orders, official directives issued to federal agencies by the president, are powers afforded to the executive branch that do not require congressional approval. They are not directly provided for in the U.S. Constitution, but rather implied by Article II, which states that the president “shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed.” Executive orders can only push through policy changes; they cannot create new laws or appropriate funds from the United States treasury. 

Overall, the system of checks and balances has functioned as it was intended, ensuring that the three branches operate in balance with one another.

Roosevelt and the Supreme Court

A political cartoon criticizing FDR's judge selection

The checks and balances system withstood one of its greatest challenges in 1937, thanks to an audacious attempt by Franklin D. Roosevelt to pack the Supreme Court with liberal justices. After winning reelection to his second term in office by a huge margin in 1936, FDR nonetheless faced the possibility that judicial review would undo many of his major policy achievements.

From 1935-36, a conservative majority on the Court struck down more significant acts of Congress than any other time in U.S. history, including a key piece of the National Recovery Administration, the centerpiece of FDR’s New Deal .

In February 1937, Roosevelt asked Congress to empower him to appoint an additional justice for any member of the Court over 70 years of age who did not retire, a move that could expand the Court to as many as 15 justices.

Roosevelt’s proposal provoked the greatest battle to date among the three branches of government, and a number of Supreme Court justices considered resigning en masse in protest if the plan went through.

In the end, Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes wrote an influential open letter to the Senate against the proposal; in addition, one older justice resigned, allowing FDR to replace him and shift the balance on the Court. The nation had narrowly averted a constitutional crisis, with the system of checks and balances left shaken but intact.

The War Powers Act and Presidential Veto

The United States Congress passed the War Powers Act on November 7, 1973, overriding an earlier veto by President Richard M. Nixon , who called it an “unconstitutional and dangerous” check on his duties as commander-in-chief of the military. 

The act was created in the wake of the Korean War and during the Vietnam War and stipulates that the president has to consult Congress when deploying American troops. If after 60 days the legislature does not authorize the use of U.S. forces or provide a declaration of war, soldiers must be sent home.

The War Powers Act was put forth by the legislature to check the mounting war powers exercised by the White House. After all, President Harry S. Truman had committed U.S. troops to the Korean War as part of a United Nations “police action.” Presidents Kennedy , Johnson and Nixon each escalated the undeclared conflict during the Vietnam War .

Controversy over the War Powers Act continued after its passage. President Ronald Reagan deployed military personnel to El Salvador in 1981 without consulting or submitting a report to Congress. President Bill Clinton continued a bombing campaign in Kosovo beyond the 60-day time in 1999. And in 2011, President Barack Obama initiated a military action in Libya without congressional authorization. In 1995, the U.S. House of Representatives voted on an amendment that would have repealed many of the Act’s components. It was narrowly defeated.

State of Emergency

The first state of emergency was declared by President Harry Truman on December 16, 1950 during the Korean War. Congress did not pass The National Emergencies Act until 1976, formally granting congress checks on the power of the president to declare National Emergencies. Created in the wake of the Watergate scandal , the National Emergencies Act included several limits on presidential power, including having states of emergency lapse after a year unless they are renewed.

Presidents have declared almost 60 national emergencies since 1976, and can claim emergency powers over everything from land use and the military to public health. They can only be stopped if both houses of the U.S. government vote to veto it or if the matter is brought to the courts.

three branches of government essay examples

HISTORY Vault: The American Revolution

Stream American Revolution documentaries and your favorite HISTORY series, commercial-free.

Checks and Balances, The Oxford Guide to the United States Government . Baron de Montesquieu, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy . FDR’s Losing Battle to Pack the Supreme Court, NPR.org . State of Emergency, New York Times , Pacific Standard , CNN . 

three branches of government essay examples

Sign up for Inside History

Get HISTORY’s most fascinating stories delivered to your inbox three times a week.

By submitting your information, you agree to receive emails from HISTORY and A+E Networks. You can opt out at any time. You must be 16 years or older and a resident of the United States.

More details : Privacy Notice | Terms of Use | Contact Us

The Three Branches of US Government

  • U.S. Constitution & Bill of Rights
  • History & Major Milestones
  • U.S. Legal System
  • U.S. Political System
  • Defense & Security
  • Campaigns & Elections
  • Business & Finance
  • U.S. Foreign Policy
  • U.S. Liberal Politics
  • U.S. Conservative Politics
  • Women's Issues
  • Civil Liberties
  • The Middle East
  • Race Relations
  • Immigration
  • Crime & Punishment
  • Canadian Government
  • Understanding Types of Government

The United States has three branches of government: the executive, the legislative and the judicial. Each of these branches has a distinct and essential role in the function of the government, and they were established in Articles 1 (legislative), 2 (executive) and 3 (judicial) of the U.S. Constitution.

The belief that a just, fair, and functional government required that power be divided between various branches long preceded the Constitutional Convention of 1789 .

In his analysis of the Ancient Roman government , Greek statesman and historian Polybius identified it as a “mixed” regime with three branches—the monarchy, the aristocracy, and the democracy in the form of the people.

Centuries later, this concept would go on to influence ideas about similar separations of powers being crucial to a well-functioning government expressed by enlightened philosophers such as Charles de Montesquieu, William Blackstone , and John Locke . In his famous 1748 work “The Spirit of the Laws,” Montesquieu argued that the best way to prevent despotism or totalitarianism was through a separation of powers, with different bodies of government exercising legislative, executive, and judicial power, with all these bodies subject to the rule of law. 

Based on the ideas of Polybius, Montesquieu, Blackstone, and Locke, the framers of the U.S. Constitution divided the powers and responsibilities of the new federal government among the three branches we have today. 

The Executive Branch

The executive branch consists of the president , vice president and 15 Cabinet-level departments such as State, Defense, Interior, Transportation, and Education. The primary power of the executive branch rests with the president, who chooses his vice president , and his Cabinet members who head the respective departments. A crucial function of the executive branch is to ensure that laws are carried out and enforced to facilitate such day-to-day responsibilities of the federal government as collecting taxes, safeguarding the homeland and representing the United States' political and economic interests around the world.

The President

The president leads American people and the federal government . He or she also acts as the head of state, and as Commander in Chief of the United States Armed Forces. The president is responsible for formulating the nation’s foreign and domestic policy and for developing the annual federal operating budget with the approval of Congress.

The president is freely elected by the people through the Electoral College system. The president serves a four-year term in office and can be elected no more than twice.

The Vice President

The vice president assists and advises the president, and must be ready at all times to assume the presidency in the event of the president’s death, resignation, or temporary incapacitation. The Vice President also serves as the President of the United States Senate, where he or she casts the deciding vote in the case of a tie.

The vice president is elected along with the president as a “running mate” and can be elected and serve an unlimited number of four-year under multiple presidents.

The Cabinet

The President’s Cabinet serves as advisors to the president. They include the vice president, the heads of the 15 executive departments, and other high-ranking government officials. Each Cabinet member also holds a spot in the presidential line of succession . After the Vice President, Speaker of the House , and President pro tempore of the Senate, the line of succession continues with the Cabinet offices in the order in which the departments were created.

With the exception of the vice president, Cabinet members are nominated by the president and must be approved by a simple majority of the Senate.

The Legislative Branch

The legislative branch consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives , collectively known as the Congress. There are 100 senators; each state has two. Each state has a different number of representatives, with the number determined by the state's population, through a process known as " apportionment ." At present, there are 435 members of the House. The legislative branch, as a whole, is charged with passing the nation's laws and allocating funds for the running of the federal government and providing assistance to the 50 U.S. states.

The Constitution grants the House of Representatives several exclusive powers, including the power to initiate spending and tax-related revenue bills, impeach federal officials , and elect the President of the United States in the case of an electoral college tie .

The Senate is granted the sole power to try federal officials impeached by the House of Representatives, the power to confirm presidential appointments that require consent and to ratify treaties with foreign governments. However, the House must also approve appointments to the office of Vice President and all treaties that involves foreign trade, since they involve revenue.

Both the House and Senate must approve all legislation —bills and resolutions—before they can be sent to the president for his or her signature and final enactment. Both the House and the Senate must pass the identical bill by a simple majority vote. While the president has the power to veto (reject) a bill , the House and Senate have the power to override that veto by passing the bill again in each chamber with at least two-thirds “super majority” of the members of each body voting in favor.

  • The Judicial Branch

The judicial branch consists of the United States Supreme Court and lower federal courts . Under the Supreme Court's constitutional jurisdiction , its primary function is to hear cases that challenge the constitutionality of legislation or require interpretation of that legislation. The U.S. Supreme Court has nine Justices, who are nominated by the president and must be confirmed by a simple majority vote of the Senate. Once appointed, Supreme Court justices serve until they retire , resign, die or are impeached.

The lower federal courts also decide cases dealing with the constitutionality of laws, as well as cases involving the laws and treaties of the U.S. ambassadors and public ministers, disputes between two or more states, admiralty law, also known as maritime law, and bankruptcy cases. Decisions of the lower federal courts can be and often are appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court .

Checks and Balances

Why are there three separate and distinct branches of government, each with a different function? The framers of the Constitution did not wish to return to the totalitarian system of governance imposed on colonial America by the British government.

To ensure that no single person or entity had a monopoly on power, the Founding Fathers designed and instituted a system of checks and balances. The president's power is checked by the Congress, which can refuse to confirm his appointees, for example, and has the power to impeach or remove, a president. Congress may pass laws, but the president has the power to veto them (Congress, in turn, may override a veto). And the Supreme Court can rule on the constitutionality of a law, but Congress, with approval from two-thirds of the states, may amend the Constitution .

Updated by Robert Longley

  • Basic Structure of the US Government
  • The Executive Branch of US Government
  • About the Legislative Branch of U.S. Government
  • Separation of Powers: A System of Checks and Balances
  • The Executive Branch of US Goverment
  • The Powers of Congress
  • About the United States Senate
  • Overview of United States Government and Politics
  • Legislative Powers of the President of the United States
  • Supermajority Vote in US Congress
  • What the President of the United States Does
  • Line Item Veto Definition
  • Line-Item Veto: Why the U.S. President Does Not Have This Power
  • 5 Ways to Change the US Constitution Without the Amendment Process
  • Presidential Appointments Requiring Senate Approval

Library homepage

  • school Campus Bookshelves
  • menu_book Bookshelves
  • perm_media Learning Objects
  • login Login
  • how_to_reg Request Instructor Account
  • hub Instructor Commons
  • Download Page (PDF)
  • Download Full Book (PDF)
  • Periodic Table
  • Physics Constants
  • Scientific Calculator
  • Reference & Cite
  • Tools expand_more
  • Readability

selected template will load here

This action is not available.

Social Sci LibreTexts

3.2: Examining the Relationship of the Three Branches

  • Last updated
  • Save as PDF
  • Page ID 127397

  • Robert W. Maloy & Torrey Trust
  • University of Massachusetts via EdTech Books

Standard 3.2: Examine the Relationship of the Three Branches (the Checks and Balances System)

Examine the interrelationship of the three branches (the checks and balances system). (Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for History and Social Studies) [8.T3.2]

FOCUS QUESTION: How does the system of checks and balances function between branches of the United States government?

Graphic depicting the checks and balances between the three branches of federal government. The executive branch checks the judiciary by having the power to appoint judges and pardon criminals. The judicial branch checks the executive by having the power to declare their actions unconstitutional. The legislative branch checks the judiciary by approving federal judges; the judicial branch checks the legislature by having the power to declare their laws unconstitutional. The executive branch checks the legislature by having the veto power for bills; the legislature checks the executive through possessing the impeachment power and the ability to override vetoes with a 2/3 majority.

In theory, the system of checks and balances is designed to ensure that no single branch has too much power over the other branches. As James Madison wrote in Federalist Number 51 (1788), "the power surrendered by the people is first divided between two distinct governments [the Federal government and the governments of the several states], and then the portion allotted to each subdivided among distinct and separate departments [the executive, the legislative, and the judicial]."

How does the system of checks and balances actually function in American government? The modules for this standard explore this question in terms of what checks exist between branches, what powers does the President and the Congress have to conduct wars, and for what can and should a President be impeached.

Modules for this Standard Include:

  • INVESTIGATE: Checks and Balances, Presidential vs. Parliamentary Systems, and Powers of the U.S. Presidency
  • UNCOVER: The War Powers of the President
  • MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Writing an Impeachment Press Release

3.2.1 INVESTIGATE: Checks and Balances, Presidential vs. Parliamentary Systems, and Powers of the U.S. Presidency

The system of checks and balances is designed so each branch can respond to the actions of the other branches. In this context, a balance of powers means each branch can " check " or stop something from happening. Since each branch has separate powers within the government, each branch can provide a check on the actions of the other branches.

The Legislative branch has the following checks and balances on the other branches:

  • Senate approves justices
  • The House can impeach justices
  • The Senate tries impeached justices
  • Congress can create amendments
  • Congress can set jurisdiction for courts
  • Congress can alter the size of the Supreme Court
  • House can impeach a President
  • Senate tries an impeached President
  • If there is no electoral majority, the House chooses the President and the Senate chooses the Vice President
  • Congress can override a Presidential veto with a 2/3 vote in the House and Senate
  • Senate approves departmental appointments, treaties, and ambassadors
  • Congress has to approve replacements to the Vice President
  • Congress declares war
  • Congress can tax
  • The President is required to make "State of the Union" addresses

The two houses of Congress (the Senate and the House of Representatives) also have checks and balances on each other:

  • Bills must be passed by each house before becoming law
  • Revenue bills must start in the House
  • There has to be consent from the other house before a house adjourns for more than three days
  • All journals of official business from each house are required to be published

The Judicial branch has the following checks and balances on the other branches:

  • Judicial Review
  • Compensation is not allowed to decrease
  • Judicial seats are held on good behavior
  • During impeachment trials, the Chief Justice is President of the Senate

The Executive branch has the following checks and balances on the other branches:

  • The President has the power to veto
  • The Vice President is the President of the Senate
  • The President is the Commander in Chief of the military
  • The President can make appointments of senior federal officials while the Senate is in recess
  • The President can call the House and Senate into emergency sessions
  • When the houses do not agree on adjournment, the President has the power to force it to happen
  • The President can appoint justices
  • The President has pardon power

3.2.1.1 Presidential and Parliamentary Systems of Government

Writing in The Nation in early 2021, commentator Alexis Grenell declared Joe Biden should be the last American President, urging the U.S. to shift from a presidential to a parliamentary system of government. Although the U.S. has the longest-running Presidential system in the world, Grenell wrote that system had become too polarized and dysfunctional to continue.

Presidential (as in the United States, Mexico, Brazil and the Philippines) and Parliamentary (as in Great Britain, Canada, Japan and Italy) are the two major types of government in democracies in the world today.

Presidential systems are headed by a executive who is elected by the people and is independent of the legislative branch (Congress in the U.S.). Parliamentary systems are headed by a Prime Minister who is chosen by the legislative branch (Parliament in Great Britain).

The U.S. President is elected for a 4-year term, and as demonstrated by the Trump era, is extremely difficult to remove from office through impeachment. A Prime Minister has not limit on how long they can serve, but can be removed at any time following a vote of no confidence by the Parliament.

The U.S. presidential system is dominated by two major political parties who vie for control of the government. Parliamentary systems have multiple political parties, and the Prime Minister must create coalitions among them in order to govern. This encourages compromise by working together to achieve political goals.

For more information, go to Parliamentary System and Presidential System from Annenberg Classroom, 2021).

Strongmen: Dictatorship as a Form of Government

Dictatorship and authoritarianism are the political opposites of democratically-based presidential and parliamentary systems of the government. The 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century have seen dictators and tyrants come to power across the globe.

Photograph of Brazilian troops holding rifles with bayonets, during the 1964 military coup

In her book Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present , historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat (2020) documents three recent eras when dictators rose to power:

Historian Kenneth C. Davis (2020) has also examined the rise of dictators and their threats to democracy in Strongman: The Rise of Five Dictators and the Fall of Democracy , a book for young adult readers about the rise of Benito Mussolini, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, and Saddam Hussein.

Some dictators in the world today claim to be democratically elected, but they are not. North Korea, for example, is formally listed as the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea. Its constitution states the country is a "dictatorship of people's democracy," but it is ruled by one strongman leader, a member of a family that has maintained political power since 1948.

Suggested Learning Activities

  • Select a country from the list of 193 United Nations countries and investigate their government by searching a database maintained by Global Edge from the International Business Center at Michigan State University.
  • Does it have a presidential, parliamentary, or authoritarian system of government?
  • How much actual democracy and democratic government is there in the country?
  • Write a state of the union speech as if you were the leader of the country you chose. Include in the speech a discussion about how your country's structure of government is influencing the goals of citizens, the country as a whole, and the world (see the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals ). Bonus points for presenting the speech on TikTok, Snapchat, or another form of social media

Learning Resources

  • For historical background on 20th century dictators, visit: Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin as Totalitarian Leaders

3.2.1.2 The Powers of the U.S. Presidency

The President of the United States is often referred to as the most powerful person in the world. although some believe that in 2020/2021, Russian President Vladmir Putin or China’s leader Xi Jinping are more powerful. It is true that any U.S. President has an impressive collection of powers—both those given to the office by the Constitution and those a President gains from what one political scientist had called "the subjective views of others" (Neustadt, 1990, p. x). In this respect, Presidents have power in part because the American people broadly believe those powers exist.

As political scientist Matt Glassman (2018) has stated, "Presidents compete with numerous actors — Congress, the courts, interest groups, political appointees in the departments and agencies, and career civil servants — for influence over public policy. The president must rely on his informal ability to convince other political actors it is in their interest to go along with him, or at least not stand in his way."

Taken collectively, the powers given to the President by the Constitution combined with the ways a person in that office can energize public opinion to support policies give a President enormous influence over national and state government and the country as a whole.

Photograph of President Obama delivering his 2013 State of the Union speech before Congress.

What powers does a President actually have?

  • The Constitution gives the President a central role in how bills (legislative proposals) become laws. Presidents can propose legislation at any time. Presidents use the annual State of the Union address to announce new initiatives along with a proposed budget to pay for them ( Ten Facts about the State of the Union Address , 2019). The President can also veto (prevent from becoming law) bills passed by Congress, although the Congress can override that veto by a two-thirds vote of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
  • Presidents have the power appoint Cabinet officials and Supreme Court justices, and to do whatever the President believes is necessary to faithfully execute the laws of the land.
  • Under the Constitution's Executive Power (Article II, Section 1), Presidents can issue Executive Orders. Modern Presidents have used this power to take highly significant public policy actions without Congressional approval or a vote of the people. Here is a list of all Executive Orders by American Presidents from George Washington to Joseph Biden. The Trump Administration used executive orders to enact policies sought by conservative and right-wing political groups in areas from immigration to the environment. On the first day of his administration, Biden used 17 executive orders reversing Trump-era policies, including rejoining the Paris Climate Accord, halting construction of the southern border wall, mandating officials reunite families separated at the border, initiating a mask mandate in federal facilities, and mandating racial equity in policy decisions.
  • Presidents have a Bully Pulpit— meaning they can use the media (television, radio, newspapers, Twitter, and other online platforms) to manage and shape public opinion. Presidents are automatically listened to when they speak and social media expands their reach tremendously. Cable news networks mention the President many times every day—during the first years of his Presidency, Donald Trump consistently received about 15% of the combined airtime on CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News (Leetaru, 2018). Newspapers devote extensive space to covering the President's statements and schedule. As a result, a President has countless opportunities to convince people to support certain policies over others.
  • The idea that there should be one person in government with the ultimate power to pardon convicted persons originated with English kings who could overturn any court sentence. George Washington issued the first presidential pardon in 1794 to Pennsylvania farmers who participated in the Whiskey Rebellion . Franklin Roosevelt issued the most pardons, 3,687 in 3 terms; Harry Truman pardoned 2,044, Bill Clinton 456, and George H. W. Bush 77 (How Presidential Pardons Work).
  • The functioning of the pardon power came under close scrutiny during the closing weeks of the Trump Presidency, including whether a President can issue prospective pardons before charges are filed (Yes, based on an 1866 Supreme Court case Ex Parte Garland); whether a President can pardon family members, relatives and close allies (Yes, the Constitution does not limit who can be pardoned), and whether a President can pardon himself (Unclear, since this has never happened in American history). This information is from "Clemency Explained: Can a President Give Pre-emptive Pardons?" The New York Times , December 6, 2020, p. 18.
  • As President, Donald Trump has issued highly publicized pardons to political and business figures resulting in renewed debates over what should be a fair and equitable process for presidential pardons. In December 2020, Trump pardoned 5 individuals, including Paul Manafort and Roger Stone, who were convicted of crimes as part of Robert Mueller's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 Presidential election. And on January 19, 2021, during in his final day in office, Trump issued another 143 pardons.

Limits on Presidential power

Historians and political scientists broadly agree that the power of the President has been expanding dramatically in recent decades. In 2019, a group of Harvard Law School faculty concluded that modern Presidents, notably the three most recent, have "used lessons from the past as blueprints to expand their capacities," including choosing the leaders of the growing number of the government's executive agencies; issuing executive orders to bypass lengthy legislative processes; and using social media to build support for their policies among voters ( Presidential Power Surges , Harvard Law School Bulletin, Summer 2019).

As President, Donald Trump and his advisors, including Attorney General William Barr, have claimed virtually unlimited power, citing what is known as the unitary executive theory . Under this theory, the President, rather than being the head of one of the three co-equal branches of government, is at the top of a institutional hierarchy of power. Using that theory, Trump refused to release his tax records to Congressional committees or federal prosecutors in New York who were looking into possible campaign law violations by the President and his election committee.

In two notable cases, Trump v. Vance and Trump v. Mazars , the Supreme Court rejected the claim that the President did not have to respond to legal subpoenas for information, with Chief Justice John Roberts declaring: "Two hundred years ago, a great jurist of our Court established that no citizen, not even the President, is categorically above the common duty to produce evidence when called upon in a criminal proceeding. We reaffirm that principle today and hold that the President is neither absolutely immune from state criminal subpoenas seeking his private papers nor entitled to a heightened standard of need" ( Trump v. Mazars LLP, 2020, p. 21). These decisions establish clear limitations on Presidential power.

  • The White House Virtual Tour from Google
  • Does the President Have Too Much Power? Aberbeen (Washington) School District
  • Presidential Powers: An Introduction, from Exploring Constitutional Conflicts
  • Anxiety is Growing in Congress Over How Much Power a President Can Wield , NPR (March 12, 2019)
  • Is the Presidency Too Powerful? Podcast from the National Constitution Center (February 21, 2019)
  • When should individuals receive pardons?
  • What steps are needed to ensure that there is fairness and justice in the pardon process?

Online Resources for the Powers of the President

  • 60-Second Presidents, PBS Learning Media
  • The American Presidency , Smithsonian National Museum of American History
  • The American Presidency Project, University of California Santa Barbara
  • U.S. Presidents , Miller Center, University of Virginia
  • VIDEO: How to Elect a President in Plain English
  • BOOK: Unmaking the Presidency: Donald Trump's War on the World's Most Powerful Office . Susan Hennessey & Benjamin Wittes (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2020)
  • Should the President Use Executive Orders to Create Public Policy? from Illinois Civics.org.
  • Republicans Now Are More Open to the Idea of Expanding Presidential Power , Pew Research Center (August 7, 2019). In the same poll, 66% of the public said "it would be too risky to give Presidents more power to deal directly with many of the nation's problems."

3.2.2 UNCOVER: The War Powers of the President

The President is the Commander in Chief of the military and although the Constitution states that Congress has the power to declare war and raise and support the armed forces (Article I, Section 8), Presidents have significant war powers . Presidential war powers have expanded dramatically since the end of World War II.

Photograph of President Lincoln and General McClellan in the general's tent at Antietam, Maryland, 1862.

In Presidents of War (2018), historian Michael Beschloss explains that "since the start of the Republic, Presidents of the United States have taken the American people into major wars roughly once in a generation" (p. vii). He then examines eight Presidents who entered wars and one who had the opportunity to do so, but did not. The Presidents and their wars are:

  • James Madison and the War of 1812
  • James K. Polk and the Mexican War
  • Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War
  • William McKinley and the Spanish-American War
  • Woodrow Wilson and World War I
  • Franklin D. Roosevelt and World War II
  • Harry Truman and the Korean War
  • Lyndon B. Johnson and in War in Vietnam

It was Thomas Jefferson who avoided war with Britain in 1807 over the Chesapeake Affair and the issue of "impressment" (taking individuals into military service against their will without notice) of sailors on American ships.

While the Constitution gives Congress the sole power to declare war and raise and support the armed forces (Article I, Section 8), there has been no official Congressional declaration of war since 1942. Here is a listing of all Official Declarations of War by Congress from United States Senate website.

Emblem of the GRU, the military intelligence service of the Russian military

In recent years, Presidential war powers have been expanded by the AUMF (Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists) passed just after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. An AUMF allows the President to utilize "all necessary and appropriate force . . . to prevent future acts of international terrorism against the United States" ( What the AUMF Is and Why You Should Care , Biparistan Policy Center, April 18, 2018). Although the AUMF was initially intended to be used against al Qaeda and the Taliban, it has been used dozens of times in 14 countries, including the Trump administration's use of a missile strike to kill an Iranian general in Iraq on January 2, 2020.

  • To what extent should Congress control the war powers of the President?
  • When can a President act militarily without consulting Congress?
  • Nixon and the War Powers Resolution from the Bill of Rights Institute has learning activities centered on the War Powers Resolution , passed in 1973 over President Richard Nixon's veto. This resolution requires the President to consult with Congress before committing U.S. troops into combat or potential combat situations. Presidents from both parties have held that the resolution unconstitutionally limits the power of the executive branch.
  • Principles of American Government (Khan Academy)
  • The War Powers Resolution (JSTOR)
  • Congress, the President, and the War Powers Lesson (National Archives)

3.2.3 ENGAGE: When, and For What, Should a President Be Impeached?

On December 18, 2019, the House of Representatives passed two articles of impeachment against Donald Trump: Article 1: Abuse of Power and Article 2: Obstruction of Congress ( READ: Articles of Impeachment Against Donald Trump ). On February 5, 2020, Donald Trump was acquitted by the U.S. Senate on both impeachment articles. It was just the fourth time in United States history that the Congress engaged in an impeachment of a sitting President.

Just days before his term was to end, Trump was impeached for a second time on January 13, 2020 for " incitement of insurrection " following a bloody attack on the Capitol by a mob of the President's supporters.

Photograph of the front page of the Constitution, with an image of a torn piece of paper printed with the word "Impeachment" edited on top.

Previously, impeachment proceedings had been initiated against Andrew Johnson (1868), Richard Nixon (1974) and Bill Clinton (1998). Neither Johnson or Clinton was convicted and both remained in office as President; Nixon resigned the Presidency before the House could vote on the impeachment charges against him. As Brenda Wineapple (2020) states in her study of the post-Civil War trial of Andrew Johnson, each case demonstrates the complexity that impeachment is "designed to remedy peculiar situations for which there are no remedies" (p. 419).

In theory, impeachment is intended to serve as a way to remove from office someone who is abusing their power through corrupt actions and activities . Yet, neither the Johnson trial nor the others that followed have resolved the fundamental constitutional question: Was "impeachment to be understood as a judicial matter" or "was impeachment designed to punish malfeasance in office" (Wineapple, 2020, p. 417).

Procedurally, impeachment is a process where, according to Article II, Section 4 of the Constitution, "a President, Vice President and all Civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors." In addition to Presidents, 17 other officials—one Senator, one Cabinet secretary and 15 judges—have been impeached in U.S. history. Business Insider has a full list of those federal officials who were impeached.

The word "impeachment" means " accusation " or " charge ". The process happens as follows: Any member of the House of Representatives can suggest the body begin an impeachment inquiry. The Speaker of the House then decides whether to proceed forward with that inquiry or not. The House can impeach based on a vote by a simple majority of its members (50 percent plus 1 person, or 218 out of 435 members). The impeached person goes to trial, meaning a hearing before a jury in the U.S. Senate (Gertner, 2020). The Senate conducts an impeachment trial, presided over by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. A super majority (67 out of 100 members) is needed to convict and remove a President or other impeached official from office.

Impeachment was part of English law long before its inclusion in the United States Constitution, notes constitutional scholar Frank O. Bowman III (2019). The phrase " high crimes and misdemeanors " does not just mean illegal actions, but corrupt and abusive activities on the part of an elected or public leader, what Alexander Hamilton called an "abuse or violation of some public trust" ( The Federalist Papers: No. 65 ).

Impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump followed from a complaint by an intelligence community whistleblower who believed the President had engaged in illegal conduct by trying to coerce a foreign leader (Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky) to aid Trump's reelection campaign. Federal campaign finance laws prohibit foreign contributions to politicians or their campaigns. In a July 25, 2019 phone call and during subsequent actions, President Trump appeared to withhold Congressionally-approved military aid to Ukraine contingent on that country beginning a corruption investigation into former Vice-President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter. Impeachment advocates contended the Ukraine phone call and the military aid delay violated that law; supporters of the President said it did not.

Constitutional and legal scholars agree that impeachment in the United States is a political process, as much, if not more than a legal process that happens only rarely at times in history when "our settled expectations about the Constitutional order are shaken" (Bowman, 2019, p. 6).

In that context, every member of our democratic society is faced with having to answer the question of when, and for what, a President should be impeached.

Media Literacy Connections: Writing an Impeachment Press Release

A Press Release is an official statement provided to the media by an individual or organization. Its purpose is to provide information in a short, simple, highly readable format.

In politics, a press release also serves as a way to promote one's side of an issue as favorably as possible within the boundaries of facts. The White House, on behalf of the President as well as individual politicians, political party organizations, and political interest groups, constantly issues press releases stating their positions and actions on the issues of the day.

In this activity, you will write an Impeachment Press Release for one of the Presidential Impeachments in U.S. History. You can write a statement from either the President who is being impeached, the Impeachment Managers from the House of Representatives who are presenting the case against the President, or both.

  • Activity: Write an Impeachment Press Release
  • In a ruling in Committee on the Judiciary v. McGahn (2019), U.S. District Judge Ketanji Brown concluded: "The primary takeaway from the past 250 years of recorded American history is that Presidents are not kings."
  • Answer the following question posed by Stanford University law professor Michael McConnell (2019): "How can we have a President who is powerful enough to do all the things we expect from a President, but not one who is effectively a king?"
  • In an editorial, The New York Times ( 2019, para. 26 ) stated that impeachment should happen when a President or other public officials violate the public trust by placing "private above public interest."
  • What other times in U.S. history did Presidential Administrations violate the public trust?
  • Andrew Jackson and the Trail of Tears
  • James Buchanan and the Dred Scott Decision
  • Andrew Johnson and Opposition to Reconstruction
  • Warren Harding and the Teapot Dome Scandal
  • Ronald Reagan and the Iran/Contra Affair
  • Richard Nixon and the Watergate Scandal
  • Select one of the presidential impeachments in history and look for newspaper articles, news clips, magazine covers, and other artifacts about the impeachment. Try to find examples from media outlets from all sides .
  • What perspective did the media outlet present? Did they take the side of the President? Why or why not?
  • How did the media present information? What text did they share? What visuals did they select?
  • How did the way the media portrayed the impeachment influence people's perspectives and understandings? (look for opinion articles, comments on news articles, and/or social media posts to justify your response)

Online Resources for Presidential Impeachment

  • Constitutional Grounds for Presidential Impeachment , House Judiciary Committee, 1974 - Issued during the Watergate Investigation into President Richard M. Nixon.
  • Impeachment Inquiry: Ways to Discuss with Your Students, PBS Newshour
  • Lesson of the Day: Nancy Pelosi Announces Formal Impeachment Inquiry of Trump, The New York Times , September 25, 2019
  • Impeachment , from the website House of Representatives
  • Impeachment , from the website of the U.S. Senate

Standard 3.2 Conclusion

The Constitution established a systems of checks and balances so that no part of the American government would dominate or control the other parts. INVESTIGATE identified how each branch can check or respond to the actions of the other branches. UNCOVER examined the war-making powers of the President, and how those powers have expanded since World War II. ENGAGE asked when, and for what, a President can be impeached.

Three branches of government

There are three sections, or branches, of the U.S. government. Find out what they are and how they work together through the system known as checks and balances.

Executive branch

The president is the head of the executive branch and the country. He or she is responsible for signing and enforcing laws passed by Congress. This branch also includes the vice president and the president’s group of advisors, known as the Cabinet.

Powers of the president

—Makes treaties (that must be approved by the Senate)

—Appoints judges and ambassadors (who must be approved by the Senate)

—Calls Congress into session during “extraordinary occasions”

—Enforces laws

—Vetoes bills

—Supports legislation

—Issues executive orders, rules that don’t need Congress’s approval

—Grants pardons to federal offenders

legislative branch

The legislative branch consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate, which together form the United States Congress. This branch has the power to “check,” or limit, the president’s power. The law-creation system in the United States, in which members are voted in by the people. Congress writes and revises bills to send to the president to sign into laws. If the president vetoes one, they can override the veto if two-thirds of the representatives disagree with the president and make the bill into a law.

Powers of Congress

—Creates bills that can be voted into laws

—Overrides the president’s vetoes with a two-thirds majority

—Confirms or rejects the president’s appointments

—Confirms or rejects the president’s treaties

—Declares war

—Impeaches the president

judicial branch

The court system in the United States is known as the judicial branch. The Supreme Court is the highest court in this system.

Powers of the Supreme Court

— Decides if the laws passed by Congress or executive orders signed by the president are constitutional and legal

—Declares acts from the president and Congress “unconstitutional”

—Hears cases whose rulings in lower courts have been challenged

From the Nat Geo Kids book Weird But True Know-It-All: U.S. Presidents by Brianna Dumont, revised for digital by Laura Goertzel

U.S. Presidents

(ad) "weird but true know-it-all: u.s. presidents", independence day, (ad) "our country's presidents".

  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Your California Privacy Rights
  • Children's Online Privacy Policy
  • Interest-Based Ads
  • About Nielsen Measurement
  • Do Not Sell My Info
  • National Geographic
  • National Geographic Education
  • Shop Nat Geo
  • Customer Service
  • Manage Your Subscription

Copyright © 1996-2015 National Geographic Society Copyright © 2015-2024 National Geographic Partners, LLC. All rights reserved

  • Whistle-Stop
  • An Ordinary Man, His Extraordinary Journey
  • Hours/Admission
  • Nearby Dining and Lodging
  • Information
  • Library Collections
  • Online Collections
  • Photographs
  • Harry S. Truman Papers
  • Federal Records
  • Personal Papers
  • Appointment Calendar
  • Audiovisual Materials Collection
  • President Harry S. Truman's Cabinet
  • President Harry S. Truman's White House Staff
  • New Materials
  • Research Procedures
  • Collection Policy and Donating Materials
  • Truman Family Genealogy
  • Research Room Regulations
  • To Secure These Rights
  • Freedom to Serve
  • Events and Programs
  • Featured programs
  • Civics for All of US
  • Civil Rights Teacher Workshop
  • High School Trivia Contest
  • Teacher Lesson Plans
  • Truman Library Teacher Conference 2024
  • National History Day
  • Student Resources
  • Truman Library Teachers Conference
  • Truman Presidential Inquiries
  • Student Research File
  • The Truman Footlocker Project
  • Truman Trivia
  • The White House Decision Center
  • Three Branches of Government
  • Electing Our Presidents Teacher Workshop
  • National History Day Workshops from the National Archives
  • Research grants
  • Truman Library History
  • Contact Staff
  • Volunteer Program
  • Internships
  • Harry S. Truman
  • Educational Resources

Interactive Teaching Unit: How to Use the 3 Branches of Government Materials

There are 5 main focal areas to these teaching materials:

Our Three Branches of Government and Balance of Power

Legislative Branch

Executive Branch

Judicial Branch

Each area has background information, activities and projects. Each area provides Internet links to other sites where information may be obtained for student research. We have provided two formats for teaching using these materials. The first is a DAILY SCHEDULE FORMAT and the second is PROJECT FOCUS FORMAT.

DAILY SCHEDULE FORMAT:

The entire unit could be taught as a 3 week (15 days) government focus, or separated into sections that fit areas of your curriculum as needed. A suggested schedule is listed below for the 3 week course including the Cabinet project. Suggest having students do the  How a Bill Becomes a Law  file folder game as an ongoing review activity.

DAY 1:  Students use the computer lab and access the site. Read  3 Branches of Our Government . Print off the accompanying worksheet and fill in the blanks as individuals or partners. Discuss in class together the main points and have students check their own worksheets and correct them. Keep these for review.

DAY 2 : Students use the computer lab and access the site. Read  The Legislative Branch  and  The House of Representatives  and complete the tasks as individuals or partners using the suggested web sites. Print off the  The Legislative Branch  worksheet and have students fill in the blanks.

DAY 3 : Review the Legislative Branch worksheet. Students check and correct their own work. Save this sheet for review. Review responses to House of Representatives tasks. Students use the computer lab and access the site. Students work in partners to read and complete tasks on  The Senate--Voice of the States . Print off  Questions for the Senate--Voice of the States . Students complete activities together. However, each student writes a report in his/her own words on one of the five famous senators listed.

DAY 4:  Review work from Day 3. Students keep corrected pages for review and read their senator report to a partner. Students spend time in the computer lab reviewing the sites suggested on  United States Capitol . Students then access the site  How A Bill Becomes a Law  and complete activities. Play in partners the folder game How a Bill Becomes a Law ( see games and puzzles section)  Print off the following as homework assignments:  Congress - Courts--Keeping the Balance ;  Congress - President--Keeping the Balance .

DAY 5:  Check homework. Print off  The Executive Branch  and run off copies for class. Print  What a President Can and Cannot Do  and make this a transparency.

Brainstorm with students about what they think a President's powers are. List these on board or overhead. Pass out the  The Executive Branch . Read together and discuss. Use the transparency you have made and have students compare this list with what is on the chart. Students come to the front to mark off the chart duties listed there that are not correct. Print off both the information sheet and worksheet  The Judicial Branch  and use as a homework assignment. Print off  Government Crossword Puzzle  and have students complete this at home.

DAY 6:  Check homework. Print off both the information sheet and worksheet  The Balance of Government  and do this in class. Review together in groups the worksheets they have saved and quiz each other over the material. Homework assignment: Each student writes a fill in the blank test of fifteen questions and a separate answer sheet. Answers -  https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/education/three-branches/balance-of-government-answers

DAY 7:  Students trade quizzes and answer them. Return to author and have them graded. Collect. Students get points for level of test questions submitted and their answers on the other test.

Give essay quiz over material presented. (Allow students to use their notes.) Essay possibilities are suggested below:

  • Describe how a Congress can check a President.
  • Describe why the job of a Supreme Court Justice is so important and powerful.
  • Describe in detail which job you would prefer and why: President, Senator, Representative, or Supreme Court Justice. Use facts from your information sheets.
  • Draw a diagram or picture showing the three branches of government and the main focus of what each one does.

DAY 8:  Cabinet Focus: Students use the computer lab. Access site and go to part called  Why Does the President Need a Cabinet? . Students read and complete activities. Then have students go to:  The President's Cabinet-Who are the Secretaries? . Have them read the list and access the listed web site to complete activity. Compare and report on answers.

DAY 9:  Cabinet Focus: Student use the computer lab. Go to web site and access  Cabinet Web Sites  information page. Divide into partners. Each partner group will prepare a report on one Cabinet department. See guidelines under  Cabinet Department Presentation . Suggest giving 2 days to complete.

DAY 10 & 11:  Students work on project.

DAY 12 & 13:  Project presentations. Students watching take notes on fellow classmates' presentations. Homework assignment: Study notes.

DAY 14:  Quick quiz over departments. Suggest writing role or area of focus and having student write the name of the department next to it. Do twenty questions so some departments have more than one blank.

DAY 15:  May do  "A Cabinet Meeting"  activity.

PROJECT FOCUS FORMAT: (15 days)

Students are given 4 days to complete all the activity pages and on-line tasks for each of the three branches and balance of power plus Legislative, Executive and Judicial Branch activity pages. Students may work in partners or individually. Students are given lab time and the teacher serves as the advisor and facilitator. However, students are expected to do some sections as homework. Students keep all work in an electronic or paper copy portfolio for future checking and presentation.

On the fifth day, questions and activities are checked in groups of four. Teacher roams around meeting with each group discussing their questions and which answers were being debated. Students make corrections so that they will have accurate information for the upcoming project. Introduce the "Teach Another Class Project" and decide on scoring guide.

Projects and Presentations:

Teach Another Class About What They Have Learned: (3 days preparation + 1 day presentation)

Students are divided into six groups (four each), two groups are assigned the Legislative Branch, two groups are assigned the Executive Branch, and two groups are assigned the Judicial Branch. Each group summarizes materials studied the first 5 days and conducts additional research on-line. Then each group designs a chart, backboard, PowerPoint presentation, a series of colorful overheads, or other format to teach another class about their subject. Arrange for students to make presentations to two classes. One set of three groups (Legislative, Executive, Judicial) presents to each class. Each group must time their presentation and keep it to ten minutes. Develop a scoring guide as a class to determine criteria for presentation. Students do a trial run for teacher before going "on the road" with their presentation.

Cabinet Project: (3 days preparation = 2 days presentation)

Students divide into partners for the Cabinet Project (see above). They are given 3 days to complete the project and 2 days are provided for presentations.

Home — Essay Samples — Government & Politics — American Government — 3 Branches of Government

test_template

3 Branches of Government

  • Categories: American Government

About this sample

close

Words: 432 |

Published: Jan 30, 2024

Words: 432 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Table of contents

Introduction, a. overview of the three branches of government, b. checks and balances, c. importance of separation of powers, d. interactions between the branches.

  • The Federalist Papers
  • U.S. Constitution
  • Supreme Court decisions

Image of Dr. Oliver Johnson

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

  • 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
  • Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

author

Dr. Karlyna PhD

Verified writer

  • Expert in: Government & Politics

writer

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

2 pages / 860 words

2 pages / 710 words

1 pages / 668 words

2 pages / 1133 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on American Government

The United States of America is a nation founded on a set of principles that reflect the philosophical underpinnings of its government. This essay seeks to explore the natural rights, social contract theory, republicanism, and [...]

Yglesias, M. (2019, July 1). More police officers mean less crime. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/07/01/more-police-officers-mean-less-crime/

The question of whether the government should play a role in funding higher education continues to spark a vigorous and ongoing debate. The accessibility of quality education and the economic implications of such funding are [...]

The humble penny, a one-cent coin, has sparked a debate that resonates with both economic and sentimental undertones. In an era of digital transactions and rising production costs, the fate of the penny in the United States has [...]

The US sees itself as a unique country and as “a city upon a hill”, which means the U.S sees itself as a beacon of hope because they accept everyone which is in a way unique compared to other countries. The U.S was at one point [...]

During the antebellum era, cotton was America’s most profitable commodity; and the south was the world’s biggest supplier. The climate, the industrial revolution, the cotton gin, and slave labor, were factors that contributed to [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

  • Instructions Followed To The Letter
  • Deadlines Met At Every Stage
  • Unique And Plagiarism Free

three branches of government essay examples

Sorry, we did not find any matching results.

We frequently add data and we're interested in what would be useful to people. If you have a specific recommendation, you can reach us at [email protected] .

We are in the process of adding data at the state and local level. Sign up on our mailing list here to be the first to know when it is available.

Search tips:

• Check your spelling

• Try other search terms

• Use fewer words

Share the 10-k

Government structure.

Published on Mon, May 17, 2021 9:00AM PDT | Updated Tue, August 8, 2023 11:23AM PDT

Data delivered to your inbox

Keep up with the latest data and most popular content.

Visit the government structure and finance topic page for an up to date view of government in the US.

The US is a constitutional republic and representative democracy. Our Government is regulated by a system of checks and balances defined by the US Constitution, which serves as the country’s supreme legal document. In the US, citizens are usually subject to three levels of government: federal, state, and local. The original text of the Constitution establishes the structure and responsibilities of the federal government and its relationship with the individual states. The Constitution has been amended 27 times, including the first 10 amendments, the Bill of Rights, which forms the central basis of Americans’ individual rights.

Federal government structure

The Constitution divides the federal government into three branches to ensure a central government in which no individual or group gains too much control:

  • Legislative – Makes laws (Congress)
  • Executive – Carries out laws (President, Vice President, Cabinet)
  • Judicial – Evaluates laws (Supreme Court and other courts)

Each branch of government can change acts of the other branches as follows:

  • The president can veto legislative bills passed by Congress before they become law (subject to Congressional override).
  • Congress confirms or rejects the president’s appointments and can remove the president from office in exceptional circumstances.
  • The justices of the Supreme Court, who can overturn unconstitutional laws, are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.

Legislative

The legislative branch enacts legislation, confirms or rejects presidential appointments, and has the authority to declare war. This branch comprises Congress (the Senate and House of Representatives) and several agencies that provide support services to Congress.

The executive branch carries out and enforces laws. It includes the president, vice president, the Cabinet, 15 executive departments, independent agencies, and other boards, commissions, and committees.

The judicial branch interprets the meaning of laws, applies laws to individual cases, and decides if laws violate the Constitution. The judicial branch comprises the Supreme Court and other federal courts.

THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT

THE CONSTITUTION

SIGNIFICANT REPORTING ENTITIES (15)

OTHER SIGNIFICANT REPORTING ENTITIES

IN CONSERVATORSHIP

Fannie Mae              Freddie Mac

For a discussion of each of the federal government departments and offices, please see The United States Government Manual at https://www.govinfo.gov/app/collection/GOVMAN .

State government structure 1

Under the Tenth Amendment to the US Constitution, all powers not granted to the federal government are reserved to the states and the people. All state governments are modeled after the federal government and consist of three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. The US Constitution mandates that states uphold a “republican form” of government, although the three-branch structure is not required.

All 50 states have legislatures made up of elected representatives, who consider matters brought forth by the governor or introduced by its members to create legislation that becomes law. The legislature also approves a state’s budget and initiates tax legislation and articles of impeachment. The latter is part of a system of checks and balances among the three branches of government that mirrors the federal system and prevents any branch from abusing its power.

Every state except one has a bicameral legislature made up of two chambers: a smaller upper house and a larger lower house. Together the two chambers make state laws and fulfill other governing responsibilities. The smaller upper chamber is always called the Senate, and its members generally serve longer terms, usually four years. The larger lower chamber is most often called the House of Representatives, but some states call it the Assembly or the House of Delegates. Its members usually serve shorter terms, often two years. Nebraska is the lone state that has just one chamber in its legislature.

In every state, the executive branch is headed by a governor who is directly elected by the people. In most states, other leaders in the executive branch are also directly elected, including the lieutenant governor, the attorney general, the secretary of state, and auditors and commissioners. States reserve the right to organize in any way, so they often vary greatly with regard to executive structure. No two state executive organizations are identical.

Most states have a supreme court that hears appeals from lower-level state courts. Court structures and judicial appointments/elections are determined either by legislation or by the state constitution. The state supreme court usually focuses on correcting errors made in lower courts and therefore holds no trials. Rulings made in state supreme courts are normally binding; however, when questions are raised regarding consistency with the US Constitution, matters may be appealed directly to the United States Supreme Court.

10-K_map_2021.jpg

STATE GOVERNMENTS (50)

Local government structure 2

A government is an organized entity that, in addition to having governmental character, has sufficient discretion in the management of its own affairs to distinguish it as separate from the administrative structure of any other governmental unit.

To be counted as a government, any entity must possess all three of the following attributes:

  • Existence as an organized entity – the presence of some form of organization and the possession of some corporate powers, such as perpetual succession, the right to sue and be sued, have a name, make contracts, acquire and dispose of property, and the like.
  • Governmental character – In essence, an organization can only be considered to be a government if it provides services, wields authority, or bears accountability that is of a public nature.
  • Substantial autonomy – This requirement is met when, subject to statutory limitations and any supervision of local governments by the state, an entity has considerable fiscal and administrative independence.

LOCAL GOVERNMENTS (90,075)

Insular area government structure

The US has many insular areas, or jurisdictions that are neither a state nor a federal district, including any commonwealth, freely associated state, possession, or territory. Five of the insular areas – Puerto Rico, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, US Virgin Islands, and American Samoa – are self-governing, each with a non-voting member of the House of Representatives and permanent populations. The remaining areas are small islands, atolls, and reefs in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea. US possession of certain of these areas is disputed by other countries. The population of these areas are excluded from our reported population figures. However, these individuals may contribute to the revenues, expenditures, and other figures included in this report.

American Indian tribal government structure

Our Government officially recognizes 574 Indian tribes in the contiguous 48 states and Alaska. The US observes tribal sovereignty of the American Indian nations to a limited degree, as it does with the states’ sovereignty. American Indians are US citizens and tribal lands are subject to the jurisdiction of the US Congress and the federal courts. Like the states, the tribal governments have a great deal of autonomy with respect to their members, including the power to tax, govern, and try them in court, but also like the states, tribes are not allowed to make war, engage in their own foreign relations, or print and issue currency.

Continue exploring

Item 1 - purpose and function of our government - general, government operations, explore the 2021 government 10-k, introduction, about this report, item 1a. risk factors, item 2. properties, item 3. legal proceedings, item 6. selected financial data, item 7. management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations, item 7a. quantitative and qualitative disclosures about market risk, item 8. financial statements and supplementary data, item 9a. controls and procedures, item 10. executive officers and governance, item 11. executive officer compensation, item 13. certain relationships and related transactions, and director independence, item 15. exhibits, sign up for the newsletter.

three branches of government essay examples

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock Locked padlock icon ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

USAGov Logo

Branches of the U.S. government

Learn about the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the U.S. government.

The Constitution of the United States divides the federal government into three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. This ensures that no individual or group will have too much power.

Legislative branch

This branch is made up of Congress (the Senate and House of Representatives) and special agencies and offices that provide support services to Congress.

The legislative branch’s roles include:

  • Drafting proposed laws
  • Confirming or rejecting presidential nominations for heads of federal agencies, federal judges, and the Supreme Court
  • Having the authority to declare war

Executive branch

The executive branch’s key roles include:

  • President - The president is the head of state, leader of the federal government, and Commander in Chief of the United States armed forces. 
  • Vice president - The vice president supports the president. If the president is unable to serve, the vice president becomes president. The vice president also presides over the U.S. Senate and breaks ties in Senate votes.
  • The Cabinet - Cabinet members serve as advisors to the president. They include the vice president, heads of executive departments, and other high-ranking government officials. Cabinet members are nominated by the president and must be approved by the Senate.

The executive branch also includes executive departments, independent agencies, and other boards, commissions, and committees.

Judicial branch

The judicial branch includes the Supreme Court and other federal courts.

It evaluates laws by:

  • Interpreting the meaning of laws
  • Applying laws to individual cases
  • Deciding if laws violate the Constitution

How each branch of government provides checks and balances

The ability of each branch to respond to the actions of the other branches is the system of checks and balances .

Each branch of government can change acts of the other branches:

  • The president can veto legislation created by Congress. He or she also nominates heads of federal agencies and high court appointees.
  • Congress confirms or rejects the president's nominees. It can also remove the president from office in exceptional circumstances.
  • The Justices of the Supreme Court, nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate, can overturn unconstitutional laws.

LAST UPDATED: December 6, 2023

Have a question?

Ask a real person any government-related question for free. They will get you the answer or let you know where to find it.

talk icon

The Most Powerful Branch of the US Government Essay

The division of the US federal government into three branches is a practice designed to balance the decision-making system at the national level and distribute powers in accordance with the functions performed. The legislative, executive, and judicial branches coexist successfully to ensure the sustainability of both the national government and the individual state authorities. As a result, the governing bodies cannot carry out uncontrolled work, which is the background for a democratic society. However, given the potential of the possibilities, of the three aforementioned branches, the executive one has the most power in the modern era.

One of the main reasons why the executive branch is more powerful is the decision-making flexibility that the other two branches cannot afford. According to Laidler (2019), the President has the ability to act more freely, in contrast to the judiciary and legislative branches, which are subject to strict regulations and conduct entirely public activities. One of the examples is the work of the presidential administration during the COVID-19 pandemic, when, in the context of ever-changing sanitary conditions, the powers of the President allow for the issuance of urgent decrees and the imposition of necessary restrictions. Congress cannot act at the same speed, which limits the capacity of its members.

Another argument in favor of greater executive power is the coordination of foreign policy. Blanc and Weiss (2019) consider the example of US sanctions against Russia and note that the presidential administration is responsible for the measures taken to weaken the economy of the eastern rival. In relation to modern realities, the situation is similar; Joe Biden retains the status of the first person of the state and either approves or rejects the proposals of Congress to introduce sanctions measures against Russia, the country pursuing an aggressive foreign policy toward Ukraine. Any decisions related to the supply of weapons, humanitarian aid, and other activities are considered by the legislative branch, but it is in the power of the President to make adjustments to these plans. This confirms the more powerful potential of the US executive branch.

Finally, the substantial opportunities of the executive authority in the judiciary sphere are further evidence that the former branch is the most powerful. The appointment of judges, even with the approval of the Senate, is the prerogative of the President. As Resh et al. (2021) argue, the executive branch has the power to change quorum requirements, change the number of state representatives, and coordinate decisions made by the Supreme Court. Any checks must be carried out with the permission of the country’s first person. Resh et al. (2021) give an example of the recent appointment of a new head of the Internal Revenue Service and note that, despite the fact that such a position involves a serious assessment of the candidate’s professional background, including by the responsible judiciary, the decision was made personally by the President. Thus, even in the judiciary, the executive branch has ample opportunities.

When analyzing the current situation, one can say that the executive branch should hardly take a leading role in the modern federal system. The basis of a democratic society is a set of views and decisions taken by authorized persons. The will of one person may be subjective and sometimes incorrect, which, in turn, may entail political, economic, social, and other difficulties. Therefore, giving more power to the legislative branch would be a smarter decision from the perspective of reducing potential bias and following the principles of democratic decision-making.

Blanc, J., & Weiss, A. S. (2019). US sanctions on Russia: Congress should go back to fundamentals . Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Web.

Laidler, P. (2019). How Republicans and Democrats strengthen secret surveillance in the United States. Political Preferences , (25), 5-20. Web.

Resh, W. G., Hollibaugh, G. E., Roberts, P. S., & Dull, M. M. (2021). Appointee vacancies in US executive branch agencies. Journal of Public Policy , 41 (4), 653-676. Web.

  • Chicago (A-D)
  • Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2023, November 17). The Most Powerful Branch of the US Government. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-most-powerful-branch-of-the-us-government/

"The Most Powerful Branch of the US Government." IvyPanda , 17 Nov. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/the-most-powerful-branch-of-the-us-government/.

IvyPanda . (2023) 'The Most Powerful Branch of the US Government'. 17 November.

IvyPanda . 2023. "The Most Powerful Branch of the US Government." November 17, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-most-powerful-branch-of-the-us-government/.

1. IvyPanda . "The Most Powerful Branch of the US Government." November 17, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-most-powerful-branch-of-the-us-government/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "The Most Powerful Branch of the US Government." November 17, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-most-powerful-branch-of-the-us-government/.

  • American Politics: Judges Selection and Appointment
  • Judges in Nevada: Election or Appointment
  • The EU's Legislative, Executive, Judiciary Bodies
  • Judiciary Branch in Texas Government
  • Presidents' Power over Judiciary in the US
  • Morsi’s Declaration Above the Judiciary Review
  • Should Canadian Judges Be Elected or Appointed?
  • US and EU Economic Sanctions Against Russia
  • National Security Within the Constitution
  • The Reform Process in China’s Judiciary
  • Assignment: The Executive Branch of Power
  • Rodrik's Trilemma in the Context of Australia
  • Inequality Implications of Theocratical Governments
  • Canada’s Constitution and Its Surprising Aspects
  • Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs as Advocacy Group in Canada

Have Fun With History

The 3 Branches of Government

The 3 Branches of Government and Their Functions

The three branches of government – legislative, executive, and judicial – are at the heart of modern democratic systems.

They were designed to prevent the concentration of power in any one branch and ensure that no single person or group could wield too much influence over the affairs of the state.

The separation of powers is a fundamental principle of democracy, and the three branches of government play a critical role in upholding it. In this article, we will explore the functions and responsibilities of each branch, as well as the checks and balances that keep them in check.

3 Branches of Government

1. legislative branch.

The legislative branch, also known as Congress, is responsible for making laws. It is composed of two chambers – the House of Representatives and the Senate – and is responsible for representing the people of the United States.

The House of Representatives has 435 members, each representing a district in their respective state. The number of representatives from each state is determined by its population. The Senate, on the other hand, has 100 members, with each state being represented by two senators.

Also Read: Congress Facts

The legislative branch has the power to introduce and pass bills, which then become law after they are signed by the president. It is also responsible for overseeing the budget and taxation, as well as declaring war and regulating commerce.

Examples of legislative branch actions include passing the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), passing the Civil Rights Act, and impeaching a president. The legislative branch is an important part of the checks and balances system, as it has the power to override a presidential veto with a two-thirds vote in both chambers.

2. Executive Branch

The executive branch is responsible for enforcing the laws passed by Congress. It is composed of the president, vice president, and the various departments and agencies that make up the federal government.

The president is the head of the executive branch and is responsible for appointing cabinet members and other officials to oversee the various departments and agencies. The president also has the power to veto legislation passed by Congress and to negotiate treaties with foreign nations.

The executive branch is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the government and is responsible for implementing policies and programs that reflect the priorities of the president. It is also responsible for national security and defense.

Examples of executive branch actions include issuing executive orders, conducting foreign policy negotiations, and appointing Supreme Court justices. The executive branch also plays a critical role in the checks and balances system, as it has the power to veto legislation passed by Congress, but Congress can override a presidential veto with a two-thirds vote in both chambers.

3. Judicial Branch

The judicial branch is responsible for interpreting the laws and ensuring that they are applied fairly and consistently. It is composed of the Supreme Court, as well as the lower federal courts.

The Supreme Court is the highest court in the land and has the final say on issues related to the constitutionality of laws and the interpretation of federal law. The Supreme Court is made up of nine justices, who are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.

The lower federal courts are responsible for hearing cases that fall under federal jurisdiction, such as cases involving federal laws or disputes between states.

The judicial branch is responsible for upholding the rule of law and ensuring that the other branches of government act within the limits of the Constitution. It is also responsible for protecting individual rights and liberties.

Examples of judicial branch actions include interpreting the Constitution and striking down laws that violate it, as well as interpreting federal law and issuing rulings in cases involving civil rights and liberties.

The judicial branch also plays an important role in the checks and balances system, as it has the power to declare laws unconstitutional and to interpret the Constitution and federal law.

System of Checks and Balances in Government

The concept of checks and balances is an integral part of the United States’ democratic system. The three branches of government are designed to check and balance each other to prevent any one branch from gaining too much power .

For example, the legislative branch has the power to make laws, but the executive branch can veto those laws. However, the legislative branch can override a presidential veto with a two-thirds vote in both chambers.

Similarly, the judicial branch can strike down laws that it deems unconstitutional, but the legislative branch has the power to amend the Constitution.

Another example of checks and balances is the confirmation process for Supreme Court justices. The president nominates a candidate, but the Senate must confirm the nomination, ensuring that the president cannot unilaterally appoint someone to the highest court in the land.

These checks and balances are essential for preserving democracy and ensuring that no one branch of government can become too powerful. They also help to promote compromise and cooperation between the branches of government, as each branch must work with the others to achieve its goals.

In conclusion, the three branches of government – legislative, executive, and judicial – are critical components of the United States’ democratic system. The separation of powers and the system of checks and balances are designed to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful and to ensure that the government works in the best interests of the people.

The legislative branch is responsible for making laws, the executive branch for enforcing them, and the judicial branch for interpreting them. Each branch has specific powers and responsibilities, but they also work together to ensure that the government is effective and accountable.

By understanding the functions and responsibilities of each branch, as well as the checks and balances that keep them in check, citizens can play an active role in preserving democracy and holding their government accountable. The three branches of government are a cornerstone of the United States’ political system, and their importance cannot be overstated.

Home / Essay Samples / Government / Federal Government / American Government

Government System: Three Branches of Government

Essay details

Information Science and Technology , Government

Impact of Technology , Federal Government , Political Systems & Ideologies

Advantages of Technology , American Government , Role of Government

  • Words: 588 (1 page)

Please note! This essay has been submitted by a student.

Get quality help now

three branches of government essay examples

Professor Jared

Verified writer

Proficient in: Impact of Technology , Federal Government , Political Systems & Ideologies

three branches of government essay examples

+ 75 relevant experts are online

More American Government Related Essays

When the public is called to investigate and decide upon a question in which not only the present members of the community are deeply interested, but upon which the happiness and misery of generations yet unborn is in great ...

Kurt Vonnegut's short story, Harrison Bergeron, features the dangers of government control combined with individuals' obliviousness. Vonnegut proceeds to foresee the aftereffects of such a move. The most striking topic is that ...

Federalism is one of the most innovative and important concepts in the United States' Constitution where power is jointly owned by national and state governments. In the United States, they have always struggled to create a ...

Before trying to understand the seemingly complex details of how the government operates, it is a good idea to become familiar with the Constitution. The document itself is over 200 years old but the content has proven timeless. ...

Humans continue to develop ideas that create technological advancements continue to progressively solve problems that come up. This technology has helped by not only shaping the industrial, agricultural, or defense innovations ...

When was the last time you checked your phone? I can take a guess, you have probably checked your phone within the last few minutes… Each day we progress more and more as a society through technology. Finding new ways to use it ...

In the modern era, technology plays many important roles in our life. It has significantly reshaped the world in many ways. If we use technology properly, who knows how much improvement we can make? I strongly believe that when ...

Automated essay grading is a very vital machine learning application. It has been studied quite a number of times, using different techniques like latent semantic analysis etc. This current approach tries to model the language ...

Mell, P., Grance, T.  2009. The nist definition of cloud computing National Institute of Standards and Technology 53 6, article 50 Shelly, B.G., Cashman, T.J., Vermaat,M.E., 2006. 'Discovering Computers: A Gateway To Information ...

apologies

This feature is still in progress, but don't worry – you can place an order for an essay with our expert writers

We use cookies to offer you the best experience. By continuing, we’ll assume you agree with our Cookies policy .

Choose your writer among 300 professionals!

You cannot copy content from our website. If you need this sample, insert an email and we'll deliver it to you.

Please, provide real email address.

This email is exists.

3 Branches of Government

The constitution of the United States divides the power of the government into three branches: the executive, the legislative, and the judicial. These three branches collaborate to develop authority that has equal power over the entire country and establish powerful authority. Furthermore, each branch is responsible for carrying out specific responsibilities and duties to function effectively and efficiently, which is following the standards that countries uphold. Correspondingly, legislators, judges, and the executive work together to ensure that the nation’s most powerful law, the constitution, is accurate and that a bill becomes a law is properly implemented and enforced.

The legislative branch is the branch of government that creates laws in a congress that is made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate. It regulates interstate and foreign economic relations and controls the country’s taxing policy. The executive branch is the second branch of government, and its function is to carry out the laws passed by the legislature. It is made up of the president, vice president, cabinet, and most federal agencies, among other people. The third branch, which is the judicial branch, is responsible for evaluating the laws that have been passed. The judicial branch comprises the Supreme Court and the other relatively low levels of the judiciary system.

In addition, as the head of the government, the president has the authority to veto legislation passed by Congress or the legislature and to nominate the most qualified individuals to lead federal agencies. Congress then confirms or rejects the president’s nominees, and it has the authority to impeach the president in the event of extraordinary circumstances. Aside from that, justices of the Supreme Court have the power to overturn unconstitutional laws that have been nominated and confirmed by the president and the senate. As a result, these branches have a system of checks and balances in place, which assists them in responding to the actions of other branches.

The executive branch of government in the United States is responsible for carrying out and enforcing laws. The executive branch is divided into sub-branches, including the president’s administrative office, federal agencies, and independent federal agencies. The executive office of the president is the most powerful of these sub-branches. From communicating with American citizens about the president’s message to ensuring that those messages are carried out, the executive office is in charge of many things. Moreover, they perform tasks that are beneficial to promoting trade interests in other countries. The president is in charge of this branch of government.

The constitution gives the president and the executive agency authority to exercise the powers of this branch. As a result, the executive grants the president powers that are confined in one way or another because it is believed that the federal state is not looking for an authoritarian figure to lead the country, as opposed to a strongman. As a result, the executive presidential office provides advice and support to the president in making decisions that are in the best interests of the citizens of the United States. Second, the federal agencies are tasked with the responsibility of overseeing national security threats and resource allocation. They also take part in regulating practices that are in need of close supervision and regulation. Consequently, the independent federal agencies assist in providing services in areas that are too complex for the state government to handle on a regular basis.

In contrast, the Judicial branch, although it comes after the Executive and Legislative branches of government, is not any less valuable than the other two branches of government. There are two branches of government in the United States: the Supreme Court and the lower federal court system. This branch is responsible for interpreting the law. According to the third amendment of the Constitution, all courts in the Judicial branch have the authority to decipher the law, are headed by a Chief Justice who is in charge of making difficult decisions in trials involving presidential impeachment, and have the ability to engage in judicial review. The judicial branch handles the meaning of laws, the application of laws to specific cases, and the determination of whether or not laws violate the constitution.

In conclusion, the U.s Government divides its power among the three powerful branches of government: the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government. These branches communicate with one another to establish strong and equal authority in their ability to exercise control over the country. Each branch is responsible for carrying out specific responsibilities and duties to function effectively that are consistent with the values that society upholds. Executive, legislative, and judicial branches all converse with one another to ensure that the Constitution, the nation’s most strong law of the land, is accurately implemented. It is critical to understand how these branches converse with one another to understand how a bill becomes a law and is critical to the functioning of our government (Cohen & Adashi, 2018, p2454). Each branch of government has specific responsibilities to maintain our country flowing efficiently. There are checks and balances in place between the three branches of government to ensure that no one branch gains too much power.

Cohen, I. G., & Adashi, E. Y. (2018). Personhood and the three branches of government. The New England journal of medicine, 378(26), 2453-2455.

Ochieng’Opalo, K. (2019). Legislative development in Africa: Politics and postcolonial legacies. Cambridge University Press.

Cite This Work

To export a reference to this article please select a referencing style below:

Related Essays

Nike’s unfair treatment of athletes and employees, the rise of cybercrime, parliamentary sovereignty essay, bringing human rights to life in the modern world, comparative social policy analysis: china’s and the united states abortion laws, reflection on life as a university student, popular essay topics.

  • American Dream
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Black Lives Matter
  • Bullying Essay
  • Career Goals Essay
  • Causes of the Civil War
  • Child Abusing
  • Civil Rights Movement
  • Community Service
  • Cultural Identity
  • Cyber Bullying
  • Death Penalty
  • Depression Essay
  • Domestic Violence
  • Freedom of Speech
  • Global Warming
  • Gun Control
  • Human Trafficking
  • I Believe Essay
  • Immigration
  • Importance of Education
  • Israel and Palestine Conflict
  • Leadership Essay
  • Legalizing Marijuanas
  • Mental Health
  • National Honor Society
  • Police Brutality
  • Pollution Essay
  • Racism Essay
  • Romeo and Juliet
  • Same Sex Marriages
  • Social Media
  • The Great Gatsby
  • The Yellow Wallpaper
  • Time Management
  • To Kill a Mockingbird
  • Violent Video Games
  • What Makes You Unique
  • Why I Want to Be a Nurse
  • Send us an e-mail
  • Undergraduate
  • High School
  • Architecture
  • American History
  • Asian History
  • Antique Literature
  • American Literature
  • Asian Literature
  • Classic English Literature
  • World Literature
  • Creative Writing
  • Linguistics
  • Criminal Justice
  • Legal Issues
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Political Science
  • World Affairs
  • African-American Studies
  • East European Studies
  • Latin-American Studies
  • Native-American Studies
  • West European Studies
  • Family and Consumer Science
  • Social Issues
  • Women and Gender Studies
  • Social Work
  • Natural Sciences
  • Pharmacology
  • Earth science
  • Agriculture
  • Agricultural Studies
  • Computer Science
  • IT Management
  • Mathematics
  • Investments
  • Engineering and Technology
  • Engineering
  • Aeronautics
  • Medicine and Health
  • Alternative Medicine
  • Communications and Media
  • Advertising
  • Communication Strategies
  • Public Relations
  • Educational Theories
  • Teacher's Career
  • Chicago/Turabian
  • Company Analysis
  • Education Theories
  • Shakespeare
  • Canadian Studies
  • Food Safety
  • Relation of Global Warming and Extreme Weather Condition
  • Movie Review
  • Admission Essay
  • Annotated Bibliography
  • Application Essay
  • Article Critique
  • Article Review
  • Article Writing
  • Book Review
  • Business Plan
  • Business Proposal
  • Capstone Project
  • Cover Letter
  • Creative Essay
  • Dissertation
  • Dissertation - Abstract
  • Dissertation - Conclusion
  • Dissertation - Discussion
  • Dissertation - Hypothesis
  • Dissertation - Introduction
  • Dissertation - Literature
  • Dissertation - Methodology
  • Dissertation - Results
  • GCSE Coursework
  • Grant Proposal
  • Marketing Plan
  • Multiple Choice Quiz
  • Personal Statement
  • Power Point Presentation
  • Power Point Presentation With Speaker Notes
  • Questionnaire
  • Reaction Paper
  • Research Paper
  • Research Proposal
  • SWOT analysis
  • Thesis Paper
  • Online Quiz
  • Literature Review
  • Movie Analysis
  • Statistics problem
  • Math Problem
  • All papers examples
  • How It Works
  • Money Back Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • We Are Hiring

Three Branches of Federal Government, Essay Example

Pages: 1

Words: 351

Hire a Writer for Custom Essay

Use 10% Off Discount: "custom10" in 1 Click 👇

You are free to use it as an inspiration or a source for your own work.

Division of governmental power is known as “separation of powers”. This is the division of power into three branches – the executive, legislative, and judicial – making a horizontal division of power, just as federalism is the vertical division. Each branch is delegated certain functions that the other two may not encroach upon.

The Executive Branch includes the president, his staff, and the various administrative agencies that he oversees. Generally, it is the duty of this branch to put the laws of the federal government into effect. The executive branch investigates alleged violations of the law, gathers the evidence necessary to prove that a violation has occurred, and brings violators before the judicial branch for disposition. The president does this through the various federal law enforcement and administrative agencies.

On the federal level, legislative powers are vested in the Congress, including the Senate and the House of Representatives. The function of this branch is to enact laws that may amend or repeal existing legislation to create new legislation. Congressionally created laws are known as statutes. Finally, the judicial branch comprises the various federal courts of the land. The function of this branch is adjudication – resolving disputes in accordance with law. That branch is charged with the administration of justice.

Although the power lies with the people, the Constitution splits power into three separate branches, also known as “separation of powers”. Within the federal government, power is channeled into three different branches – the legislative, the executive, and the judiciary.

The Legislative branch was given the power to make all the laws, the Executive branch was given power to administer the laws, and the Judicial Branch was to provide the forum where citizens could be tried by their peers for violations of the law.

The Executive branch makes almost 90% of all laws today. The majority of laws are made by Executive directives, statutes, regulations, office memorandums, and by Federal Register entries. The Legislative Branch was meant to be an elected body directly responsible to those who elect its members. The Executive Branch has only two elected officers at the federal level…the President and Vice President.

Stuck with your Essay?

Get in touch with one of our experts for instant help!

John Muir and Political Parties of 1870-1900, Essay Example

The Rhapsody of the Owl, Essay Example

Time is precious

don’t waste it!

Plagiarism-free guarantee

Privacy guarantee

Secure checkout

Money back guarantee

E-book

Related Essay Samples & Examples

Voting as a civic responsibility, essay example.

Words: 287

Utilitarianism and Its Applications, Essay Example

Words: 356

The Age-Related Changes of the Older Person, Essay Example

Pages: 2

Words: 448

The Problems ESOL Teachers Face, Essay Example

Pages: 8

Words: 2293

Should English Be the Primary Language? Essay Example

Pages: 4

Words: 999

The Term “Social Construction of Reality”, Essay Example

Words: 371

IMAGES

  1. Three branches of the U.S. government Essay Example

    three branches of government essay examples

  2. Three Branches of Government Summative Essay.docx

    three branches of government essay examples

  3. The 3 branches of US government Essay Example

    three branches of government essay examples

  4. Three Branches of Government Essay Questions

    three branches of government essay examples

  5. Branches of Government

    three branches of government essay examples

  6. Essay Conclusion Ideas For The Three Branches Of Government :

    three branches of government essay examples

COMMENTS

  1. Three Branches of Government

    The three branches of the U.S. government are the legislative, executive and judicial branches. According to the doctrine of separation of powers, the U.S. Constitution distributed the...

  2. Principles of American government (article)

    Key points The Framers of the US Constitution structured the government so that the three branches have separate powers. The branches must both cooperate and compete to enact policy. Each of the branches has the power to check the other two, which ensures that no one branch can become too powerful and that government as a whole is constrained.

  3. Three Branches of the Government

    The three branches of the United States government are legislative, executive, and judicial. The legislative branch consists of Congress. Congresses main purpose is to create laws and legislation. Congress also over sees the execution of these laws, and checks the judicial and executive branches through legislation.

  4. The Three Branches of Government

    Updated: Jan 21st, 2024 Table of Contents Introduction Government Branches and Their Responsibilities Conclusion Reference Introduction The government is an entity that is established and controlled in order to support the people of a given society. It can take different forms, but the overall purpose and structure remains.

  5. Checks and Balances

    In his analysis of the government of Ancient Rome, the Greek statesman and historian Polybius identified it as a "mixed" regime with three branches: monarchy (the consul, or chief...

  6. Interactions among branches of government: unit overview

    This unit introduced the three branches of the US government: the legislative branch (Congress), the executive branch (the presidency), and the judicial branch (the Supreme Court and inferior courts).

  7. What Are the Three Branches of US Government?

    The United States has three branches of government: the executive, the legislative and the judicial. Each of these branches has a distinct and essential role in the function of the government, and they were established in Articles 1 (legislative), 2 (executive) and 3 (judicial) of the U.S. Constitution.

  8. 3.2: Examining the Relationship of the Three Branches

    Standard 3.2 Conclusion. The Constitution established a systems of checks and balances so that no part of the American government would dominate or control the other parts. INVESTIGATE identified how each branch can check or respond to the actions of the other branches.

  9. The three branches of the U.S. government

    The legislative branch consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate, which together form the United States Congress. This branch has the power to "check," or limit, the president's power. The law-creation system in the United States, in which members are voted in by the people. Congress writes and revises bills to send to the ...

  10. Interactive Teaching Unit: How to Use the 3 Branches of Government

    Read 3 Branches of Our Government. Print off the accompanying worksheet and fill in the blanks as individuals or partners. Discuss in class together the main points and have students check their own worksheets and correct them. Keep these for review. DAY 2: Students use the computer lab and access the site.

  11. Essay on Three Branches of Government

    The elected officials in the executive branch are voted on separately and include: "a governor, secretary of state, attorney general, state treasurer, superintendent of public instruction, state mine inspector, and five corporation commissioners. No official is the boss of any other" (McClory 105).

  12. AP U.S. Government and Politics: Argument Essay

    The Argument Essay differs substantially from the other free-response questions on the AP U.S. Government and Politics exam, but you can and should still follow the Kaplan Method (AP-AP). It is recommended that you take 40 minutes to plan and write your Argument Essay (as opposed to 20 minutes each for the other free-response questions), so ...

  13. Essay on The Three Branches of Government

    1079 Words 5 Pages 3 Works Cited Open Document The United States government braces its power among three powerful branches, legislative, executive and judicial. These branches interact with one another to establish authority that is strong, yet equal to have power over the country.

  14. 3 Branches of Government: [Essay Example], 432 words

    3 Branches of Government: [Essay Example], 432 words GradesFixer Home — Essay Samples — Government & Politics — American Government 3 Branches of Government Categories: American Government AI-Generated Words: 432 | Page: 1 | 3 min read Published: Jan 30, 2024 Table of contents

  15. The Three Branches of Government & US Government Structure

    The Constitution divides the federal government into three branches to ensure a central government in which no individual or group gains too much control: Legislative - Makes laws (Congress) Executive - Carries out laws (President, Vice President, Cabinet) Judicial - Evaluates laws (Supreme Court and other courts) Each branch of ...

  16. Influence of the three branches of government on policy making Essay

    Public policy is the counteractive measures taken by the government to solve a problem (s) affecting its citizen and hence improve their lives. Normally, policies address industry and business problems, security problems and other social problems like crime and poverty. This paper investigates the roles of the three branches of the government ...

  17. Branches of the U.S. government

    Learn about the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the U.S. government. The Constitution of the United States divides the federal government into three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. This ensures that no individual or group will have too much power.

  18. The Most Powerful Branch of the US Government Essay

    The division of the US federal government into three branches is a practice designed to balance the decision-making system at the national level and distribute powers in accordance with the functions performed. The legislative, executive, and judicial branches coexist successfully to ensure the sustainability of both the national government and ...

  19. The Three Branches of Federal Government, Essay Example

    Within the federal government, power is channeled into three different branches - the legislative, the executive,and the judiciary. This is called vertical division of power and often referred as "separation of powers". The three branches of government served as a system of checks and balances on each other, providing a lateral balance of power.

  20. The 3 Branches of Government and Their Functions

    The three branches of government - legislative, executive, and judicial - are at the heart of modern democratic systems. They were designed to prevent the concentration of power in any one branch and ensure that no single person or group could wield too much influence over the affairs of the state. The separation of powers is a fundamental ...

  21. Government System: Three Branches Of Government

    Any government will consist of a legislature, judiciary, and executive. Every government will have its own unique constitution, which will state the governing principles and philosophy in a country. Across the world, there are different forms of government, such as democratic, monarchy, dictatorship, and aristocracy types government (Ngasaratun ...

  22. 3 Branches of Government

    The constitution of the United States divides the power of the government into three branches: the executive, the legislative, and the judicial. These three branches collaborate to develop authority that has equal power over the entire country and establish powerful authority.

  23. Three Branches of Federal Government, Essay Example

    Within the federal government, power is channeled into three different branches - the legislative, the executive, and the judiciary. The Legislative branch was given the power to make all the laws, the Executive branch was given power to administer the laws, and the Judicial Branch was to provide the forum where citizens could be tried by ...