Our Government

A System of Checks and

Balances

Our Government

The Executive Branch

includes the President,
Vice President,
departments and
agencies.
The Legislative branch
includes the Senate
and the House of
Representatives.
The Judicial branch
includes the Supreme
Court.

The Executive Branch

The President is the leader of

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

The Legislative Branch

The U.S. Congress is made

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

The Judicial Branch

The Judicial Branch include

the federal court system,
with the Supreme Court as
the highest court.
Once the Supreme Court
makes a decision, it can
only be changed by another
Supreme Court decision or
by amending the
Constitution.
The Supreme Court is made
up of 9 Justices appointed
by the President and
approved by the Senate.