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Importance of the 3 Branches of Government

The United States federal government is composed of different parts.  They are the executive branch, the legislative branch, and the judicial branch.  Each branch of the government is important and helps delegate the responsibilities of the federal government.  These three branches are mainly located in Washington D.C.

Executive Branch

The first branch of the federal government is the executive branch.  This includes the president of the United States and his cabinet members.  It also includes the vice-president.  The president of the United States has the power over the executive branch.  He is the representative that chooses the vice-president and his cabinet members.  The purpose of the executive branch is to ensure that the laws are enforced.  It is also responsible to make sure that the everyday responsibilities of the government are carried out. 

The American people elect a president every four years, which is one term.  The president of the United States can serve a maximum of two terms.  The election takes place on the first Tuesday in November and occurs every four years.  Candidates prepare months in advance for election night.  On this Tuesday, United States citizens, who are 18 years or older, can go to the polls to make their decision as to who they would like for president of the United States.  These votes are then tallied and form the Electoral College that is by state.  The Electoral College vote per state is equal to the number of Senators and Representatives the state has.  The Electoral College then casts its vote in early December. 

Legislative Branch

The legislative branch includes the Senate and the House of Representatives.  The American people elect these positions.  Each state has two senators but a different number of the House of Representatives.  The Senate and House of Representatives make up the Congress.  The number in the House of Representatives is based on the total population of the State. 

The Congress makes our laws, which is why the people elect Congress.  The Senate and the House of Representatives have different powers.  Article One of the U.S. Constitution describes the powers of each.  Section one deals with the vesting clause of the Senate and House of Representatives.  Section two deals with the House of Representatives while Section three deals with the Senate.  The people of the area they represent elect the members of the House of Representatives every two years.  To be a representative, a person must be 25 years of age, must be an inhabitant of the state which he or she is seeking election, and must be a citizen of the United States for at least seven years.  The House of Representatives chooses its speaker, more widely known as the Speaker of the House.  The House also has the power to impeach. 

Article One of the U.S. Constitution also describes the powers of the Senate.  The Senators serve for a term of six years.  To be a Senator, one must be at least 30 years old, must be a U.S. citizen for at least 9 years before election, and must live in the state he or she is seeking election.  The vice-president of the United States serves as the President of the Senate, but does not have a vote.  The House of Representatives has the power to impeach and the Senate has the power to try all impeachments. 

Judicial Branch

The judicial branch of government is composed of the United States Supreme Court and the lower courts.  It is also composed of the nine Supreme Court justices.  The president of the United States appoints the Supreme Court justices.  The purpose of the United States Supreme Court is to listen to cases that require interpretation of the legislation or that challenge it.  These cases must pertain to issues dealing with the interpretation of the United States constitution.  The United States Supreme Court is the highest court in the country.  The justices that serve on the U.S. Supreme Court serve a lifetime appointment.  The Supreme Court has a website that is available to the public.  The public can view all recent decisions and cases.  The public can also see who is currently serving on the Supreme Court.  These justice’s profiles are made public so anyone can see who is appointed and what his or her background is.  The United States Supreme Court is different than each state’s supreme court.  The federal court system handles those laws that relating to the United States constitution whereas the state court system handles those laws that the United States constitution did not give to the federal government or deny to the state government. 

Many citizens feel that the largest change a president can make is the appointment of a Supreme Court justice.  This is because the justice serves for life so if a current Supreme Court justice passes away, it is the responsibility of the President of the United States to appoint another justice.  By looking at the U.S. Supreme Court page, one can see that almost every president has elected a Supreme Court justice. 

3 Branches Working Together

The three branches of the federal government are important to the people of the United States.  The branches are the executive branch, the legislative branch, and the judicial branch.  Each branch has a different responsibility than the other two branches.  The executive branch consists of the president of the United States, the vice-president, and the president’s chosen cabinet members.  The legislative branch consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives.  These two parts of the branch are known as Congress.  The judicial branch includes the United States Supreme Court, the nine appointed justices, and the lower federal courts.  Each part of the branch abides by the United States constitution and is responsible for following the constitution.  One of the greatest responsibilities of a United States citizen is the right to vote.  Citizens can elect a president, a senator, and a member of the House of Representatives.  By doing so, they essentially elect other officers as well, when they elect the representative that is appointed.