Branches of Government The Levels of Government There

Branches of Government

The Levels of Government There are 3 levels of government: local, state, and national. Local government governs just one community such as a city or town. Each of the 50 states is run by a state government. The national government is also called the federal government. All levels of government must obey the Constitution.

Purposes of Government All three levels of government make laws to keep people safe and to protect their rights and property. However, all three levels of government have their own responsibilities, or jobs to do. We will focus on the National Government.

Branches of Government The Constitution divides the national government into three branches, or parts. The three branches are the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. These branches are separate but connected, like the branches of a tree. Each branch of the government has a different job to do: Legislative Branch: makes the laws Executive Branch: sees that the laws are obeyed

The President is elected by all the country’s voters. The President is the leader of the executive branch of the federal government. The President leads our military. The President also enforces laws and suggests new ones. The President lives and works in the White House in Washington, D. C. This famous building has rooms for the President’s family to live in. It also has offices in the West Wing, along the west side of the building.

Congress is the legislative branch of the national government. Congress has two parts, the House of Representatives and the Senate. House of Representatives: the number of representatives depends on the states population Senate: each state has two members in the Senate Members of Congress are elected by voters in their states. They discuss national problems and vote on how to solve them. They write new laws and decide how tax money should be spent. All members of congress must agree on a law to pass it. Then it goes to the President for approval.

The Supreme Court The federal courts make up the judicial branch of the national government. The Supreme Court is the most important court in the United States. Nine judges, called justices, serve on the Supreme Court. They decide whether a law agrees with the Constitution. Supreme Court judges are not elected. They are appointed, or chosen by the President. The Senate can approve or reject the President’s choice. Once appointed, a justice serves for his or her lifetime or until the justice chooses to retire.

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