The United States government is a constitutional federal republic with a system of checks and balances designed to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful. Its structure is based on the U.S. Constitution, which divides the federal government into three distinct branches:

1. The Legislative Branch

• Purpose: To create laws.
• Composition: This branch is known as Congress and is made up of two chambers:
  • The Senate: Composed of 100 members, with two senators representing each of the 50 states, regardless of population. Senators serve six-year terms.
  • The House of Representatives: Composed of 435 voting members. The number of representatives from each state is determined by its population. Representatives serve two-year terms.

2. The Executive Branch

• Purpose: To enforce and implement the laws.
• Composition: This branch includes the President, the Vice President, and the Cabinet.
  • The President: The head of state and government, and the Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Armed Forces. The President is elected every four years through the Electoral College.
  • The Vice President: Supports the President and is next in line for the presidency.
  • The Cabinet: Composed of the heads of various executive departments (e.g., Department of State, Department of Defense) who serve as advisors to the President.

3. The Judicial Branch

• Purpose: To interpret the laws and the Constitution.
• Composition: This branch is made up of the Supreme Court and other lower federal courts.
  • The Supreme Court: The highest court in the land, consisting of a Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices. Justices are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate, and they serve for life.
  • Lower Federal Courts: A system of district and appeals courts that handle federal cases.

Checks and Balances

Each of these three branches has its own specific powers and responsibilities, but they also have the ability to “check” the powers of the other two, ensuring no single branch gains absolute control. For example:

• The President can veto legislation passed by Congress.
• Congress can override a presidential veto with a two-thirds majority vote in both the House and the Senate.
• The Supreme Court can declare laws passed by Congress and signed by the President to be unconstitutional.