The United States Government’s Branches

Introduction

The U.S. Constitution gives Congress, the President, and the Federal courts, in that order, control over the three separate bodies that make up the Federal Government: legislative, executive, and judicial. According to the Tenth Amendment, all rights not expressly delegated to the national government by the U.S. Constitution are maintained for the States and the citizens (Wilson et al., 2020). The Federal Government’s goals are to create fairness, guarantee internal harmony, cater for collective security, advance the common good, and ensure that its citizens and future generations enjoy the benefits of liberty.

Legislative

The House of Representatives and the Senate, which comprise the United States Congress, comprise the legislative branch, which Article I of the Constitution constituted. According to the Constitution, Article I Section 10 emphasizes that only Congress can wage war, Section 8 which allows for it to pass laws and conduct extensive investigations, and Section 7 which affirms or disapproves many presidential nominations (Wilson et al., 2020). The 435 elected Representatives in the House of Representatives are distributed among the 50 states according to their combined populations (Wilson et al., 2020). The ability to cast a free, secret vote to elect senators and representatives is guaranteed to all U.S. citizens. Two elected senators from each state make up the 100-member Senate. The maximum number of periods a senator may hold office is an unlimited six-year term.

Executive

The President of the U.S., who also serves as the nation’s leader and commanding officer of the military services, is given control over the Executive Branch. Article II specifies the President’s duties and powers and the protocols for choosing and dismissing the President (Menéndez, 2015). It also places the executive branch’s authority in the office of the President. The President, according to Article II Section 2 picks the leaders of all government departments, such as the Cabinet, to carry out and enforce the laws passed by Congress (Wilson et al., 2020). The Vice President is an executive branch member and is prepared to take over as President if necessary. The President has the authority to discuss and approve accords, which the Senate later authorizes. Additionally, Section 2 allows the President to grant clemencies and amnesties for federal offenses (Wilson et al., 2020). The Executive Branch also engages in relations with other countries.

Judicial

Members of the judicial department are nominated by the President and approved by the Senate, unlike the executive and legislative branches, which are voted by the general public. The federal judiciary’s form and organization are largely up to Congress’s prerogative under Article III of the Constitution, which established the Judicial Branch (Wilson et al., 2020). Only federal courts can review laws through Section 2 of Article 3 and decide whether they are constitutional, and execute them in specific situations. The utilization of a subpoena by the courts to enforce the presentation of facts and testimony is similar to that used by Congress, as dictated in Section 1 (Wilson et al., 2020). Only the House of Representatives and the Senate may dismiss federal judges and convict them.

Conclusion

No democratic governmental system has a total division of authorities or a complete absence of a split of powers, even though it is essential to how American democracy functions. Governmental duties and powers purposely mix because they are too intricately connected to be easily divided into separate categories. Consequently, there is a natural level of rivalry and conflict between the several parts of government. Predominance among the governmental branches has fluctuated throughout American history. Such encounters imply that the distribution of power is a function of progress.

Reference

Wilson, J. Q., DiIulio Jr, J. J., Bose, M., & Levendusky, M. S. (2020). American government: Institutions and policies, enhanced. Cengage Learning.