The Three Branches of Government

The Three Branches of Government

4-4.2 Explain the structure and function of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the federal government.

The Executive Branch

• The main job is to carry out the laws

• Made up of the president, vice-president, and the president's Cabinet

• The president is elected by the citizens of the United States

• Leader of the government and all branches of the military

• Chooses federal judges

• Can sign or veto a bill

Multiple Choice

The head of the Executive Branch is

• Vice President

• Senate

• The President

• Speaker of the House

Multiple Choice

A group of departments, the heads of which were originally meant to be the president's closest advisors, is called...

• The Cabinet

• House of Representatives

• Senate

• Congress

Multiple Choice

All of the following are powers of the executive branch EXCEPT.....

• Can sign or veto bills

• Chooses federal judges

• Impeach members of other branches

• Leader of the government and all branches of the military

Judicial Branch

• Evaluates laws (Supreme Court, Federal and other courts)

• The Justices of the Supreme Court are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate

• Can overturn unconstitutional laws

Multiple Choice

Justices of the Supreme Court are nominated and confirmed by the president,

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Judicial Branch.....

• Make Laws

• Veto Laws

• Ignores Laws

• Evaluates laws

Legislative Branch

• Confirms or rejects presidential nominations for heads of federal agencies, federal judges, and the Supreme Court

• Has the authority to declare war

• The branch includes Congress (the Senate and House of Representatives)

• Senate—There are two elected Senators per state, totaling 100 Senators

Legislative Branch cont.

• A Senate term is six years, and there is no limit to the number of terms an individual can serve.

• House of Representatives—There are 435 elected Representatives

• A Representative serves a two-year term, and there is no limit to the number of terms an individual can serve.

• Makes laws (Congress, comprised of the House of Representatives and Senate)

Multiple Choice

What is another name for the legislative branch of the United States government?

• President

• Cabinet

• Supreme Court

• Congress

Multiple Choice

What are the two parts that make up the legislative branch?

• House of Representatives and the Senate

• House of Commons and the Supreme Court

• The Congress and the Cabinet

• The Supreme Court and the Senate

Multiple Choice

How many senators does each state have?

• Depends on the population of the state

• Each state gets 5 senators

• Each state gets 2 senators

• As many as they want

Multiple Choice

What is the total number of United States Senators and House of Representatives?

• 200 each

• 435 each

• 434 Senators and 100 Representatives

• 100 Senators and 435 Representatives

Multiple Choice

The primary job of the legislative is to write up and vote on laws

• True

• False

Checks and Balances

• The point of checks and balances was to make sure no one branch would be able to control too much power, and it created a separation of powers

• The legislative branch makes laws, but the President in the executive branch can veto those laws with a Presidential Veto.

Checks and Balances cont.

• The legislative branch makes laws, but the judicial branch can declare those laws unconstitutional.

• The President in the executive branch can veto a law, but the legislative branch can override that veto with enough votes.

• The legislative branch has the power to approve Presidential nominations, control the budget, and can impeach the President, and remove him or her from office

• The judicial branch interprets laws, but the President nominates Supreme Court justices, the court of appeals judges, and district court judges who make the evaluations.

Multiple Choice

How can the executive branch check the power of the legislative branch?

• The president can fire a member of Congress.

• The president can shut down Congress.

• The president can refuse to pay Congress.

• The president can veto a bill from becoming a law.

Multiple Choice

How can the judicial branch check the power of the legislative branch?

• By impeaching the president

• By vetoing laws

• By declaring a law unconstitutional

• All of the above

Multiple Choice

How is the executive branch checked by the other branches of government?

• The Congress can impeach the president from office.

• The Supreme Court can declare executive orders unconstitutional.

• The Congress can refuse to approve judges and other officials.

• All of the above

Multiple Choice

How can the legislative branch check the judicial branch?

• They can refuse to pay judges on the Supreme Court.

• They can impeach judges from office.

• They can veto the rulings of the Supreme Court.

• They can create laws to get around the constitution.