Chapter 4 | Lesson 1: The American Government

Chapter 4 | Lesson 1:
The American Government

In 1787, leaders wrote the United States Constitution.

A constitution is a plan for how a country will work.

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Forming our Government

​It lists all the goals of the government.

Reasons why the constitution is so important:

​It tells us how the government is setup.

​It is a set of rules or laws that all states must follow.

The U.S. Constitution splits the federal government (or national government) into 3 parts, also called branches.

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​Three Branches of Federal Government

This branch makes the laws.

​​Legislative Branch

​This branch carries out the laws that the legislative branch makes.

Executive Branch

This branch makes certain the laws follow what is in the US Constitution.

Judicial Branch

violate: to break or fail to follow a rule.

consequence: the result or effect of an action.

​There are consequences if people violate the law.

Laws Are IMPORTANT!

The legislative branch is led by Congress. People in the states elect legislators to represent them in Congress. Legislators must listen to the people who elect them.

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National Leaders

The Senate is made up of legislators called Senators, and they are elected by the people. Every state must elect 2 Senators.

​​Congress is made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives

​The House of Representatives is made up of legislators as well, but the number of Representatives vary by state. Larger states have more Representatives than the smaller states.

​​Legislative Branch

The executive branch is led by the President and Vice President of the United States. They are elected by the whole country, not just a single state.

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​Executive Branch

The judicial branch is led by the Supreme Court. Members of this court are judges, or justices. They are not elected, they are chosen by the President of the United States, then voted on by the Senate.

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​Judicial Branch