The USA Federal Government | Teen Ink

The USA Federal Government

September 7, 2017
By Eswzem BRONZE, New Castle, Pennsylvania
Eswzem BRONZE, New Castle, Pennsylvania
4 articles 9 photos 67 comments

Favorite Quote:
“For I have a plan for you. A plan to give you peace not for disaster, but a plan to give you hope and a future.” -Our Heavenly Father


The United States of America’s government is complicated to the untrained eye.  Hopefully you will receive some insight on the law our founders laid out for us.  Through both God and the Constitution, we stand united together, and we each have our own jobs to do ourselves.  Although there are many more types of government today in our country, we will focus on the three main federal branches.  The three main branches are the legislative branch, the executive branch, and the judicial branch.
 

The first federal branch of government is the legislative.  This is the Congress, which is composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives.  The Senate has 100 people working in it, two from each of the 50 states, who each serve six-year terms.  The House of Representatives has 435 voting members and six non-voting members.  To be one of those 435 voting members, you must meet certain requirements.  You must be 25 years old, live in the state that you represent and you must have lived in the US for at least 7 years.  The number of congressmen for each state is determined by the population of each state.  For example, California has 53 representatives, while West Virginia has only 3.  There must be at least one representative from each state.  The other six non-voting members are from the District of Columbia, Guam, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Puerto Rico.  Jobs such as making the laws and approving presidential appointments are done by the legislative branch.

The second branch of government is the executive branch.  Both our president and our vice president are a part of this branch.  Some people might think that the president has the biggest role, but that is not necessarily true.  Yes, the president has a big part of our government, but he does not do all the work.  We all have important jobs to play. The president serves a four-year term and does such jobs as the commander of the military, or more formerly known, Commander-in-Chief.  He is also the Head of Government.  The president signs laws, vetoes laws, pardons people, and appoints federal judges.  The vice president, who is also in the executive branch, is president of the Senate.  When a president of the USA is impeached, murdered, or has resigned, the vice president takes over office.

The last main branch of government is the judicial branch.  There are 9 justices, 8 associate justices and one chief justice.  These justices are just like judges except they deal with governmental issues and are nationally important.  Their decisions are absolute and final whereas courts other than the Supreme Court can be repelled or questioned.  Lifelong commitments are required for becoming a justice, until you retire or die.  If there is a seat open, the president will appoint another.  Justices are held accountable for interpreting and explaining the constitution.  The Supreme Court can decide if laws or the president’s actions are unconstitutional.  “Equal Justice Under Law” is the Supreme Court’s motto.

The legislative, executive, and judicial branches are just the three main branches of government.  They all have vital jobs to do, and they would not function without one another.  We, as the people of the United States, also have an important assignment to do as well.  We should be aware of what our government is doing for our nation, and be educated on current events.  Opinions matter too, so share your opinion and stand up for what you think is right.  If your president is doing something you agree with, support him.  If you think everybody should recycle, let everyone know. Help this country and stand up for what you believe in.


The author's comments:

I had written this as a school article about how our government functions.  Short and simple elementry learning.  Hope that you gain some knowledge about our federal government after reading this.


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