The 3 Branches of the U.S. Government Explained — David A. Singleton
Just like many governments across the globe, the U.S. government is made of three branches. The constitution divided the government into three branches in a bid to ensure that no person held too much power. That way, the rights of the citizens would be protected, and the government would be effective. All the branches of the U.S. government are assigned responsibilities and are expected, to some extent, to work with each other to serve the citizens.
The branches of the U.S. government consist of the legislative, the executive, and the judicial branch.
1. Legislative
The legislative of the U.S. government is made up of the Congress and the House, and the Senate. It is established by Article 1 of the U.S. constitution. The Legislative Branch of our government makes the laws. The Executive Branch of our government enforces our laws.
The role of the Congress in legislation entails declaring war and enacting legislation. The Congress is empowered to reject Presidential substantial investigative powers and even appointments. The Congress has a total of 535 members, where 100 of the congressmen serve in the Senate, while 435 serve in the House of Representatives.
Congress is tasked with making laws that will govern citizens’ daily lives through compromise and legislative debate. Also, Congress conducts investigations to oversee the operations of the executive branch of the government. Congress plays a part in informing the legislative process by holding hearings.
Members of Congress are voted in directly through a popular vote. However, empty seats can be filled by the governor.
The House has the power to impeach officials in the Federal government, and institute revenue bills. Also, in the event that the election results in a tie, the House can elect the President.
In the event of passing a bill, the legislation is required to conduct a majority vote and send it to the President for a signature.
I have worked in the federal government’s legislative branch, where I was appointed to the Police Use of Force Advisory Board by the Maplewood City Council in 2017. The city council, town board, town council, or even the aldermen board is part of the government’s legislative branch that oversees the local government or a city.
The legislative in Maplewood, MN, plays a crucial role in the city’s strategic planning, governs the city’s goals, oversees major projects, and takes part in planning and implementing infrastructure improvement. To sum it up, the government’s legislative branch has the authority to make laws for different political entities.
2. Executive
The President of the United States of America is the commander in chief of the U.S. government’s executive branch. The executive has the authority to implementing and enacting the laws that have been created by Congress, which is the legislative arm of the federal government. This branch is made up of the President, the vice-president, and cabinet members.
Cabinet-level departments of the President and their subunits are also part of the Executive. The executive, therefore, plays a very critical role in setting the budget. The whole process starts in this government branch, where the revenues that should be collected through taxes are determined, fiscal policy is set, and a budget for public programs is set.
The U.S. government’s executive branch is also responsible for giving executive orders that dictate how the different government agencies should interpret and implement the law. The executive also has the right to take executive action, which has similar effects to executive orders. Executive actions revolve around presidential moves such as proclamations and memorandums.
The executive holds responsibility for the governance of the United States of America and exercising authority. The executive is exclusively mandated to implement the law, but not passing the law, as this is the Legislative’s job.
The President, who is the head of the government’s executive branch, has the right to negotiate treaties with foreign countries, reject or vet a proposal for a law, appoint members of the different government agencies, and grant pardons for crime and appoint federal judges.
3. Judicial
The Judicial branch of the federal government is established by Article III of the constitution. The government’s Judicial branch is made up of courts ranging from municipal courts, magistrate courts, circuit courts, and the supreme court. The state judges in the Judicial branch of the U.S. government are appointed through elections by the citizens as opposed to being appointed. Also, they run for office through political parties.
The government’s Judicial branch is responsible for interpreting the state laws, hearing civil cases, settling disputes, and punishing people who violate the laws. The Judicial branch also sees to it that the citizens are protected as per the rights granted and settling legal disputes brought before the court. The Judicial branch of the USA’s government is tasked with determining the guilt or innocence of individuals accused of crime or violation of the state laws.
One of the biggest tasks assigned to the Judiciary in link to the other branches of the federal government is checking up on the other two branches of the government, the legislative and the executive. The Minnesota Supreme Court is the highest in the state of Minnesota, while the Maplewood Municipal Court serves in our Township.
The Supreme Court, which is the highest court, also gets to determine if the state officials’ actions and the state laws in place are constitutional. Decisions made by the supreme court are final. However, this does not apply to conflicts between the state and the federal laws as they escalate to the United States Supreme Court.
How do the branches of the U.S. government work together?
While the Legislative arm of the government makes the laws, the Executive vets or rejects the law, and the Judicial branch evaluates whether the laws are constitutional. If the laws made by the Legislative are constitutional, then the Executive is allowed by the Judicial branch to execute them. All the branches of the U.S. government work together so that they check up on each other, ensuring that each branch is working effectively and the citizens’ best interests are prioritized. This also ensures that power is distributed evenly, and a single branch does not have too much of it.
About David Singleton
Born and raised in Maplewood, Minnesota, David Singleton has served in Public Safety, Business, and Politics most of his life. Being a Criminal Justice student, he sought to make a significant, positive impact for Minnesota, a place where he owes much of his life experience and achievements to. This is the basis for which the Minnesota Police Reserve Officers Association was founded.
Originally published at https://www.davidasingleton.com on December 13, 2020.