What Is The Role Of The Executive Branch Of Government – Disclosure: As a participant in our affiliate programs, we earn on qualifying purchases made on our website. If you make a purchase through links on this website, we receive a small percentage of sales from these affiliate programs. You can read our full disclaimer for more information.

The US government consists of three branches: the legislative branch (Congress); executive power that implements laws (the president and the administration); and the judicial branch that interprets laws (the Supreme Court and the federal judiciary).

What Is The Role Of The Executive Branch Of Government

The branches of government were originally established in the Constitution. The writers of the Constitution (often referred to as the “Founding Fathers”) designed the US government so that each branch would have limited powers (called the “separation of powers”). This project was a clear attempt to limit the political power of any individual or group of people. The design was a response to the monarchy of the British Empire.

The Executive Branch Worksheets For 8th Grade On Quizizz

The three branches of government and their relationship to each other have changed over time. So, in this post, we will look at the original design of the three branches and what has changed since the government was founded.

The next section describes the branches of government “on paper” or the US Constitution and other major legal documents.

The relationship between the three branches of the US government is often described as a series of “checks and balances” in which the three branches regulate each other. Thus, each branch of government has limited powers and the behavior of each branch is constantly scrutinized.

Congress is the legislative branch of the US government; in other words, it has the power to issue laws. The branch is further divided into the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Learning About The Law Making Process

Each member of Congress is directly elected by the people of his state or district. Each state is allowed to send two senators. The number of representatives each state sends to the House is, in turn, determined by the state’s population. The infographic below shows some of the key differences between each ward.

For a new law to pass, both the Senate and the House must approve the same proposal by a majority vote. A draft of this language is called a “bill” and can be introduced in either chamber. There are some exceptions, for example, tax bills must originate in the House.

If the bill passes the Senate and the House, it goes to the president. The president can sign the bill into law, or the president can “veto” the bill by sending it back to Congress. If the President vetoes a bill, Congress can override it by a vote; Overriding a veto requires a two-thirds majority in each chamber.

If the president does not sign the bill, it will automatically become law after ten days. However, if Congress is not in session at the end of those ten days, the bill does not become law (known as a “pocket veto”).

Presidential Power Surges

The executive power is headed by the president. The main responsibilities of the president are to serve as the head of state in foreign affairs, command the military, and execute laws established by Congress.

But the president is not directly elected by the people like members of Congress. Instead, the president is chosen by an “electoral college.” The Electoral College is the process (not the place) by which the people of the United States elect representatives (known as “electors”) who in turn vote for the president.

In total, there are 538 voters who chose the president. To become president, a candidate must have 270 electoral votes. If there is a tie, the House of Representatives elects the President, and the Senate elects the Vice President (called a “conditional election”).

Each state has the same number of electors as delegates to Congress; So two senators plus each House representative. The U.S. capital, District of Columbia, is also given three electors, but not a state.

The Executive Branch Lesson Plans

Often when people think of government “bureaucracy” or “budgeting,” they think of the executive branch. The infographic below condenses every executive branch office into a single organizational chart. Readers can understand how big the branch is!

The judicial branch is a system of judges that decides how laws should be interpreted when disputes arise. The judicial branch decides whether laws passed by Congress or actions of the executive branch violate the Constitution. Courts are intended to be non-political “judges” of the government.

The president appoints the Supreme Court and federal judges, and they are confirmed by the Senate (although some judges have special jurisdiction and are not confirmed by the Senate). The Supreme Court has nine judges (or “judges”), one of whom serves as the “Chief Justice”. All federal judges confirmed by the Senate serve until retirement, resignation, death, or removal by special procedure.

The highest court in the United States is the Supreme Court, which sits above the lower court system. Because of the large number of cases in the United States, very few (70 or 80) cases are heard by the Supreme Court each year. As a result, most cases are resolved at a lower level.

Executive Skills & Competencies For Leaders In 2023

The US Constitution was written in 1787. In the more than 230 years since its promulgation, it is not surprising that the institutions created by the documents have changed. In fact, the Constitution is specifically left open in a number of areas so that the system can adapt to changing conditions.

As you can see from our table above, the Constitution does not spell out the powers of the judicial branch and its legislative and executive branches in detail. The judicial review process mentioned above, for example, is not mandated by the Constitution, but was established in a landmark 1803 Supreme Court case – Marbury v. Madison.

The constitution also sets out a process for amending the document if lawmakers deem it necessary. The Constitution, known as a “living document”, has evolved through centuries of amendments. Amendments to the Constitution can have dramatic effects, such as the Thirteenth Amendment, which freed the slaves.

But in the modern era, trends have emerged that seriously limit political representation and access. In 1929, Congress permanently limited the number of seats in the House of Representatives to 435. As the population of the United States grows, so do legislators.

The U.s. Presidency: Dubois, Muriel L.: 9780736846943: Amazon.com: Books

In a 2018 Pew Research survey of industrial democracies, the US had the highest population representation among its peers. In the US, there are approximately 747,184 people for every representative in the legislative branch. (A distant second is Japan with 272,108 citizens per MP, and Mexico with 247,965).

A consensus is emerging that the president and executive branch have more concentrated roles and powers than the legislative and judicial branches. In some cases, Congress has delegated power to the executive branch. In other cases, the executive has assumed roles intended for other actors, including states.

For example, Congress gradually reduced its role in military affairs and foreign trade agreements. One manifestation of this is that Congress has become accustomed to approving international treaties on a “fast track” basis—a quick “yes” or “no” vote without further input.

In the realm of military action, the Korean War marked the first time that the executive branch took a nation to war without authorization from Congress. This set the stage for the Vietnam War and many subsequent hostilities. In response, Congress passed the War Powers Resolution of 1973 in an attempt to limit the president’s use of military force.

Aim: What Are The Major Roles And Responsibilities Of The Executive Branch? Do Now: Read The Except From The Constitution On Your Worksheet And Answer.

However, the impact of the law is controversial. Notably, Mikey Edwards, a former member of Congress and educator, argues that the Act had the opposite effect and actually gave the executive branch more military power.

Despite the impact of the War Powers Act, the emerging consensus suggests that the executive branch has more power than the Founding Fathers envisioned.

Although procedural powers are concentrated in the executive branch, a compelling argument can be made for shifting the center of power from the institutions themselves to the political parties.

Many argue that the growing partisan gridlock in the US has permeated every branch of government, including the judicial branch (which is supposed to be a non-political branch). If true, the separation of powers takes a backseat to party ideology.

Governors’ Powers & Authority

Want to hear more about the contemporary political landscape? Check out this article on the impact of social media on politics.

Dan Jasper is the founder and principal author of Street Civics. He specializes in advocacy and international affairs.

Writing letters to the president, if done with some planning and intentionality, can be an effective way for advocates to make their voices heard, influence policy decisions, and sway public opinion….

This is a direct path for organizers

The 3 Branches Of Government And Their Functions

Executive branch of government, who is in charge of the executive branch of government, main role of executive branch, what is the executive branch of government, what does the executive branch of government do, what is the purpose of the executive branch of government, executive branch of the united states government, role of executive branch of government, executive branch of state government, what is the role of the judicial branch in government, what is the role of each branch of government, what is the executive branch of the us government