Three Branches of Government
Some information about each branch is outlined below.
Legislative Branch (consists of Senate and the House of Representatives)
- Senate
- Vice President of the United States is head of Senate (only votes as a “tie-breaker”)
- Makes laws
- 100 senators in the Senate (2 from each state)
- Senators serve six-year terms
- House of Representatives
- Speaker of the House is head of the House
- 435 representatives in the House of Representatives (population determines number from each state)
- Representatives serve two-year terms
Executive Branch
- President is head of the Executive Branch
- Makes laws official
- Serves four-year term
- Includes the Cabinet, which consists of fifteen governmental departments
- Vice President is also a member of the Executive Branch
Judicial Branch
- Supreme Court is the head of Judicial Branch
- Oversees court system, deciding if laws are constitutional or unconstitutional; court rulings are final
- No limit on terms served
- Eight associate justices and one chief justice
Click here to visit the official White House Web site and read more about each branch.