United States Government simplified

Under The Constitution lives three branches of Government:

The U.S. Capitol (Legislative Branch) - Congress - House Of Represtitives & Senate

The Legislative Branch is also called the Congress. Congress is made up of two parts, the House of Representatives and the Senate. The Legislative Branch is the part of the government that writes up and votes on laws, also called legislation. Some of the powers of congress include the power to declare war, investigating power, and creating an annual budget for the government.

House of Representatives 

There are 435 total Representatives in the House. Each state has a different number of representatives depending on their total population. States with more people get more representatives. Representatives are elected every two years. They must be 25 years old, have been a US citizen for at least 7 years, and live in the state they represent. The House elects the member they want to be the leader who is then called the Speaker of the House. The Speaker is third in line in succession to the President. 

The Senate 

The Senate has 100 members. Each state has two Senators. Senators are elected every 6 years. To become a Senator a person must be at least 30 years old, have been a US citizen for at least 9 years, and must live in the state they represent. 

The White House (Executive Branch) - The President, Vice President & Cabinet

The Executive Branch is the part of the federal government that is made up of the President, Vice President, and the Cabinet. The leader of the Executive Branch is the President of the United States. The President holds all the power for this branch of the government and the other members report to the President The executive branch's main responsibility is applying and enforcing the laws passed by Congress.

The Supreme Court (Judicial Branch) - Members of the Supreme Court

The Judicial Branch of the government is made up of judges and courts. Federal judges are not elected by the people. They are appointed by the president and then confirmed by the Senate. Some of their responsibilities include interpreting laws, identifying when a law is unconstitutional and making arrangements for prisoners.