Checks at the Desert Civic Lab

A Federal Government with Three Parts

At the Desert Civic Lab, students study how the United States government works. The Constitution divides the federal government into three branches. This division gives each branch important jobs and also keeps power from resting in one place.

The legislative branch is Congress, which has two parts: the House of Representatives and the Senate. Congress writes and passes bills, approves federal spending, and can declare war. A bill that passes both parts of Congress goes to the president. The president may sign it so it becomes law or veto it, which rejects it. Congress can still make the bill law by overriding the veto with a two-thirds vote in both the House and the Senate.

The executive branch is led by the president. The president carries out and enforces laws, leads the armed forces, and directs many federal agencies. The president also nominates federal judges and other officials. The Senate checks this power by deciding whether to confirm many of those nominees. The Senate may reject a nominee rather than approve the appointment.

The judicial branch includes the Supreme Court and other federal courts. Courts interpret laws and decide whether government actions follow the Constitution. When a court determines that a law conflicts with the Constitution, the court may refuse to enforce that law. This power gives the judicial branch a way to check actions by Congress or the president.

These arrangements are called checks and balances. For example, Congress can investigate executive actions and control funding, while the president can veto bills passed by Congress. Courts can review laws and executive actions, but judges do not write the nation's laws or command federal agencies. Each branch has its own work, yet the branches affect one another. Requiring action from more than one branch can slow a decision, but it can also protect against an abuse of power.