The system of government

Congress is the legislative branch. It makes the federal laws, and it meets in the Capitol in Washington, D.C.

• Congress has two parts, or “houses”: the Senate and the House of Representatives. Together they are the U.S. Congress.
• There are 100 senators: two for each of the 50 states. A senator is elected for 6 years.
• There are 435 voting members in the House of Representatives. A representative is elected for 2 years, and the number of representatives of a state depends on its population.
• The Speaker of the House leads the House. The vice president is the president of the Senate and only votes to break a tie.
• A bill is an idea for a new law. If both houses pass it and the president signs it, it becomes a law. Congress can also declare war, collect taxes and approve the budget.

Exam tip: Senate: 100 senators, 6 years. House: 435 voting members, 2 years.

The president is the head of the executive branch. He or she carries out the laws, is the commander in chief of the military and lives and works in the White House.

• The president is elected for 4 years and can serve a maximum of two terms. To be president you must be a natural-born citizen and at least 35 years old.
• The president is chosen by the Electoral College, and elections are held in November, on the first Tuesday after the first Monday.
• The president signs or vetoes bills, makes treaties, appoints federal judges, directs the military and is the chief diplomat.
• The vice president becomes president if the president can no longer serve. The Cabinet is a group of advisors who lead the departments of the government, such as State, Defense and Treasury.
• The first president was George Washington. Washington, D.C. is the capital of the United States.

The judicial branch explains the laws and decides if they agree with the Constitution.

• The highest court is the Supreme Court. It has 9 justices, and one of them is the Chief Justice, who leads the Court.
• Justices are appointed by the president and approved by the Senate. They serve for life, so that they stay independent.
• The courts review laws, explain them and decide if they are constitutional. Below the Supreme Court there are federal appeals courts and district courts, and each state has its own courts.
• The court decides disputes between people and between the people and the government, and judges must follow the Constitution.

The United States has 50 states, and power is shared between the federal government and the states.

• The federal government has powers such as printing money, declaring war, creating an army and making treaties; the states have the other powers, such as schools, driver’s licences, and police.
• Each state has a governor, who is the head of the state government, and a capital city. The governor and your state’s senators and representative are asked about in the test: look them up.
• There are also territories, such as Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, which have their own governments. Washington, D.C. is not a state.
• Local government includes counties, cities and towns, with mayors and councils. Each state also has a capital, where its legislature meets.