The Giannini Politics Update 17th Edition

y Ishaan Bhattacharya
    The U.S. Federal Government is a multi-faceted organization that has been adored and criticized for many years. The U.S. Government consists of three branches; the legislative branch, the judicial branch, and the executive branch. The legislative branch includes Congress, which comprises of the Senate and the House of Representatives, special agencies, and offices that provide service to Congress. American citizens reserve the right to vote for Senators and Representatives. The Senate is composed of 100 members (2 from each of the 50 states) and is led by the Vice President of the United States. Each senator serves a 6-year term, and an estimates ⅓ of the Senate stands for re-election. The House of Representatives is made up of 435 members, each of whom represent a congressional district. The number of representatives each state has in the House is based on each state's population as determined in the most recent United States Census. Each representative serves a term of two years, and each state retains a minimum of one representative in the House. In order to be elected as a representative, an individual must be at least 25 years of age, must have been a U.S. citizen for at least seven years, and must live in the state that he or she represents. There is no limit on the number of terms a representative may serve.
    The executive branch carries out and enforces laws created by the legislative branch. It includes the president, vice president, the Cabinet, executive departments, independent agencies, and other boards, commissions, and committees. American citizens have the right to vote for the president and vice president of the United States. The president selects their vice president during election, and serves a term of 4 years. The maximum amount of terms a president may serve is 2. The president is viewed as the commander-in-chief, and holds the utmost power.
    The judicial branch interprets the meaning of laws, applies laws to individual cases, and decides if laws violate the Constitution. It is comprised of the Supreme Court and other federal courts. The Supreme Court is the highest authority in terms of legal matters. It is made up of a Chief Justice (the head of the judicial branch) and eight associate justices. The President appoints justices of their choice and the Senate votes to confirm. Justices serve for life, although the average term is 16 years.