3 BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT

PREAMBLE

They wanted the government to protect the freedom of the people who came after this generation.

EXECUTIVE BRANCH

"The part of government that carries out, or executes, the laws."

POWERS:

• Commander of the nations military forces.
• Makes treaties or formal agreements with other nations.

LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

"The law making part of government, called the legislature. To legislate is to make a law."

POWERS:

• They decide the laws
• They also Establish Federal Courts.

JUDICIAL BRANCH

"The part of government, consisting of the Supreme Court and lower federal courts, that interprets the laws."

POWERS:

• Power of judicial review. (The power to decide whether laws and acts made by branches conflict with the constitution.)
• Protects the "Supreme law of land"

CHECKS AND BALANCES

• The president nominates Supreme Court justices.
• Supreme Court can reject laws.
• Congress can override presidential vetos.

Checks and balances are "The system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other two branches."

Our founding fathers designed a government with checks and balances because they wanted not one branch to have all the power.