General Information » Economy » Government & Politics

The founding fathers of American independence were so burnt by the British rule that they feared that if they had only one government branch it would become too powerful to be fair and balanced, and thus America’s complex political system was born. The United States works on a federal presidential representative democratic republic. There are three main branches of government; the legislative, judicial and executive.

The legislative branch includes Congress (where bills are written and, if passed by the president, made into law) and government agencies. Congress also has the power to declare war and control inter-state trade. The two chambers of Congress are made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Each of the 50 states elects two senators, and each senator has a six-year term with no limits placed on the seat. The Senate is responsible for conducting trials, approving treaties and confirming presidential nominations.

The House of Representatives is made up of 435 representatives, the number varies depending on the state since representation corresponds to population. Each representative is responsible for a congressional district – so the larger the state, the more the districts, the more representatives needed. Each representative serves a two-year term.

The judicial branch follows Article III of the Constitution and created the Supreme Court with the power of judicial review, interpreting laws and deciding how these same laws should be applied. The Supreme Court is the highest court in the country, it’s set in place to keep a watchful eye on government ensuring that neither the president nor Congress step out of constitutional line. The nine members of the court are appointed by the president and hold the position for life, until they choose to resign or are impeached. The court also has the power to overturn laws and decisions made by lower courts.

The president, vice president and independent agencies make up the executive branch of government that concentrates on enforcing the laws passed by Congress.

The president is, first and foremost, the head of the executive branch of the government. The powers of the president are stipulated in Article II of the Constitution and include: Commander-In-Chief, declaring war and overseeing treaties (with the approval of Congress), suggesting bills and then, once approved, signing them in as laws, and appointing judges and heads of government departments, among other things. The president serves a four-year term with a two-term maximum. His party, however, can stay in power as long as they are elected.