The legislative branch is composed of the two parliamentary houses. The House of Representatives is composed of members with each member representing a congressional district. The state with the highest population has the highest number of representatives.
The delegates representing the territories of the US are also members of the House of Representatives. The Senate is composed of members. Each of the 50 states elect two members to the Senate regardless of the geographical size or population. The senators are elected after every six years. The judiciary of the United States is independent of influences from the Legislature and the Executive.
It is made up of the Supreme Court, federal courts, other minority courts, and the organizations that support them. The judiciary is responsible for upholding, explaining, and applying laws. It is also responsible for hearing of cases and making legal decisions. The Capitol building is the meeting place of the United States Congress. John Misachi February 20 in World Facts. Olympic Games History. This is where our history education might add some confusion. We are commonly taught that democracy is a product of ancient Greece.
The city-state of Athens is credited with implementing a system of government of and by the people, whereby eligible citizens would congregate to make decisions. That system of government, better understood today as direct democracy , lives on in the United States in the form of ballot initiatives and referenda. Some states and localities afford their citizens the right to use these measures to directly enact, change, or repeal laws themselves.
More commonly, we exercise our political power in a different way: by voting in elections to choose our representatives. These scholars understood representative democracy — the American variety — to be democracy all the same. The United States is a republic because our elected representatives exercise political power. History also tells us that Rome was a republic, unlike Athens. Congress or the president establish these smaller organizations to manage specific tasks and areas that don't fall under parent agencies.
Although they're not officially part of the executive branch, these agencies are required by federal statute to release certain information about their programs and activities in the Federal Register , the daily journal of government activities.
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 court in the United States. The Justices of the Supreme Court are nominated by the president and must be approved by the Senate. The Constitution gives Congress the authority to establish other federal courts to handle cases that involve federal laws including tax and bankruptcy, lawsuits involving U.
Other federal judicial agencies and programs support the courts and research judicial policy. Appointments for Supreme Court Justices and other federal judgeships follow the same basic process:. Learn how cases reach the Supreme Court and how the justices make their decisions. Use this lesson plan in class.
View a larger version of the infographic. An appeal is a request for a higher court to reverse the decision of a lower court. Most appeals come from federal courts. They can come from state courts if a case deals with federal law. Dissatisfied parties petition the Court for review Parties may appeal their case to the Supreme Court, petitioning the Court to review the decision of the lower court. Justices study documents The Justices examine the petition and supporting materials.
Justices vote Four Justices must vote in favor for a case to be granted review. Parties make arguments The Justices review the briefs written arguments and hear oral arguments. In oral arguments, each side usually has 30 minutes to present its case.
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