Checks and Balances of the U.S.A.

 

 

In the U.S. there is something called Checks and Balances. This phrase means, no body can have all the power. This power is split between 3 branches of government. There is the legislative branch, the judicial branch, and the executive branch (white house). These three branches have jobs. But one of the jobs they share. They have to make sure that nobody gets all the power. This can cause so much power for that person, which leads to dictatorship! These three branches work together to make sure this does not happen.  They also have other jobs, that makes them equally powerful.  First I will talk about how they work together. Then the judiciary, the executive, and legislative branches.

 

How are Laws Made?

The legislative branch makes the laws. This is a process in which all three branches are involved.  The legislative branch (congress) votes on the law, which if they say “yes” it goes to the president. But if they say “no” the law (bill in this process) does not become a law.   The bill first starts in the public. Then the public calls the legislative branch to be made a bill. Then the legislative branch sends it to the executive branch where the bill goes to the president. The president reads the bill, and then he can sign it, or not sign it. If he does not sign it, it is called a veto. The president can override congress and stop the law. But he can also send it back to congress to vote on. If they vote yes again, they send it to the judicial branch. If the president says yes and signs it, it goes to the judicial also. The judicial branch is the last place the bill goes. They make sure the law is fair. If they say it is not fair, it starts all over again from the legislative, to the executive, to the judicial.

         

     Executive branch (white house). This is where the president sleeps, works, and does daily

activities.

What are Political Parties?

                The U.S. government has political parties. The two that people most commonly choose are called the Democratic Party, and the Republican Party. The republicans generally vote for the republican candidate for a president. So do the democrats. The democratic symbol is a donkey. The republican symbol is an elephant. These two parties select a candidate to go in the U.S. elections for a new president.  Each president’s term is 4 years, but presidents can be elected more than once. Each president can be elected twice, but before in the 17 and 18 hundreds, people went more than twice. Some only went once or twice. Our first president, George Washington, went for more than 8 years.  In the early years of the U.S. government, There were more parties than the republican and democratic. There were major ones that formed into the modern ones. The Federalist Party, and the Whig party. The Whigs turned into the republicans, and the federalists turned into the democrats. There were a few Whig presidents. But there was only one federalist president, our nation’s second president, John Adams. George Washington did not have a political party, he did not like them.

 

How are the Presidents Elected?

             Presidents are elected by the nation. This is the only way that is fair. The presidents can also vote. There is something called the electoral college which also involve the election process of the U.S. presidents. In the election process, many speeches and debates take place.   To be a president you need to be American. If you are any other culture, you are not allowed to be a U.S. presidents. The U.S. president can choose the people that work in the other branches of government.  They also select generals, and lead the country to victory!

by Bob and the USA group -