Friday, November 16, 2007 The Three Branches of the Federal Government

Todays post is about the three branches of the federal government created in the U. S. Constitution. Sign onto your blogsite and start a new post. Copy and paste the title of this post into the title area of your new post. Copy and paste the questions below into your post. Then use this page and the listed links to answer the questions.

The Founding Fathers, the framers of the Constitution, wanted to form a government that did not allow one person to have too much authority or control.

With this in mind the framers wrote the Constitution to provide for a separation of powers, or three separate branches of government. Each has its own responsibilities and at the same time they work together to make the country run smoothly and to assure that the rights of citizens are not ignored or disallowed. This is done through checks and balances. A branch may use its powers to check the powers of the other two in order to maintain a balance of power among the three branches of government.

http://bensguide.gpo.gov/3-5/government/national/legislative.html

http://bensguide.gpo.gov/3-5/government/national/executive.html

http://bensguide.gpo.gov/3-5/government/national/judicial.html

1. What are the three branches of government?

2. What are the two parts or “houses” that make up the Congress?

3. Who is the head of the executive branch?

4. What court heads the judicial branch?

5. What does the legislative branch do?

6. What does the executive branch do?

7. What does the judicial branch do?

8. How is a balance of power maintained between the three branches of government?