How is the US Government structured?
The US Constitution outlines the structure of the US Government.
How is power shared in the USA?
Power in the USA is not concentrated on any one person or governing body. Instead, as written in the US Constitution, power is shared between the national government (often referred to as the federal government) and each of the 50 US state governments.
What is the US federal government?
The US federal government powers are clearly stated in the US Constitution.
For example, the federal government has the right to make decisions on the following:
- the military
- all federal taxes
- printing money
- regulations on trade between states
Anything that is not stated in the US Constitution as a federal power is a state power.
What is state government?
The United States of America is a union of 50 states, each of which has their own legal standing and authority independent of the federal government. This means that each state has the right to make decisions in those areas not decided by the US federal government.
For example, each state can have its own laws on the following:
- crime and punishment
- gun control
- ages for marriage, driving and education
Separation of powers/Checks and balances
The separation of powers is the term used to describe the division or sharing of powers between the Executive (President), Legislature (Congress) and Judiciary (Supreme Court).
The framers (writers) of the American Constitution in 1789 went to great lengths to ensure that political power would not be concentrated within a single branch of the national government. Therefore, there is a system of checks and balances to control power.
For example:
- the President nominates ambassadors and members of the US Cabinet, selects federal judges and negotiates international treaties, but all are subject to approval by the Senate
- the Constitution specifies that only Congress has the power to declare war, but the President is Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces
- the President can suggest new laws but it is Congress which the makes law
- the President can veto bills (new laws passed by Congress) but Congress, under certain conditions, can overturn a presidential veto