Each branch of government can change acts of the other branches:

This ability of each branch to respond to the actions of the other branches is called the system of checks and balances.

The legislative branch drafts proposed laws, confirms or rejects presidential nominations for heads of federal agencies, federal judges, and the Supreme Court, and has the authority to declare war. This branch includes Congress (the Senate and House of Representatives) and special agencies and offices that provide support services to Congress. American citizens have the right to vote for Senators and Representatives through free, confidential ballots.

The executive branch carries out and enforces laws. It includes the president, vice president, the Cabinet, executive departments, independent agencies, and other boards, commissions, and committees.

American citizens have the right to vote for the president and vice president through free, confidential ballots.

Key roles of the executive branch include:

Much of the work in the executive branch is done by federal agencies, departments, committees, and other groups.

The judicial branch interprets the meaning of laws, applies laws to individual cases, and decides if laws violate the Constitution. It's comprised of the Supreme Court and other federal courts.

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.

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Last Updated: November 9, 2018

Each house of Congress has the power to introduce legislation on any subject except revenue bills, which must originate in the House of Representatives. The large states may thus appear to have more influence over the public purse than the small states. In practice, however, each house can vote against legislation passed by the other house. The Senate may disapprove a House revenue bill -- or any bill, for that matter -- or add amendments which change its nature. In that event, a conference committee made up of members from both houses must work out a compromise acceptable to both sides before the bill becomes law.

The Senate also has certain powers especially reserved to that body, including the authority to confirm presidential appointments of high officials and ambassadors of the federal government as well as authority to ratify all treaties by a two-thirds vote. Unfavorable action in either instance nullifies executive action.

In the case of impeachment of federal officials, the House has the sole right to bring charges of misconduct that can lead to an impeachment trial. The Senate has the sole power to try impeachment cases and to find officials guilty or not guilty. A finding of guilt results in the removal of the federal official from public office.

The broad powers of the whole Congress are spelled out in the eighth section of the first article of the Constitution:

The main task of the Supreme Court is to decide cases that may differ from the U.S. Constitution. Once the Supreme Court makes a decision in a case, it can only be changed by a later Supreme Court decision or by changing or amending the Constitution. This is a very important power that can affect the lives of many people.

President of the Senate

The president is the principal leader of the Senate. The president typically will:

In about 26 states, the lieutenant governor serves as the president of the Senate, and many of these duties are assumed by the president pro tem.

Bill: Formally introduced legislation. Most ideas for new laws, called legislative proposals, are in the form of bills and are labeled as H.R. (House of Representatives) or S. (Senate), depending on where they are introduced. They are also numbered in the order that they are introduced during each Congress. For example, a bill might be called H.R. 10 if it’s the tenth bill introduced in the House of Representatives or S. 42 if it’s the forty-second bill introduced in the Senate. Public bills deal with matters that affect the general public and become Public Laws, or Acts, if approved by Congress and signed by the President. Private bills deal with matters that affect specific individuals or private entities, such as claims against the Federal Government, immigration and naturalization cases, land titles, and other topics. They become private laws if approved and signed. An enrolled billis one that has been passed by both houses of Congress (Senate and House of Representatives), signed by their presiding officers, and sent to the President for signature.

Calendar: A list of bills, resolutions, and other matters scheduled to be considered before committees or on the floor of either House of Congress. A Congressional Calendar is an agenda or list of business awaiting possible action by the House or Senate.

Committee(s): Committees are groups of Members of Congress appointed to investigate, debate, and report on legislation. Standing Committeesare the most common type of committee; they consider bills and other legislation that is before the House or the Senate. Subcommittees are subsets of a standing committee that are established for the purpose of dividing the committee's workload. The recommendations of a subcommittee must be approved by the full committee before being reported to the Senate or House.

Congress: The two houses of the legislative branch of the Federal Government: the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives. There are currently 100 U.S. Senators, 435 U.S. Representatives, 5 Delegates, and 1 Resident Commissioner. Congress is also referred to as a bicameral legislaturebecause of its two legislative houses or chambers.

Federal: About or relating to the central, national Government of the United States.

Hopper: In the House, a wooden box that bills are dropped in to be officially introduced. In the Senate, a bill is handed to a clerk at the rostrum.

Legislation: A law or a body (set) of laws.

Motion: A formal suggestion or proposal that an action be taken related to the process of making a law.

Report: The printed record of a committee’s actions, including its votes, recommendations, and views on a bill, a question of public policy, or its findings and conclusions based on oversight inquiry, investigation, or other study.

Resolution: A proposal approved by either or both houses of Congress which, except for joint resolutions signed by the President, does not have the force of law. Resolutions generally fall into one of three categories. Simple resolutions, designated H. Res. or S. Res., deal with matters entirely within the prerogatives of the respective house. Concurrent resolutions, designated H. Con. Res. or S. Con. Res., must be passed by both houses, but are not presented for signature by the President. Concurrent resolutions generally are used to make or amend rules applicable to both houses, or to express the sentiment of the two houses. Joint Resolutions, designated H.J. Res. or S.J. Res., require the approval of both houses, and, with one exception, the signature of the President, and have the force of law if approved. There is no real difference between a bill and a joint resolution. The latter is generally used in dealing with limited matters, such as a single appropriation for a specific purpose, or for the declaration of war. Joint resolutions are also used to propose amendments to the Constitution, but these do not require the President's signature.

Tabling Motion: A motion to stop action on a pending proposal and to lay it aside indefinitely. When the Senate or House agrees to a tabling motion, the measure which has been tabled is effectively defeated.

Unanimous Consent: An agreement among members of Congress to set aside a specified rule of procedure to expedite proceedings. In the Senate, for example, if there are no objections, unanimous consent is allowed. But if even a single Senator objects, the unanimous consent request is rejected. Unanimous consent requests with short-term effects are normally granted. However, ones affecting the floor schedule, the conditions of considering a bill or other business, or the rights of other Senators, are normally not offered, or a floor leader will object to it, until all Senators concerned have had an opportunity to accept it.

Veto: The constitutional procedure that happens when the President does not sign a bill or joint resolution into law. A regular veto happens when the President returns the bill to the originating house of Congress without approval. It can be overridden only by a two-thirds vote in both the House and the Senate. A pocket veto happens after Congress has adjourned and is unable to override the President’s action.

For a full list of vocabulary words that are used in Congressional legislation, explore the following resources: