What makes up the legislature

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

The Executive Office of the president communicates the president's message and deals with the federal budget, security, and other high priorities. These are the main agencies of the federal government. The heads of these 15 agencies are also members of the president's cabinet. These agencies are not represented in the cabinet and are not part of the Executive Office of the president. They deal with government operations, the economy, and regulatory oversight. 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. Assists the leader, rounds up votes, heads large group of deputy and assistant whips. Steering and Policy Committee.

Assists the leader, rounds up votes, heads large forum of deputy and assistant whips. The following is a brief summary: To levy and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises. To borrow money. To regulate commerce with foreign nations, among the states, and with Indian tribes.

To establish rules for naturalization that is, becoming a citizen and bankruptcy. To coin money, set its value, and punish counterfeiting. To fix the standard of weights and measures. To establish a post office and post roads. To issue patents and copyrights to inventors and authors. To create courts inferior to that is, below the Supreme Court. To define and punish piracies, felonies on the high seas, and crimes against the law of nations.

To declare war. To raise and support an army and navy and make rules for their governance. To provide for a militia reserving to the states the right to appoint militia officers and to train the militia under congressional rule. To exercise exclusive legislative powers over the seat of government that is, the District of Columbia and over places purchased to be federal facilities forts, arsenals, dockyards, and "other needful buildings.

Vote Smart. Thank You! The Capitol Visitor Center remains closed. We are not taking tour reservations at this time. Please check out our video tours and other online resources. All products are Made-in-the-USA, and many are created exclusively for our store. All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.