2. G overnment B ranches by Khalil El-Saghir

3. G overnment B ranches What are they? The government is like a tree with three big branches. The top branch, called “Executive”, includes the President, Vice President & the Cabinet. The next branch is called “Legislative”. It includes both houses of Congress. The third branch is the “Supreme Court”, where the “Constitution” is interpreted and protected.

4. Executive Branch President & Cabinet The President and Vice President are elected by the people for 4 years. The President appoints the Cabinet members to head the government departments (State, Defense, Homeland Security, Health, Energy, Agriculture etc. Executive branch also includes many government agencies, such as National Security, CIA, FBI, Federal Reserve Bank..

5. Legislative Branch U.S. Congress The U.S. Congress includes: The House of Representatives (435 Congressman / woman elected from all the states) The Senate (100 senators, 2 from each state) The job of Congress is to: Debate and pass new laws and amend the Constitution. Coin money and regulate trade Maintain a Military & Declare War Impeach elected official, including the President.

6. Judicial Branch Supreme Court This is the highest court in the country. It is made up of 9 judges, called Justices. They are appointed by the President and must be approved by the Senate. Justices have their jobs for life and one of them is the Chief Justice. The Court decides if a law or government action violates the Constitution

7. State Government Michigan Like Federal government, States also have 3 similar branches. Governor Granholm is the head of Michigan’s executive branch. In Lansing, the capital of Michigan, resides the State Congress and Senate, the legislative branch, as well as Michigan’s Supreme Court.