Page 109 - Birmingham City Schools 2020-2021

SOCIAL STUDIES
Branches of Government
At the time that the U.S. Constitution was written in 1787, there were only thirteen states. The U.S. was a brand new country, and the Founding Fathers, the framers of the Constitution, wanted to form a government that did not allow one person to have too much control over the country. While under the rule of the British king, George III, they learned that this could be a bad system. Yet government, under the Articles of Confederation, taught them that there was a need for a strong centralized government.
With this in mind, the framers wrote the Constitution to provide for a separation of powers: three separate branches of government. Each has its own responsibilities. At the same time, they work together to make the country run smoothly and 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.
The three branches of the U.S. Government are the Executive, Judicial, and Legislative.
Constitution
The White House
The Supreme Court
The U.S. Capitol
Executive
Judicial
Legislative
President
Vice-President
Supreme Court
House of Representatives
Congress
Senate
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