Federal Government
The government of the United States of America, established by the U.S. Constitution, is a federal republic of individual states. The laws of the United States are laid out in Acts of Congress, administrative regulations and judicial cases interpreting the statutes and regulations.
The federal government has three branches: the executive, legislative and judicial. Through a system of separation of powers, each of these branches has some authority to act on its own, some authority to regulate the other two branches and has some of its authority, in turn, regulated by one or two other branches.
The executive branch is lead by the President and Vice President. They are elected to four-year terms of service and cannot serve for more than two full terms. Presidential elections take place every four years during the first week of November. The winner of the Presidential election is sworn-in and assumes duties the following January. The President appoints a Secretary for each of the Cabinet positions that administer the functions of the executive branch. These functions include managing the Treasury Department (fiscal policy and tax collection), State Department (relationships with other countries) and Commerce Department (domestic and international commerce). The Department of Homeland Security has been newly formed since the event of 9/11. Immigration to the United States is now controlled through this department.
The legislative branch has two “houses” of government. The Senate is a 100-member group with two senators representing each of the 50 states. Senators are elected for terms of six years and there are no limits to the number of terms that a senator may serve. The House of Representatives has 435 members. The “House”, as it is often referred to, are elected from districts that the population. States with larger populations have more representatives that states with smaller populations. Members of the House of Representatives are called “Congressmen”. A congressman is elected for terms of two years and there are no limits to the number of terms a congressman may serve. The legislative branch is responsible for deciding on the laws that will govern the United States.
The judicial branch is made up judges who hear cases within a district court system. There are 94 district courts, 13 courts of appeal, 2 courts of special jurisdiction and the Supreme Court. The constitution safeguards judicial independence by providing that federal judges shall hold office “during good behavior”. They serve until they die, retire or resign. The President appoints federal judges.
State and Local Governments
Each state has a government structure that resembles the federal structure. The executive branch of a state government is lead by a Governor. State legislatures may not necessarily be full-time bodies. The State of Texas legislature is only in session every other year for a specified period of time. There is also a state court system.
Both counties and cities have government bodies that carry out the governmental work at the lowest level. Counties are generally headed by a group of “commissioners” and a Mayor heads an individual city. Cities normally have an elected City Council that works with the Mayor.
Law enforcement agencies are present at all levels of government. There are police departments at the state, county and city level. The Federal Bureau of Investigation generally does not become involved in local law enforcement unless the crime crosses state boundaries. The prison system for incarceration of convicted criminals operates at all governmental levels. The prison that an individual is assigned to is a function of the type of crime and the court that adjudicates the case.
Rule of Law
The United States operates under the principle of the “rule of law”. The rule of law is the principle that governmental authority is legitimately exercised only in accordance with written, publicly disclosed laws adopted and enforced in accordance with established procedure. The principle is intended to be a safeguard against arbitrary governance.
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