What are the three elements of government

How the Supreme Court Works

The Supreme Court is:

  • The highest court in the country
  • Located in Washington, DC
  • The head of the judicial branch of the federal government
  • Responsible for deciding whether laws violate the Constitution
  • In session from early October until late June or early July

How a Case Gets to the Supreme Court

Most cases reach the Court on appeal. An appeal is a request for a higher court to reverse the decision of a lower court. Most appeals come from federal courts. They can come from state courts if a case deals with federal law.

Rarely, the Court hears a new case, such as one between states.

  1. Dissatisfied parties petition the Court for review
    Parties may appeal their case to the Supreme Court, petitioning the Court to review the decision of the lower court.

  2. Justices study documents
    The Justices examine the petition and supporting materials.

  3. Justices vote
    Four Justices must vote in favor for a case to be granted review.

What Happens Once a Case is Selected for Review?

  1. Parties make arguments
    The Justices review the briefs (written arguments) and hear oral arguments. In oral arguments, each side usually has 30 minutes to present its case. The Justices typically ask many questions during this time.

  2. Justices write opinions
    The Justices vote on the case and write their opinions.

    The majority opinion shared by more than half of the Justices becomes the Court’s decision.

    Justices who disagree with the majority opinion write dissenting or minority opinions.

  3. The Court issues its decision
    Justices may change their vote after reading first drafts of the opinions. Once the opinions are completed and all of the Justices have cast a final vote, the Court “hands down” its decision.

    All cases are heard and decided before summer recess. It can take up to nine months to announce a decision.

Every year:

The Court receives 7,000-8,000 requests for review and grants 70-80 for oral argument. Other requests are granted and decided without argument.

About the Justices:

There are nine Justices:

  • A Chief Justice, who sits in the middle and is the head of the judicial branch.
  • Eight Associate Justices

When a new Justice is needed:

  • The President nominates a candidate, usually a federal judge.
  • The Senate votes to confirm the nominee.
  • The Court can continue deciding cases with less than nine Justices, but if there is a tie, the lower court’s decision stands.

Justices are appointed for life, though they may resign or retire.

  • They serve an average of 16 years.

  • Top Definitions
  • Quiz
  • More About Branches Of Government
  • Examples

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

Words nearby branches of government

bran, Branagh, branch, branch cut, branched chain, branches of government, branchi-, branchia, branchial, branchial arch, branchial cleft

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

MORE ABOUT BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT

What are the branches of government?

The branches of government are the three divisions that make up the federal government and the state governments in the United States.

In the United States, the Constitution specifically separates the federal government into three distinct divisions, or branches. This is to ensure that all of the power would not belong to a single person or group. Instead it is divided among the different branches. The three branches of government are the legislative branch, the executive branch, and the judicial branch.

The legislative branch is responsible for creating laws. Federally, the legislative branch is  Congress, which consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

The executive branch is responsible for enforcing the laws. Federally, the executive branch is led by the president. Other members of the executive branch include the vice president, the Cabinet, and all of the employees of federal departments that are part of the executive branch, such as the CIA, the FBI, and the post office. The United States military is also considered part of the executive branch.

The judicial branch is responsible for interpreting the laws. Federally, the judicial branch consists of the Supreme Court and the other federal courts.

While the Constitution only establishes branches of government at the national level, all 50 states have also divided their state governments into the same three branches of government through their state constitutions. At the state level, the executive branches are led by governors, the legislative branches are made of elected state legislatures, and the judicial branches take the form of state supreme courts and other state courts.

Why are branches of government important?

The three branches of government are outlined and assigned their duties in the first three articles of the Constitution. Article I established the legislative branch, Article II established the executive branch, and Article III established the judicial branch.

When establishing the three branches of government, the Constitution also gave each branch certain powers that would keep the power of the other two in check. This idea is known as separation of powers. For example, only Congress has the power to pass laws, but the president has the power to veto them and the Supreme Court has the power to declare them unconstitutional.

Unlike the federal and state government, local (municipal) governments aren’t divided into branches. Most cities and counties are run by mayors, city councils, or county commissioners who must obey state law.

Did you know ... ?

Although the branches of government seem simple enough, they often have a large number of responsibilities. The executive branch alone employs millions of people!

What are real-life examples of branches of government?

This infographic shows the three branches of government that make up the federal government of the United States.

What are the three elements of government

USA.gov

Most Americans are familiar with the branches of government and what their general duties are.

SCOTUS considers saving Trump from the fact that his own lawyers went to court to block the tax return subpoenas. If the “political question” doctrine applies — because this is a fight between branches of government — the courts won’t enforce the subpoenas.

— SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) April 27, 2020

Kids shouldn’t leave high school with out understanding the importance of voting, our three branches of government, and the impact of local government.

— Aarika Rhodes 🍎🦉🧢 (@AarikaRhodes) November 2, 2020

Quiz yourself!

Which of the following is NOT one of the branches of government in the United States?

A. judicial
B. executive
C. administrative
D. legislative

How to use branches of government in a sentence

  • A few years back, designer John Galliano was fined by the government for sharing just such anti-semitic sentiments in public.

  • Not actual CIA agents, but U.S. government personnel who have worked very closely with the CIA, and who are fans of the show.

  • I think the response of the French government so far has been pretty appropriate in that regard.

  • The United States government might not release that information for years, if ever.

  • But most likely it was linked to the way priests identify with the poor in the face of government and criminal abuses.

  • To Harrison and his wife there was no distinction between the executive and judicial branches of the law.

  • With the dispersal of the spores the cone shrivels up, and then the stems starts to send out green branches.

  • Sometimes in the case of large plants, cones have been known to occur on the tips of the branches of the Marsh Horsetail.

  • Dockier, a prominent leader of the Levelers, in the times of the English commonwealth, was shot by order of the government.

  • Sometimes the stems are quite bare; on other occasions they are partly branched; in any case the branches are short.

What are 3 elements of government?

Governments are often organised into three branches with separate powers: a legislature, an executive, and a judiciary; this is sometimes called the trias politica model.

What are the basic elements of a government?

These elements include participation, accountability, conflict resolution and concern for equality and justice..
Democracy- Elements..
Participation..
participation..
Water Disputes..
Equality and Justice..
Different types of inequalities in India..

What are the 3 branches of government and what are their main functions?

These branches are the legislative branch, which makes laws and takes the form of the United States Congress; the executive branch, which enforces the laws and consists of the president and people who report to the president; and the judicial branch, which evaluates laws and includes the Supreme Court and other courts.

What are the 3 branches of Philippine government?

The Philippines is a republic with a presidential form of government wherein power is equally divided among its three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial.