A constitutional system of separated institutions sharing power—complicated further by federalism, elections, parties, agencies, courts, and public participation.
The basic design
The Constitution assigns legislative power to Congress, executive power to the president, and federal judicial power to the Supreme Court and lower courts created by Congress. The familiar phrase “separation of powers” can be misleading if it suggests isolation: the branches are deliberately entangled.
- Congress writes laws, appropriates money, conducts oversight, and can impeach federal officers.
- The president executes laws, directs executive agencies, conducts diplomacy, and serves as commander in chief.
- Federal courts decide cases and controversies arising under federal law and the Constitution.
Checks are relationships
A bill must pass both houses of Congress and normally receive the president’s signature. A veto can be overridden by two-thirds of each house. Presidential appointments and treaties involve the Senate. Courts can review the legality of government action, while Congress shapes lower-court jurisdiction, budgets, and the statutory law judges apply.
Federalism: two governments at once
The federal government possesses enumerated and implied powers; states retain broad authority over areas such as local government, policing, education, licensing, elections, and much civil and criminal law. Federal and state authority often overlap, which is why American public policy is rarely made in one place.
Where citizens enter
Voting is central but not the only form of participation. People contact representatives, testify at hearings, organize, petition agencies, submit public comments on proposed regulations, serve on juries, seek public records, attend local meetings, and challenge official action in court.