{
 "source": "https://peabody.kids/flashcards/us-three-branches-of-government",
 "id": "us-three-branches-of-government",
 "title": "The Three Branches of Government",
 "category": "social-studies",
 "subject": "Civics",
 "levels": [
  "3-5",
  "6-8"
 ],
 "description": "What Congress, the president and the courts do, and how they check each other.",
 "tags": [
  "branches",
  "congress",
  "president",
  "courts"
 ],
 "frontLabel": "Term",
 "backLabel": "Meaning",
 "cards": [
  [
   "Legislative branch",
   "Congress; makes the laws"
  ],
  [
   "Executive branch",
   "The president and agencies; carry out the laws"
  ],
  [
   "Judicial branch",
   "The courts; interpret the laws"
  ],
  [
   "Congress",
   "The Senate and the House of Representatives together"
  ],
  [
   "Senate",
   "Part of Congress with 100 members, two from each state"
  ],
  [
   "House of Representatives",
   "Part of Congress with 435 voting members, based on state population"
  ],
  [
   "Senator's term",
   "Six years"
  ],
  [
   "Representative's term",
   "Two years"
  ],
  [
   "President's term",
   "Four years"
  ],
  [
   "Vice president",
   "Takes over if the president cannot serve and presides over the Senate"
  ],
  [
   "Cabinet",
   "Advisers who lead major departments"
  ],
  [
   "Federal agency",
   "Part of the executive branch that does a specific job, like the FDA or NASA"
  ],
  [
   "Supreme Court",
   "The nation's highest court, with nine justices"
  ],
  [
   "Federal judge",
   "Judge appointed by the president and approved by the Senate; serves for life"
  ],
  [
   "Justice",
   "A member of the Supreme Court"
  ],
  [
   "Chief Justice",
   "The leader of the Supreme Court"
  ],
  [
   "Bill",
   "A proposed law"
  ],
  [
   "Law",
   "A rule made by government"
  ],
  [
   "Veto",
   "President says no to a bill"
  ],
  [
   "Override",
   "Congress passes a bill again over a veto with a two-thirds vote"
  ],
  [
   "Separation of powers",
   "Splitting government power among three branches"
  ],
  [
   "Checks and balances",
   "Each branch has ways to limit the others"
  ],
  [
   "Congress checks the president",
   "By passing laws, controlling funds and impeaching officials"
  ],
  [
   "President checks Congress",
   "By vetoing bills"
  ],
  [
   "Courts check Congress and the president",
   "By ruling that laws or actions are unconstitutional"
  ],
  [
   "Senate checks the president",
   "By confirming nominees and approving treaties"
  ],
  [
   "President checks the courts",
   "By nominating judges"
  ],
  [
   "Congress checks the courts",
   "By approving judges, creating lower courts and proposing amendments"
  ],
  [
   "Impeach",
   "To charge an official with serious wrongdoing"
  ],
  [
   "Confirm",
   "To approve a nominee, which the Senate does"
  ],
  [
   "Nominate",
   "To propose someone for a job"
  ],
  [
   "Treaty",
   "Agreement with another nation, made by the president with Senate approval"
  ],
  [
   "Commander in chief",
   "The president as head of the military"
  ],
  [
   "Declare war",
   "Power given to Congress"
  ],
  [
   "Pass a budget",
   "Congress decides how federal money is spent"
  ],
  [
   "Regulate trade",
   "Congress can set rules for trade between states and with other countries"
  ],
  [
   "Interpret laws",
   "Courts decide what laws mean"
  ],
  [
   "Judicial review",
   "Courts can decide a law goes against the Constitution"
  ],
  [
   "Appeals court",
   "Court that reviews decisions of lower courts"
  ],
  [
   "District court",
   "Federal trial court"
  ],
  [
   "Executive order",
   "Directive from the president to run the executive branch"
  ],
  [
   "Pardon",
   "President's power to forgive a federal crime"
  ],
  [
   "Speaker of the House",
   "Leader of the House of Representatives"
  ],
  [
   "Majority leader",
   "Senate or House leader of the largest party"
  ],
  [
   "Committee",
   "Small group of members who study bills in detail"
  ],
  [
   "Filibuster",
   "Using long speeches to delay a vote in the Senate"
  ],
  [
   "Quorum",
   "Minimum number of members needed to do business"
  ],
  [
   "Term limit",
   "Limit on how long someone may hold an office"
  ],
  [
   "Constituent",
   "A person represented by an elected official"
  ],
  [
   "Lobbyist",
   "Person who tries to influence lawmakers on behalf of a group"
  ],
  [
   "Federal budget",
   "Plan for how the national government will spend and raise money"
  ],
  [
   "Capitol",
   "Building in Washington, DC where Congress meets"
  ],
  [
   "White House",
   "Residence and office of the president"
  ],
  [
   "Supreme Court building",
   "In Washington, DC, with the words 'Equal Justice Under Law'"
  ],
  [
   "Marbury v. Madison",
   "1803 case that established judicial review"
  ],
  [
   "Number of justices",
   "Nine; the number is set by Congress"
  ],
  [
   "Why three branches?",
   "So no single group has too much power"
  ],
  [
   "Executive departments",
   "Fifteen major departments such as State, Treasury, Defense and Education"
  ],
  [
   "Secretary of State",
   "Cabinet member who handles foreign relations"
  ],
  [
   "Attorney General",
   "Head of the Justice Department"
  ],
  [
   "Independent agency",
   "Federal agency not part of a cabinet department"
  ]
 ]
}