What Does This Chart Tell Us About the Federal Government?This flowchart shows how although the federal government is divided into 3 main parts, all of these parts are constantly working together to keep the nation running smoothly. The government wouldn’t be able to accomplish anything without the help of all three of these divisions working together.
First, the Legislative Branch is composed of the House of Representatives and the Senate. These two groups are known as Congress. Congress has the power to impeach judges, the president, and other government personnel. They can also approve the president’s nominations for Supreme Court Judges and the Federal Court of Appeals. Lastly, with a ⅔ vote, Congress can also override a veto made by the president. Next, the Executive Branch is composed of the President and Vice President, Executive office, cabinet, and other government agencies. The jobs of the president include nominating judges and personnel for office positions, and he can also veto legislations from Congress. These are just a few, however, of the roles that the president plays that cooperate with the other main government groups. Lastly, the Judicial Branch is composed of the Supreme Court, and other federal courts. The Judicial Branch includes aspects such as interpreting the law and declaring things such as presidential acts “unconstitutional” if needed. *Sorry if the chart is a bit blurry! |
How Do the State and Federal Governments Compare?The state and federal governments are really very similar. For example, the government in Illinois is modeled very closely after the federal government. For example, Illinois has a Legislative Branch (known as the General Assembly), an Executive Branch, and Judicial Branch that all do many of the same things as their federal counterparts, except on a smaller scale. Also, all government officials and representatives in Illinois government are elected by the people.
In the General Assembly, there are two houses. These are also called the House of Representatives and the Senate, like in Congress! In the Illinois Senate, there are 59 senators, with one elected for each legislative district. Senators are appointed for various numbers of years, as they alternate amongst themselves. There are 118 representatives in the House, with two elected for each legislative district. They are appointed for 2 years each. In the Illinois Executive Branch, there are six elected officials. They are the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Comptroller, and Treasurer. All six of these officials have different jobs, however they are all elected for four year terms. The Governor is similar to the President, with the Lieutenant Governor as the Vice President. They work together to carry out or veto laws, and propose a State budget. The Attorney General is in charge of representing Illinois in court. They are the chief legal officer of Illinois. The Secretary of State does many different odd (but important!) jobs including: keeping records of General Assembly and Executive Branch, issuing license and license plates, and keeping the Capitol building well maintained. The Comptroller’s jobs mostly consist of bill related things, such as reviewing bills/payments and then paying them accordingly. They also help set financial policies. Lastly, the Treasurer takes care of the money, and are known as the State’s Banker. Lastly, there is the State’s Judicial Branch. In the Judicial Branch, there are three different courts, just like the federal government. These are the Supreme Court, Appellate Court, and Circuit Courts. The Supreme Court is the highest court in the Illinois government and is composed of seven Justices. These Justices are elected from the five judicial districts and serve 10 year terms. As well as deciding larger scale and the most important cases, the Illinois Supreme Court also hears appeals from the other two courts. The Appellate Court contains 52 judges, who each serve 10 year terms. They are also elected from the 5 judicial districts. They hear various appeals from the Circuit Courts and other agencies. Lastly, the Circuit Courts are a group of 23 different courts, each having a Chief Judge, Circuit Judges, and Associate Judges. The Circuit Judges are appointed for 6 year terms, and they elect the Associate Judges, who have 4 year terms. The Circuit Courts are the most basic courts in the Illinois State Government. |
How Can a Citizen Become Involved with Each Part of the Government?Besides just becoming a senator, or running for office in a State Government, citizens can the involved. When you vote for new officers and keep updated with who is running for office, you are being involved in your State Government by helping decide who will be part of it. Also, you can send in your ideas about how to change your state’s government to the Senate or House of Representatives. It is their job to read you ideas and suggestions and then put the best ones into effect.
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