Which Branch of The Us Government Has The Most Power

The national government was established by the constitution in which it made laws and arranged basic rights for the citizens of the united states. The government consists of 3 branches which include the legislative, executive and judicial branch. Knowing this which branch of government has the most power? None of them. Altogether these three branches play a significant role in the US government as they made sure the rights of the citizens’ were protected at all times, American government was effective and ensured separation of powers.

The Unique Power of Each Branch of Government

The first branch of government is the legislative branch. This branch is composed of the house of representatives and the senate. These two combine together to form the United States Congress. With a total of 435 voting seats in the House of Representatives, as well as individual non voting seats there is an election held every two years. As for the Senate, every two years one-third of the Senate is faced with the election in which they serve a term of 6 years. Laws are proposed from this branch as well as it has the authority to declare war. The constitution states, “All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of the House and the Senate”. The formation of congress lays the foundation for the federal government which allows everyone to work together.

The second branch of government is the executive branch. This branch is composed of the president, vice president, and cabinet members. This branch enforces laws and treaties are able to be signed by the president with ratification from two-thirds of the senate. The president will be given a term of 4 years. Members of the cabinet are nominated by the president, which then have to be approved by at least 51 votes in the senate. The constitution states, “The vice president of the united states shall be president of the senate, but shall have no vote, unless they are equally divided” (article l, section 3). They may vote if the senate becomes divided on nomination.

The third branch of government is the judicial branch. This branch is composed of federal courts, judges and the supreme court. Although this branch is the least democratic, its importance to the constitutional system is great. This branch’s importance is to interpret laws. To gain office in this branch, you must be appointed by the president and followed by a confirmation from the senate. Federal judges serve until they are impeached by the House of Representatives following conviction of the Senate. For judges and justices, they serve until retirement, death, or conviction by the senate. The constitution states, “The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish”. We will have a supreme court that is separate from the other 2 branches, legislative and executive.

The checks and balances system was created by the Framers of the Constitution. This system was made to put a limit on the power of the government. Although all 3 branches were made to not be fully independent from the other, each branch can put the other in check through powers keeping the government “balanced”. The legislative branch has great power over the executive branch. This reason being if the president happens to veto a bill, the legislative branch has the power to overrule a veto with a two-thirds vote from both the house and the senate. The legislative branch also has power over the judicial branch. With the importance of the judicial branch being only interpreting laws, it is not as powerful as having the authority to impeach and remove judges like congress.

Final Thoughts

The 3 branches of our government are all responsible for making our government run smoothly. From legislative making laws, executive enforcing laws and judicial interpreting laws. As well as checks and balances being set in place to ensure no branch is too powerful. All branches are essential for the running of our government.