5.2B – Read the Text #2: Building Comprehension

READING TEXT
Module 5: Branches and Powers of Government

PARAGRAPH 1

The United States Constitution is the supreme law of the land. It also describes the structure of the U.S. government. The U.S. government has three equal parts, or branches. They are called the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branches. Each branch has specific powers and each branch can “check” (or limit/help control) and balance the power of another branch. These are called the checks and balances, or separation of powers. This makes all branches equally strong and stops one branch from becoming too powerful. The three branches of government share the power.

PARAGRAPH 2 (Chart)

The Legislative branch, also called the Congress, makes and votes to pass federal laws.

PARAGRAPHS 3-4

The Executive branch is responsible for making sure that the government works smoothly. The president, who is elected every four years, is the leader of the Executive branch. To become president, a person must be at least 35 years old, be a natural born citizen, and must have lived in the United States for at least 14 years. The president signs bills to become laws, or vetoes (says “no” to) the bills. This means they do not become laws.

The president gets help from the vice president and a group of 15 advisors. These advisors form the Cabinet. They advise the president on important issues related to education, transportation, agriculture, labor, energy, and more. The Cabinet members are called “secretaries” and lead their departments. For example, the Secretary of the Treasury is the leader of the Department of the Treasury and is responsible for the U.S. financial system.

PARAGRAPH 5

The third branch of government is the Judicial branch. Its main responsibility is to review and explain laws through the court system. The highest court in the United States is the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has nine judges called “justices”. The people elected to the Legislative and Executive branches all have term limits, but justices do not. As an example of the separation of powers, justices are chosen by the president and have to be approved by the Senate. The Supreme Court’s job is to check that laws written by the Congress and signed by the president follow the U.S. Constitution.

• Learn the word APPROVE: (verb) to accept or allow
  • What is the word in your home language?
  • Note: in general, “approve” is used when talking about a decision or action that needs authorization, while “approve of” is used when expressing one’s opinion or support for something or someone.
  • Examples:
    • Do you approve of using phones in class?
    • What laws do you approve of?

• What is the name of the third branch of government? What is its responsibility?
• What is the Supreme Court? How many justices are in that court?
• What are the term limits in different branches of the government?
• How are Supreme Court justices selected?

These were the Supreme Court justices in 1991. Search online to find a picture of the Supreme Court today – are any of the members the same? [Credit]

PARAGRAPH 6

The separation of government powers and the system of checks and balances also happen at the state and local levels. Instead of a president, states have governors, and many cities have a mayor. Similar to the president, these are top leaders that manage the state and local governments. Similar to the Congress at the federal level, states have state representatives and state senators who make and vote on laws. States also have courts that review and explain laws. It’s important to know that the government gets its power from all individuals living in the United States. The power is not held by only one person, and people do not have to be in government to have power. People can vote or simply use their voices and actions to make change.

NEXT: Read the text with a partner or in a small group!