Research Guides: United States Government Resources: Govt. Information by Branch & by Agency

Legislative Branch

The legislative branch enacts legislation, confirms or rejects presidential appointments, and has the authority to declare war.

This branch includes Congress (the Senate and House of Representatives) and several agencies that provide support services to Congress. American citizens have the right to vote for senators and representatives through free, confidential ballots.

Senate
There are two elected senators per state, totaling 100 senators. A senate term is six years and there's no limit to the number of terms an individual can serve.
Senate Leadership
Active Legislation
Find a list of current bills, arranged by subject, that have been receiving legislative or media attention.
House of Representatives
There are 435 elected representatives, which are divided among the 50 states in proportion to their total population. There are additional non-voting delegates who represent the District of Columbia and the territories. A representative serves a two-year term, and there's no limit to the number of terms an individual can serve.
House Leadership
Legislative Activities
(Use the drop down menu to view floor proceedings for the last 7 legislative workdays.)
Congressional Reports (U.S. Government Printing Office, 104th to 115th Congress)
Congressional reports originate from congressional committees and deal with proposed legislation and issues under investigation. There are two types of reports:
House and Senate Reports: Reports of congressional committees concerning proposed legislation and/or contain findings on matters under investigation.
Senate Executive Reports: Reports of the Committee on Foreign Relations relating to treaties between the United States and foreign nations which have been submitted to the U.S. Senate for ratification, or are reports of various Senate committees regarding nomination of individuals.
Congressional Hearings (U.S. Government Publishing Office, 99th to 115th Congress)
A hearing is a meeting or session of a Senate, House, joint, or special committee of Congress, usually open to the public, to obtain information and opinions on proposed legislation, conduct an investigation, or evaluate/oversee the activities of a government department or the implementation of a Federal law.
Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress (from 1774 to present)
Search the directory for biographical, bibliographical, and archival information about every current and former senator and vice president.

Executive Branch

The executive branch carries out and enforces laws. It includes the president, vice president, the Cabinet, executive departments, independent agencies, and other boards, commissions, and committees. American citizens have the right to vote for the president and vice president through free, confidential ballots.

Key roles of the executive branch include:

President
The president leads the country. They are the head of state, leader of the federal government, and commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces. The president serves a four-year term and can be elected no more than two times.
Vice President
The vice president supports the president. If the president is unable to serve, the vice president becomes president. They can serve an unlimited number of four-year terms.
The Cabinet
Cabinet members serve as advisors to the president. They include the vice president and the heads of executive departments. Cabinet members are nominated by the president and must be approved by the Senate (with at least 51 votes).
Economic Report of the President
The Economic Report of the President is an annual report written by the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. It overviews the nation's economic progress using text and extensive data appendices. (From the U.S. Government Publishing Office)
Inaugural Addresses of the Presidents of the United States
Presidential Libraries and Museums
These are not traditional libraries, but repositories for preserving and making available the papers, records, and other historical materials of American Presidents since Herbert Hoover. (From the National Archives)
Public Papers of the Presidents
Also from the National Archives, the Public Papers of the Presidents contain most of the President's public messages, statements, speeches, and news conference remarks.
Evaluating the work of the Government
Links to independent non-partisan agencies that provide unbiased information about the government.
(Credit: The University of Michigan)

Judicial Branch

The judicial branch interprets the meaning of laws, applies laws to individual cases, and decides if laws violate the Constitution. It is comprised of the Supreme Court and other federal courts.

United States Supreme Court
The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States. The justices of the Supreme Court are nominated by the president and must be approved by the Senate (with at least 51 votes). Congress decides the number of justices. Currently, there are nine. There is no fixed term for justices. They serve until their death, retirement, or removal in exceptional circumstances.
Other Federal Courts
The Constitution grants Congress the authority to establish other federal courts.
History of the Federal Judiciary
Check out the history of the federal courts, and biographies of Supreme, Circuit, and District Court judges since 1789, as well as landmark legislation.
Federal Judicial Center
The Federal Judicial Center is "the education and research agency of the federal courts." Among its many statutory duties, the center also provides continuing education and training to federal judges and other court employees.
United States Sentencing Commission
The sentencing commission is an independent agency of the judicial branch that provides sentencing policy guidelines to federal judges; it advises and assists Congress in the development of effective and efficient crime policy, and serves as an information resource of federal crime and sentencing issues.

About the Branches of the U.S. Government (from USA.gov)

The Constitution of the United States divides the federal government into three branches to ensure a central government in which no individual or group gains too much control:

Legislative – Makes laws (Congress)
Executive – Carries out laws (President, Vice President, Cabinet)
Judicial – Evaluates laws (Supreme Court and Other Courts)

Each branch of government can change acts of the other branches as follows:

The president can veto laws passed by Congress.
Congress confirms or rejects the president's appointments and can remove the president from office in exceptional circumstances.
The justices of the Supreme Court, who can overturn unconstitutional laws, are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.

The U.S. federal government seeks to act in the best interests of its citizens through this system of checks and balances.

A-Z Index of U.S.Government Departments & Agencies
A complete list of U.S. Government Departments and Agencies. Also includes contact information on Elected Officials, Government Forms by Agency, and contact information for State, Local & Tribal Governments.

United States Government Resources: Govt. Information by Branch & by Agency

Legislative Branch

Executive Branch

Judicial Branch

About the Branches of the U.S. Government (from USA.gov)

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