United States President

Vice President

The Vice President of the United States is the second-highest officer in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government.  Contrary to popular belief, the office has significant official and unofficial power in federal government, though the extent of the latter generally depends on the President. Officially, the Vice President has several important roles in the federal government, most notably as the President of the Senate, which the office presides over and may vote in if there is a tie.  The Vice President is also the first in line to succeed the President in the President is incapacitated or no longer able to perform the duties of office. Vice Presidents can also have significant power and influence outside of its official duties, generally serving as a key advisor to the President and an ambassador of the President's agenda, sometimes with the freedom to create and implement independent agendas.

The Vice President is elected nationwide to a four-year term in the same cycle as the President, but unlike the President has no term limits (though in the event that the Vice-President becomes the president, they can only serve a maximum of 10 years (two 4-year terms plus two years).  Like the President, the Vice President is indirectly elected by the people through the Electoral College and was originally chosen as the runner-up in the race for President, though this was changed by the 12th Amendment. Contrary to popular belief, however, the Vice President does not need to be the one on the President's ticket - it is still possible for Vice Presidents to be members of a different party!

The Vice President's primary responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Serving as the ex officio President of the Senate, with the power to preside over Senate meetings and vote in the event of a tie
• Acts as a member of the President's cabinet, serving as an important advisory and partner in governance
• Often acts as an ambassador of the President and the President's agenda domestically and internationally
• Serves on the National Security Council
• Can suggest legislative or policy agendas
• May preside over impeachment trials
• Is first in the line of succession for the Presidency
• May have additional powers or responsibilities depending on the President's administrative style
  

House of Representatives (United States Congress)

The House of Representatives is the lower house of the United States Congress, the legislative body of the United States.  Currently, the House is comprised of 435 elected members from each of the 50 states, though the number of members is not fixed and can change based on demographic changes in the United States, which is a provision of the Constitution to ensure that the House is always representative of the nation.  The House is presided over by the Speaker of the House, who is elected by the House among their members.  The House serves as an important in the federal government, with the responsibility to create, debate, and pass federal legislation that affects the lives of everyone who lives in the United States, from the national budget to raising or lowering speed limits.  Like New York's Assembly, the House is organized into committees that investigate, introduce, and debate specific policies and laws, with a variety of additional powers and responsibilities, and members may organize into caucuses based on party affiliation, demographic interests, or ideological persuasion.

House members, who are referred to as Representatives, are elected every two years from their respective congressional districts and are not term limited. Contrary to popular belief, Representatives do not need to reside in the congressional district they represent, though they do need to be a citizen of the state their district lies in.

The House's primary responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Creating, debating, and passing federal laws, with the consent of the Senate
• Responsible for introducing and passing changes to tax law, with the consent of the Senate
• Can override presidential veto with a two-thirds majority with the consent of a similar majority in the Senate
• Initiate impeachment procedures for federal officials, including the President
• Can elect the President in the event of an Electoral College tie
• Has the power of subpoena during investigations and hearings on specific issues or events
• Approving treaties with other nations concerning trade and commerce

The Speaker of the House

The Speaker is the political and parliamentary leader of the House of Representatives.  The Speaker is among the most important roles in federal government, serving as the presiding officer of the House and its administrative head.  The Speaker is responsible for setting the legislative agenda of the House, maintain decorum, and has a variety of other responsibilities. The Speaker is elected from among the members of the House for two years and has no term limits aside from retaining their House seat - generally, the Speaker is a ranking member of the majority party and serves as the head of their party within the House.

The Speaker's primary responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Setting the legislative agenda of the House, including deciding the bills which will be heard by the general membership
• Maintaining the decorum and procedure of House sessions
• Managing the administrative aspects of the House
• Is second in line to succeed the President after the Vice President

Senate (United States Congress)

The Senate is the upper house of the United States Congress, the legislative body of the United States. It is currently comprised of 100 Senators, two from each of the 50 states, though the number can increase with the addition of new states, and is nominally presided over by the Vice President, though the day-to-day operations are managed by the President Pro Tempore. The Senate is an important part of the federal government, with the responsibility to create, debate, and pass federal legislation that affects the lives of everyone who lives in the United States.  As the upper house of Congress, moreover, the Senate retains additional powers relative to the House, including the ratification of treaties and the approval of Presidential nominees to various positions within the federal government. Although most votes in the Senate are passed by majority, there is a procedural rule known as the filibuster which, if utilized, requires that two-thirds of the Senate vote in favor for a bill to pass. Like the House, the Senate is organized into issue-based committees and has a system of partisan and demographic caucuses.

Senators are elected statewide to a term of six years, with no term limits.  Nationwide, Senate elections are staggered and occur every two years, meaning that every two years roughly one-third of all Senate seats are up for election.  Originally, Senators were not elected by popular vote but instead chosen by their state's legislature, a rule that was changed in 1913 by the 17th Amendment.

The Senate's primary responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Creating, debating, and passing federal laws with the consent of the House
• May override presidential veto with a two-thirds majority vote, with the consent of the House
• The examination and approval of Presidential appointments in federal government, including Supreme Court Justices
• Ratifying treaties with other nations
• Conducts federal impeachment trials
• Can elect the Vice President in the event of an Electoral College tie

The President Pro Tempore of the Senate

The President Pro Tempore (Temporary President) is the functionary leader of the Senate. While the Vice President is constitutionally the official leader, the President Pro Tempore handles almost all of the official duties of the Senate. The President Pro Tempore is not directly elected by voters but is instead elected from the ranks of the Senate and is generally the Majority Leader of the majority party or a ranking member designated by the Majority Leader.  The President Pro Tempore is not term limited, but must first retain their Senate seat in order to be eligible.

The President Pro Tempore's primary duties and functions include:

• Setting the agenda of the Senate, including selecting the bills to be considered by the general Senate
• Preserving order and decorum of the Senate
• Deciding all questions of order and procedure during Senate sessions
• Appoints all committee and subcommittee members
• Is third in the Presidential line of succession

Supreme Court of the United States

The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States.  As the nation's high court, the Supreme Court hears only cases that concern issues of constitutional importance, determining whether laws or actions are within the purview of the Constitution and the Federal Government.  Although the Supreme Court is arguably the weakest of the three branches of American government, the power of judicial review - the ability to evaluate legislation and determine its constitutionality - is among the most significant checks that the judiciary has on the power of the President and Congress and is the reason why Supreme Court decisions can often lead to permanent changes in the country's legal system. The court is made up of a Chief Justice and eight associate justices.

Supreme Court Justices (including the Chief Justice) are appointed by the President with the consent of the Senate and have lifelong tenure.  The length that a justice serves depends largely on the justice's personal convictions, with some justices serving until death while others choose to retire. Due to the selective nature of appointments, Presidents will often rely on outside organizations to provide candidates that match the professional and ideological standards the President requires

The Supreme Court's primary duties and functions include:

• Serving as the highest arbiter of American law
• Utilizing judicial review to determine the constitutionality of local, state, and national laws
• As an extension of the above, the Court protects Americans from violations of their civil liberties
• The selection of cases to hear - with few exceptions, the court is allowed to choose the cases that they will render a decision on
• Writing opinions about court decisions and their implications for the nation