Branches of Government Flashcards

Grade 5 · Social Studies · Flashcards

Essential vocabulary for understanding how the U.S. government is organized and how it works.

Flashcards

Legislative Branch: Congress — divided into the Senate (100 members) and the House of Representatives (435 members); the branch that makes laws.
Executive Branch: The President, Vice President, and Cabinet; enforces and carries out the laws passed by Congress.
Judicial Branch: The Supreme Court and lower federal courts; interprets laws and decides if they follow the Constitution.
Checks and balances: A system that gives each branch of government specific powers to limit the other branches, preventing any one from becoming too powerful.
Veto: The President's power to reject a bill; Congress can override with a two-thirds vote in both chambers.
Judicial review: The Supreme Court's power to declare a law unconstitutional, effectively striking it down.
Bill: A proposed law introduced in Congress; must pass both the Senate and House, then be signed by the President to become law.
Senate: One of the two chambers of Congress; has 100 members (two per state) who serve six-year terms.
House of Representatives: One of the two chambers of Congress; has 435 members divided among states by population; members serve two-year terms.
Separation of powers: The Constitutional principle of dividing government into three distinct branches, each with its own responsibilities.