Homeschool Study Guides - The United States Government

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US Government	Teach-At-Home
The Foundation of the U.S. Government
The U.S. Constitution established the three branches of the U.S. Government:
The Executive Branch - headed by the President The Legislative Branch - the Congress (Senate and House of Representatives) The Judicial Branch - the Supreme Court (and other federal courts.)

The President
The executive branch of the federal government is headed by the president. As head of the executive branch, the president is responsible for enforcing laws passed by Congress and is the commander in chief of the U.S. armed forces. Assisting the president is the president's staff, the vice president, the major departments of the federal government and special agencies.

The Cabinet
The president's cabinet is a group of advisors made up of the vice president, heads of the major departments and other top officials. The president appoints cabinet members with approval of the Senate. The president consults the cabinet on matters of federal policy and other issues of administration. The cabinet meets at times set by the president. The president is not bound by the advice of the cabinet and the president may seek advice from sources outside the cabinet.

The Cabinet

The president's cabinet is a group of advisors made up of the vice president, heads of the major departments and other top officials. The president appoints cabinet members with approval of the Senate. The president consults the cabinet on matters of federal policy and other issues of administration. The cabinet meets at times set by the president. The president is not bound by the advice of the cabinet and the president may seek advice from sources outside the cabinet.

President

Vice President

Cabinet Departments
	Agriculture	Commerce
	Defense	Education
	Energy	State
	Treasury	Interior
	Justice	Labor
	Veterans Affairs	Transportation
	Housing & Urban Development	Health & Human Services

President's Term of Office
The president serves a four-year term beginning on January 20. The twenty-second amendment, passed in 1951, limits the president to two, four-year terms of office. If a president cannot complete the term of office or dies in office, the vice president becomes president. If the vice president cannot serve, the next person to become president is the Speaker of the House of Representatives. If the president becomes disabled, the vice president can serve as acting president until the president is able to work again. A person who serves more than two years of a presidential term may only be elected to one more term of office.

President's Term of Office

The president serves a four-year term beginning on January 20. The twenty-second amendment, passed in 1951, limits the president to two, four-year terms of office.

If a president cannot complete the term of office or dies in office, the vice president becomes president. If the vice president cannot serve, the next person to become president is the Speaker of the House of Representatives. If the president becomes disabled, the vice president can serve as acting president until the president is able to work again. A person who serves more than two years of a presidential term may only be elected to one more term of office.

Impeachment
Impeachment means to formally charge a high-ranking U.S. government official, such as the president or a federal judge, with "high crimes and misdemeanors" as a means to remove the official from office. Only the House of Representatives can vote for impeachment of an official and if it does a trial is conducted in the Senate. The chief justice of the Supreme Court presides over the trial and a two-thirds vote is needed to remove the person from office.
In 1868, President Andrew Johnson was impeached and found not guilty in a Senate trial. In 1974, a House of Representative committee recommended the impeachment of President Richard Nixon but he resigned his office before the full House vote. In 1998, the House voted to impeach President William Clinton. In 1999, after a Senate trial he was found not guilty.

Impeachment

Impeachment means to formally charge a high-ranking U.S. government official, such as the president or a federal judge, with "high crimes and misdemeanors" as a means to remove the official from office. Only the House of Representatives can vote for impeachment of an official and if it does a trial is conducted in the Senate. The chief justice of the Supreme Court presides over the trial and a two-thirds vote is needed to remove the person from office.

In 1868, President Andrew Johnson was impeached and found not guilty in a Senate trial.
In 1974, a House of Representative committee recommended the impeachment of President Richard Nixon but he resigned his office before the full House vote.
In 1998, the House voted to impeach President William Clinton. In 1999, after a Senate trial he was found not guilty.

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