The Framers of the Constitution recognized the need for separation of powers within government because they acknowledged the biblical principle of “the depravity of man.” Governments consist of flawed human beings whose nature is described in Jeremiah 17:9, and therefore governments that do not have internal safeguards and restraints that account for the “depravity of man” will eventually become selfish, corrupt, oppressive, and then tyrannical.
John Adams pointed this out:
“To expect self-denial from men when they have a majority in their favor (and consequently power to gratify themselves) is to disbelieve all history and universal experience—it is to disbelieve [Divine] Revelation and the Word of God, which informs us “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked [Jeremiah 17:9]…There is no man so blind as not to see that to talk of founding a government upon a supposition that nations and great bodies of men, left to themselves, will practice a course of self-denial is either to babble like a new-born infant, or to deceive like an unprincipled imposter.“
Powers of the federal government are separated into three distinct branches:
By design, the legislature (i.e. Congress) is intended to be the branch of government that is closest to the people and most responsive to public needs and opinion.
However, while most people can name the President and Vice President, many Americans cannot name their representative in the U.S. House of Representatives and their two U.S. Senators.
As active participants in this wonderful experiment of self-government, it is important for every citizen to understand the most direct and meaningful way(s) to influence those elected to represent him/her at the national level.
The most direct and meaningful conduit at this level is your local congressional district’s representative in the U.S. House of Representatives and your state’s U.S. Senators.
The Legislative Branch #
The U.S. Congress constitutes the legislative branch at the federal level, and is a bi-cameral legislature consisting of two chambers:
- The Senate
- House of Representatives
The U.S. Senate. The Senate is comprised of 100 members, two from each state, each of whom are elected in a statewide election to serve for a term of six years, with no limit on the number of terms a single individual may serve. Since your Senators are elected by and represent the entire state, there are no “districts” for the U.S. Senate.
The U.S. House of Representatives. The U.S. House of Representatives is comprised of 435 representatives elected by the citizens of distinct U.S. congressional districts within their respective states. Representatives serve two-year terms, with no limit on the number of terms a single individual may serve.
The Executive Branch #
The President. The President of the United States serves as both the head of state and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. The President is responsible for implementing and enforcing the laws written by Congress and, to that end, appoints the heads of the federal agencies, including the Cabinet. The president serves for a term of four years and may not serve more than two terms. The Vice President also serves as the President of the United States Senate, where he or she casts the deciding vote in the case of a tie.
The Vice President. The primary responsibility of the Vice President of the United States is to be ready at a moment’s notice to assume the Presidency if the President is unable to perform his or her duties.
The Executive Office of the President. The Executive Office of the President (EOP) is overseen by the White House Chief of Staff. The EOP was created in 1939 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in order to provide the President with the support that he or she needs to govern effectively.
The Cabinet. The Cabinet’s role is to advise the President on any subject he or she may require relating to the duties of each member’s respective office.
The Judicial Branch #
The U.S. Supreme Court. Nine Justices make up the current Supreme Court: one Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices. All Justices are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate.
It is commonly said that supreme court justices “serve for life,” and that is usually the case. However, according to the Constitution, these justices actually “hold their Offices, during good Behavior” (Article III, Section 1). So justices can be removed from office by impeachment, but barring misconduct rising to that level they may hold their offices as long as they chose.
An interesting historical note: the only Justice to be impeached was Associate Justice Samuel Chase in 1805. The House of Representatives passed Articles of Impeachment against him, but he was later acquitted by the Senate.