There are 3 Branches of the U.S. Government; they are:
- Legislative
- Judicial
- Executive
1) Legislative Branch
The Legislative Branch (aka Congress) consists of 2 chambers: the U.S. Senate with 100 Senators (2 per State) and the U.S. House of Representatives (based on population) --- by law, there are 435 representatives in the House of Representatives --- based on each State's population as a % of the U.S. Population.
The Legislative Branch is responsible for creating laws.
The Constitution does not (in the House of Representatives) allow representation of the District of Columbia or the Territories. Washington D.C. and the Territories of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands are represented by one non-voting delegate. Puerto Rico elects a resident commissioner; other than having a 4-year term, the resident commissioner's role is identical to delegates from other Territories. The 4 delegates and resident commissioner may participate in debates.
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2) Judicial Branch
The Judicial Branch consists of 107 courts known as the Federal Court System. They are responsible for ruling on cases that come to them from lower courts in respect to the validity of relevant laws that the U.S. Congress has passed, as well as the U.S. Constitution and all pertinent earlier court findings.
The 3 levels of the Federal Court System are:
1. Supreme Court
2. Appeals Courts
3. District Courts
The judicial power of the United States shall be vested in one Supreme Court --- this is the only court specifically referenced in the Constitution (Article III, Section 1); and in such inferior courts as the Congress ... shall establish. The number of judges on the Supreme Court is not stated in the Constitution --- however currently there are 9 Federal Judges on the Supreme Court.
"The judicial Power of the United States shall be vested in one supreme Court and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish." Those inferior courts are:
- The 2nd Level of inferior courts is known as the Appeals Courts (there are 12 Regional Appeals Courts) aka Court of Appeals aka Circuit Courts.
- The 3rd Level of inferior courts is known as the District Courts (there are 94 District Courts) aka District Judicial Courts. This is the lowest level of the Federal Courts and are the original jurisdiction for most cases. They cover all 50 States and Territories.
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3) Executive Branch
The
Executive Branch is headed by the U.S. President and consists of various other
positions that go with the Executive Branch. The lack of specific, detailed language in the U.S. Constitution on such things as
"Executive Orders", "Commander in Chief" and the
"Pardon" powers, has given the President of the U.S. (POTUS) a great deal
of nebulous power and flexibility.
Today, the Executive Branch consists of over 3 million staff; other than the Vice President, all the rest of them are appointed or hired --- many require U.S. Senate confirmation.
President Biden's Cabinet, top 15 picks plus other key roles, for his Executive Office follow. [Biden’s Cabinet members are listed in their order in the line of succession to the Presidency after:
1) Vice President
2) Speaker of the House and
3) President Pro Tem of the Senate
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1)
Dept of State … Secretary of State -
2)
Dept of the Treasury … Secretary of the Treasury -
3)
Dept of Defense … Secretary of Defense -
4)
Dept of Justice … Attorney General -
5)
Dept of the Interior … Secretary of the Interior -
6)
Dept of Agriculture … Secretary of Agriculture -
7)
Dept of Commerce … Secretary of Commerce -
8)
Dept of Labor … Secretary of Labor -
9) Dept
of Health & Human Services (HHS) … HHS Secretary -
10)
Dept of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) … HUD Secretary -
11)
Dept of Transportation … Secretary of Transportation -
12)
Dept of Energy … Secretary of Energy -
13)
Dept of Education … Secretary of Education -
14)
Dept of Veterans Affairs … VA Secretary -
15)
Dept of Homeland Security … Secretary of Homeland Security -
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Key
White House Staff (No Confirmation needed)
o
White House Chief of Staff …
o
White House Press Secretary …
o
White House Communications Director …
o White House Senior Advisor to the President ...
o
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC)
Director …
o
National Security Adviser …
o
U.S. State Dept Spokesman ...
o
National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic
Communications ...
o Director, Office of Management & Budget (OMB) – OMB
Director
o
Director, National Economic Council - Director Brian
Deese
o
Director, Office of Public Engagement … Director Cedric
Richmond
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Other
Key Staff (Top Positions)
- · Director, Office of National Intelligence (DNI) ... DNI
Director
- · Director, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) ... CIA
Director
- · Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
... FBI Director
- · Director, Secret Service ... Secret Service Director
- · Director, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) … FEMA Director
- · Director, Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms (ATF) … ATF Director
- · Director, Food & Drug Administration (FDA) … FDA
Director
- · Director of National Counterterrorism Center ... Director
- · Deputy Director of the FBI … Paul Abbate
· ------------------------------------------------------
