Lesson 3: What Is a Government?

Terms

carrying out laws  Suppose Congress makes a law that says all the bridges in the country have to be made safe. The president is then responsible for "carrying out the law" by using tax money to pay to make the bridges safe.

Congress  The branch of the national government of the United States that makes laws. It has two parts, which are called the Senate and the House of Representatives. Each state has two senators. The more people a state has, the more representatives it has in the House. There are 100 senators and 435 representatives.

enforcing laws  Making sure people obey the laws and usually punishing them in some way if they do not.

government  A person or group of people in a country that has the power to make laws, carry out and enforce laws, and to settle disagreements about laws.

making laws  Laws are rules that are made by branches of government.

national government  The branches of government that have power over all the other branches of government at the state and local levels.

president  The leader of the executive branch of the national government.

settling arguments about laws  It is the responsibility of the courts in the judicial branch to settle arguments about the meaning of laws or how laws are used. They can also settle arguments about the way laws are carried out by the executive branch of government.

Supreme Court  The highest court in the United States. It is the third branch of the national government.