Key features of the USA

• US constitution


  Divided power between three branches in the USA
• Three branches of US government

  • Legislative
  • Executive
  • Judicial
• Legislative branch


  1. Congress is made up of two parts, the House of Representatives and the Senate

  2. Its main duty is to make laws which are then passed on to the President for approval

  3. They will also investigate important issues
• Congress


  • Passed an animal cruelty law to stop people making crush videos
  • Put Donald Trump on trial in 2020
• Executive branch


  • The President of the United States is the head of the government and runs the country but can only be in office for a maximum of 8 years
  • The President must sign all new laws for them to come into force
  • The President is responsible for national security as the Commander-in-Chief
• Executive branch


  • Donald Trump ordered strikes in Syria against the leader of Daesh (ISIS) who was killed in 2019
• Judicial branch


  • The Supreme Court is the highest court in the USA and is made up of nine judges appointed by the president
  • Its key role is to settle disputes regarding US laws and about the work of the US government
  • Any citizen can challenge the government at the Supreme Court
• Judicial branch


  • In 2015 the Supreme court found that any State ban on same sex marriage was illegal
  • In 2018 the court decided President Trumps travel ban was legal