Government is the body invested with power to manage a political unit, organization or, most commonly, a State. Government comes from the Latin word gubernare, which means “steer a ship.”

There are many different types of government. The main categories that are recognized today are democracies and authoritarian regimes, with a number of hybrid systems sitting between the two.

In the United States, our federal, state and local governments provide stability to society in the form of free public education, police and fire services, roads and bridges and mail delivery. They also manage public land and wildlife, help individuals with their personal affairs and offer other essential services like health care, social security, welfare benefits, and retirement programs.

The legislative branch is made up of Congress (the Senate and House of Representatives). It drafts proposed laws, confirms presidential nominations for executive branch departments, the Cabinet, federal judges and the Supreme Court, and approves bills for raising revenue. It is also responsible for imposing restraints on the national and state governments through the U.S. Constitution, known as federalism.

The executive branch carries out and enforces laws. It consists of the President, Vice President, heads of the executive department and other high-ranking government officials. The judicial branch evaluates the legality of laws and rules on individual cases, and is composed of the Supreme Court and other federal courts. In the United States, citizens elect their Senators and Representatives through free and confidential ballots.