American Government Branches - Essay Example

American government branches The American government system, based on the doctrine of separation of power, is organized into three branches, the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary. Each branch plays its distinct roles and is, formally and informally, representative of the American people. This paper seeks to explore the representative roles of the branches of government.The three arms of the government represent the American people in a variety of ways. National voting subject to the Electoral College elects the executive, through the president.

The executive therefore represents a national authority besides constitutional mandate to represent the people in international affairs. The legislature, also directly elected by people from all parts of the nation, is representative of the American people and their diversity and represents electorate’s interest in ‘policymaking’. The judiciary is however composed of a team of legal experts with the mandate of interpreting the constitution to ensure justice, protection of fundamental rights, and to offer checks on the executive and the legislature (Schmidt, Shelley and Bardes, 2012).

The three arms of government are therefore representative of citizens through offering checks and balances to safeguard people’s interest. Their roles in representing the people are however different. While the legislature makes and amends laws, the judiciary interprets and the executive implements the laws. The branches also differ in their formation and composition with respect to people’s authority and representation (Schmidt, Shelley and Bardes, 2012). The legislature is therefore the most representative branch of government.

This is because its composition is geographically representative of the nation, and it purely derives its authority from the people, unlike the executive and the judiciary. ReferenceSchmidt, S., Shelley, M. and Bardes, B. (2012). American Government and Politics Today. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning