3 Branches of Government

Democracy is a Greek word meaning “rule by the people.” The idea of a democratic government began in Greece in 700 B.C, about twenty-five hundred years ago. Rome was so large that not everyone could play a role in government so the Roman citizens elected representatives to speak and act for them. This form of government was called a republic. The United States has a representative form of government. The representatives make laws and rules for the country. The government should be rated at an 8 because it has some flaws but it is still decent.

There are three branches of government in the United States representative democracy. The legislative branch, makes the laws for the country and creates agencies and programs. The judicial branch makes the laws and determines if the acts of congress are constitutional or unconstitutional. The executive branch carries out the laws making it the most important branch of the United States government.

The Judicial Branch in the United States, unlike most national Judicial systems, yields great political power and must be counted as part of the American Political system. Someone or some group must go to the court first; the court does not take the initiative.

The Judicial Branch is a system of courts that manage court cases at all levels including federal, state, and local. Federal cases have a higher penalty under conviction. Judges of Federal court cases are both strict and just. If found guilty in a federal court one must face sentencing to a variety of punishments. Punishments include the death penalty and prison sentencing.

“The Judiciary is the safeguard of our liberty and of our property under the constitution”. This quote is a good description of the judicial branch and courts. The Judiciary is a safeguard of our liberty because it governs the court system, which keeps society in line.

The goal of the Judicial branch is to hold people accountable for crimes and keep justice in the land. This goal is being reached for the most part. Those who commit crimes are brought to trial. The court system is responsible for many duties of justice. Courts make the world a safer place.

The Judicial Branch is made up of 3 types of courts: The Supreme Court, U.S. court of appeals and district courts consist of nine justices, are appointed by the President with consent of the Senate. These nine justices serve without any type of time limitations. The U.S. Court of Appeals deals with appealing cases of lower courts. Lastly, district courts, which are more locally based, deal with local issues and crimes.

The Judicial Branch of government both interprets and enforces the laws. It interprets the laws by holding court cases that find the significance of what is happening. The Judicial Branch enforces the laws by holding trials to convict those that oppose them. Opposing the laws and defying the courts is done everyday even if it may be foolish. The Court system is usually fair in their rulings, thus making them honest and just.

In government the Judicial Branch is very important. Having a system of courts is absolutely necessary to hold a civilized nation. The Federal appeals court in San Francisco overturned a “3 strikes sentence” in November 2001 of a 50 years to life sentence of a California shoplifter. A law had been challenged on constitutional grounds. A panel of three judges listened to the appeal and made a 2-1 decision that the 3 strikes sentence was cruel. This is one example of the power of the Judiciary branch (Lane, 2001).

The Supreme Court of Virginia repealed the state’s 49-year-old ban on burning crosses. Cross burning is allowed because it is a way of expression and is protected by the first amendment. It was a four to three decision that stated that the 1952 statute was unfair to a symbol and viewpoint and overturned the convictions of a Klu Klux Klan leader and two other men who were charged in two incidents in 1998 (Brooke A., 2001). In my opinion, Americans should not be allowed to burn crosses because it is a symbol of disrespect for those religions that praise the cross.

On October 26, 2001, the basement mailroom of the Supreme Court tested positive for Anthrax. An institution that likes to stay out of the headlines suddenly became frontpage news. “Chief Judge Rehnquist, who has kept arguments on track when the rest of Washington has shut down for blizzards, never considered cancelling last weeks hearings.” While some branches of government closed down, the Supreme Court decided to keep working and deserves high scores for this decision.

The judicial branch is extremely powerful and is a force to be reckoned with. If one were to oppose this branch of government it would be truly foolish. Going against the supreme, state or local court system is discouraged among Americans because of its strong penalties.