Federal government of the United States

High school (ages 12+)
People & Society

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/federal-government-of-the-united-states

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. Where is Federal government of the United States?The federal government's administrative and legislative center is Washington, D.C
2. What is the U.S. Constitution and why is it important?The Constitution is the oldest written national constitution still in use. It is the supreme law of the land and sets up the federal government.
3. How are the powers shared between the national government and the states?The system is called federalism. It divides power between the national government and each state, so both can make laws for their own areas.

Federalism: A system of government where power is divided between a national government and regional governments (states).
Separation of Powers: Dividing governmental authority into legislative, executive, and judicial branches to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.
Checks and Balances: A system where each branch of government has the power to limit the actions of the other branches.
Sovereignty: The supreme authority within a territory, often referring to a nation's or tribe's right to self-govern.