LibGuides: American National Government: Core Documents & Branches of Govt

Core Documents of Democracy

Charters of Freedom
The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights are together known as the Charters of Freedom
Declaration of Independence
The official document declaring the 13 original colonies' separation from Britain and desire to form their own country.
Articles of Confederation
The United States' first attempt at a constitution.
United States Constitution
Drafting a new form of government that is still the basis of U.S. Law today.
Bill of Rights
The first 10 articles of the Constitution. Created to preserve rights of citizens under a national government.

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GoogleGov -- Search official government reports and websites

This tool maintained by Laura Baker.

The Executive Branch
Overview of President, Vice-President, Cabinet, and Department. List components and powers.
Executive Agencies
Links to official web pages of each office in the Executive Branch.
Presidential Pardons (Office of the Pardon Attorney, Dept. Justice)
Presidents can pardon, but the Office of Pardon Attorney reviews pardon recommendations. Contains rules and statistics for presidential pardons.

The Legislative Branch
Overview of the functions and composition of the law making branch. Includes legislative process, powers of Congress, and oversight authority.
U.S. Senate
Activity of the Senate including individual senators, legislation, and committees. Get updates on current legislative activity.
U.S. House of Representatives
Representatives, committees, pending legislation, and a live video feed of what's going on in the House now.
How Our Laws are Made
Detailed overview of the legislative process from start to finish.
Enactment of a Law
Short yet thorough guide to the steps of bill passage.
Thomas: Legislative Information
Check the status of current and past legislation: bill text, votes, where it is in the legislative process, etc.

The Judicial Branch
Judicial structure, role of the courts, and judicial review.
U.S. Supreme Court
Highest court in the United States. Has authority over all over courts at the federal and state level. Includes official court opinions.
Federal District Courts
Chart showing hierarchy of courts and links to individual courts.
Federal Judicial Center
Research on court operations, history, and procedures.
Inside the Federal Courts
" ... how the courts work, how they are organized, and how they fit into the U.S. system of government ..."