The federal government of the United States is the national government or Administrative Government of the United States. There are 50 states, a federal district, five major self-governing territories, and several island possessions on the USA Large Administrative Map. The Term Administration, as used in the context of Government, Differs According to jurisdiction.
There are three distinct branches in the Administrative Map of the USA: legislative, executive, and judicial. Those branches’ powers are vested by the U.S. Constitution in Congress, the president, and the federal courts, respectively.
The powers and duties of these branches are further defined by acts of Congress. It includes the creation of executive departments and courts inferior to the Supreme Court.
Three Distinct Branches
- Legislative – Makes laws (Congress)
- Executive – Carries out laws (President, Vice President, Cabinet)
- Judicial – Evaluates laws (Supreme Court and other courts)
The state is the primary Administrative division of the USA. States are typically subdivided into counties. Louisiana uses the term parish and Alaska uses the term borough for what the Census terms county-equivalents in those states.
State & Local Government
Under the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, all powers not granted to the Federal Government are reserved for the States and the people. All-State governments are modeled after the Federal Government and consist of three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. The U.S. Constitution mandates that all states uphold a “republican form” of government, although the three-branch structure is not required.