There are three branches of the federal government: the legislative branch, the executive branch, and the judicial branch. Each branch has a special role: 

• The U.S. Congress is called the legislative branch. The Congress writes, debates, and adopts laws. 

• The President leads the executive branch, i.e., the federal government. The President and federal government enforce laws and represent the United States vis-à-vis other countries. 

• The courts are called the judicial branch. The courts explain laws. They decide if laws are consistent with the Constitution. They also decide if people observe or break laws. 

The three branches of the United States government are the legislative branch, the executive branch, and the judicial branch.