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Formation | 1789 |
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Founding document | United States Constitution |
Jurisdiction | United States |
Website | www |
Legislative branch | |
Legislature | Congress |
Meeting place | Capitol |
Executive branch | |
Leader | President |
Appointer | Electoral College |
Headquarters | White House |
Main organ | Cabinet |
Departments | 15 |
Judicial branch | |
Court | Supreme Court |
Seat | Supreme Court Building |
This article is part of a series on the |
Politics of the United States |
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The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government)[a] is the national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 states, five major self-governing territories, several island possessions, and the federal district/national capital of Washington, D.C., where most of the federal government is based.
The U.S. federal government is composed of three distinct branches: legislative, executive, and judicial, whose powers are vested by the U.S. Constitution in the Congress, the president, and the federal courts, respectively.[2] The powers and duties of these branches are further defined by acts of Congress, including the creation of executive departments and courts subordinate to the U.S. Supreme Court.
In the federal division of power, the federal government shares sovereignty with each of the 50 states in their respective territories. U.S. law recognizes Indigenous tribes as possessing sovereign powers, while being subject to federal jurisdiction.
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