Administrative Law
Lifetime Driver’s License Revocation: Rules in Each State
A permanent driver’s-license revocation can take away ordinary driving while leaving a way to ask for a license back. In Florida, state law lets some drivers…
Federal Government Structure
The federal government is the national government of the United States, divided into a legislative branch, an executive branch, and a judicial branch. This area covers how those branches are built, how the departments and independent agencies carry out the law, how federal rules are made, and how courts and the legal profession fit in.
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October 5last updated
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Referenced by Brookings, CNN, Forbes, Fox News, Pew Research, Snopes, The Hill and USA Today.
The Webby-recognized AI behind our articles »
Latest in Federal Government Structure
Unions and Collective Bargaining
How Workers Vote Out a Union: Decertification Explained
Decertification is how workers vote out a union that represents them. It starts with a petition to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), signed by 30…
Consumer Rights and Laws
Surveillance Pricing: How Your Data Shapes What You Pay
Two shoppers can be offered different prices for the same product because of their personal data, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). A personal offer…
Financial Aid
FAFSA’s Student Aid Index: What It Means for Your Aid
Submitting a FAFSA starts a financial-aid calculation, not a promise to pay the college bill. Once the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is processed…
Topics in Federal Government Structure
The three branches
Congress makes the laws, The Presidency leads the executive branch, and the Federal Court System interprets the law. Judicial Selection and Appointment covers how judges reach the bench, and Legal Profession covers the lawyers who work within the system.
Congress
83 articles
- Congress’s Tariff Power After the Supreme Court Ruling
- How Congress Could Reclaim Tariff Authority—And Why It Probably Won’t
- Three Congressional Procedures That Can End a Shutdown Quickly
The Presidency
144 articles
- Can a President Serve More Than Two Terms?
- How Executive Orders Work—And When Courts Can Strike Them Down
- Why FDR Issued More Executive Orders Than Any Modern President
Federal Court System
60 articles
- How the Supreme Court Decides Which Cases to Hear
- The Supreme Court’s Opinion Schedule: Who Decides What Gets Released When
- When SCOTUS Rules, Federal Agencies Have 30 Days to Respond. Here’s What Happens.
Departments and workforce
Cabinet and Executive Agencies covers the large departments that carry out federal programs, and Federal Bureaucracy and Civil Service covers the people who staff them.
Making rules
Regulatory Process and Rulemaking explains how agencies turn laws into detailed rules, and Independent Regulatory Commissions covers the bodies that oversee whole industries.
Independent agencies
Independent Executive Agencies, Independent Adjudicatory Agencies, Independent Advisory Commissions, Independent Investigative Agencies, and Independent Oversight Boards cover federal bodies that work outside the cabinet departments.
Independent Executive Agencies
196 articles
- Why Closing a Post Office Is So Hard
- Why Postal Workers Can’t Legally Strike
- Why Mail Fraud Is a Federal Crime
Independent Adjudicatory Agencies
7 articles
- The Government’s Split Courts: How Independent Commissions Decide Your Case
- So Where Does Tariff Money Go?
- What’s the Difference Between a Tariff and a Tax?
Public enterprises
Government Corporations and Enterprises covers businesses owned by the government, and Quasi-Official Agencies and Institutions covers organizations that blend public purpose with private status.
All Articles on Federal Government Structure
Section 338: Presidential Tariffs and Import Bans
How Section 338 lets presidents respond to trade discrimination with tariffs or import bans, including legal limits, required findings and Canada examples.
What Is America.gov?
America.gov is a federal AI portal for government information with plans for transactions. Its role depends on reliable answers and connected agency services.
The Hidden Meaning Packed Into a ZIP Code
ZIP codes pack real routing info: the first digit picks a region, the middle three name a hub, and the last two find your local post office.
The Problem ZIP Codes Were Built to Solve
The five-digit ZIP Code, launched in 1963, fixed a mail-sorting crisis by replacing clerks' memory with a machine-readable code, then found new uses.
How a Case Climbs From Trial Court to the Supreme Court
Explains how a case climbs from trial court through appeals to the Supreme Court, covering deadlines, cert petitions, and the emergency docket.
How to Cut Most of Your Junk Mail (and What You Can’t Stop)
Free tools like OptOutPrescreen and DMAchoice can clear out most credit offers, catalogs, and coupons cluttering your mailbox each week.
Why Only One-Third of the Senate Is Up Each Election
Explains why the Constitution splits the Senate into three classes, so only about a third of seats face voters each election while others keep serving.
Why Most Bills Never Become Law: The Hidden Chokepoints in Congress
Congress introduces thousands of bills each year, but most die from Senate rules, budget reconciliation limits, or the obscure Byrd Rule test.
How Presidential Succession Works
Learn what happens when a president dies, resigns, or can't serve, and how succession works if both leaders are gone at once.
Why Only USPS Can Put Mail in Your Mailbox
Federal law lets only USPS put mail in your mailbox, with narrow exceptions for prepaid postage and small package deliveries, plus fines for violations.