How power flows in the United States federal government, from voters through Congress, the President and the federal courts, down to the states.
flowchart TD A["Citizens / Voters<br/>People of the United States"] %% ===================================================== %% ELECTIONS %% ===================================================== A -->|Directly elect| H["House of Representatives<br/>435 voting Representatives<br/>2-year terms"] A -->|Directly elect| S["Senate<br/>100 Senators<br/>2 per state<br/>6-year terms"] A -->|"Vote for presidential electors"| EC["Electoral College<br/>538 electors"] EC -->|"Majority elects"| P["President<br/>Head of State + Head of Government<br/>Commander in Chief"] EC -->|"Elects"| VP["Vice President"] %% ===================================================== %% LEGISLATIVE BRANCH %% ===================================================== C["Congress<br/>Legislative Branch"] C --> H C --> S H -->|"Passes legislation"| BILL["Federal legislation"] S -->|"Passes legislation"| BILL BILL -->|"Presented for signature"| P P -->|"Sign"| LAW["Federal Law"] P -->|"Veto"| VETO["Vetoed Bill"] VETO -->|"2/3 House + 2/3 Senate<br/>can override"| LAW %% ===================================================== %% EXECUTIVE BRANCH %% ===================================================== P --> CAB["Cabinet"] CAB --> D1["Department of State"] CAB --> D2["Department of Treasury"] CAB --> D3["Department of Defense"] CAB --> D4["Department of Justice"] CAB --> D5["Department of Homeland Security"] CAB --> D6["Other Executive Departments"] P --> IA["Independent / Executive Agencies"] IA --> I1["CIA"] IA --> I2["EPA"] IA --> I3["NASA"] IA --> I4["Other agencies"] P -->|"Nominates Cabinet and many senior officials"| NOM["Presidential Nominees"] NOM -->|"Advice & consent"| S S -->|"Confirm"| CAB S -->|"Reject"| REJ["Nomination fails"] %% ===================================================== %% JUDICIARY %% ===================================================== J["Federal Judiciary<br/>Judicial Branch"] SC["Supreme Court<br/>9 Justices"] CA["U.S. Courts of Appeals"] DC["U.S. District Courts"] J --> SC J --> CA J --> DC P -->|"Nominates"| JN["Federal Judicial Nominees"] JN -->|"Judiciary Committee review / hearings"| JC["Senate Judiciary Committee"] JC -->|"Reports nomination"| S S -->|"Confirm"| SC S -->|"Confirm"| CA S -->|"Confirm"| DC S -->|"Reject / no confirmation"| JR["Nominee not appointed"] %% Article III judges SC -->|"Article III tenure<br/>during good behaviour"| LIFE["No fixed term"] CA --> LIFE DC --> LIFE %% ===================================================== %% JUDICIAL REVIEW %% ===================================================== SC -.->|"May hold laws unconstitutional<br/>in cases before the Court"| LAW SC -.->|"May review executive actions"| P %% ===================================================== %% IMPEACHMENT %% ===================================================== H -->|"Sole power to impeach"| IMP["Impeachment"] IMP -->|"Trial"| S S -->|"2/3 of members present to convict"| REMOVE["Removal from office"] IMP -.-> P IMP -.-> VP IMP -.-> J %% ===================================================== %% VICE PRESIDENT %% ===================================================== VP -->|"President of the Senate"| S VP -->|"Casts tie-breaking vote"| S %% ===================================================== %% FEDERALISM %% ===================================================== ST["50 States"] A -->|"Elect state officials<br/>under state law"| ST ST --> GOV["Governors"] ST --> SL["State Legislatures"] ST --> SJ["State Courts"] ST -->|"State results determine<br/>presidential electors"| EC %% ===================================================== %% THEME-FRIENDLY STYLING %% ===================================================== classDef people fill:transparent,stroke:#2563eb,stroke-width:2px; classDef legislative fill:transparent,stroke:#7c3aed,stroke-width:2px; classDef executive fill:transparent,stroke:#059669,stroke-width:2px; classDef judicial fill:transparent,stroke:#ea580c,stroke-width:2px; classDef election fill:transparent,stroke:#0891b2,stroke-width:2px; classDef federalism fill:transparent,stroke:#ca8a04,stroke-width:2px; class A people; class C,H,S,BILL,LAW,VETO,IMP legislative; class P,VP,CAB,D1,D2,D3,D4,D5,D6,IA,I1,I2,I3,I4,NOM,REJ executive; class J,SC,CA,DC,JN,JC,JR,LIFE judicial; class EC election; class ST,GOV,SL,SJ federalism;