Independent · Nonpartisan · Sourced
Here’s how it works. The rest is up to you.
Plain explanations of how US government works: who governs what, how laws are made, how elections and courts work, and how power is gained and checked. Every fact links to its source.
- A source for every fact
- Facts checked November 4, 2026
- No sides taken
Key numbers
100
Art. I, § 3; Amdt. XVII
435
House.gov
9
28 U.S.C. § 1
27
National Archives
Six ways in
What do you want to understand?
Each topic starts with the question people ask, gives the short answer first, and goes as deep as you want.
Government
Who governs what?
Federal, state and local governments, the three branches, and why one address can sit inside several governments at once.
4 explainersElections
How do people win office?
Election cycles, primaries and caucuses, the Electoral College, ballot measures and how a person runs for office.
5 explainersLaws
How are the rules made?
How a bill becomes a law, how federal, state and local laws fit together, and what the Constitution and the Bill of Rights say.
4 explainersCourts
Who decides disputes?
Federal and state courts, how judges reach the bench, and who enforces and prosecutes the law.
3 explainersOffices
Which official does what?
Mayors, governors, legislators, county boards, school boards and constables: what each office does and how people get it.
4 explainersPower
How is power gained and checked?
Checks and balances, election districts, campaign money and lobbying rules, and how to tell who holds power.
5 explainersStart here
New to this? Read these first.
Guides
How does the US government work?
A plain overview of US government: the national, state and local levels, the three branches, who is elected or appointed, and when elections happen.
Guides
What is the difference between federal, state and local government?
How to tell which government handles what, from passports and driver’s licenses to zoning, schools and property taxes, and why the levels overlap.
Guides
Who elects whom in the United States?
How US officials get their jobs: by direct election, through the Electoral College, by appointment with approval, or by another elected body.
Laws
How does a bill become a law?
Follow a federal bill from introduction through committee, both chambers of Congress and the president, including vetoes, overrides and pocket vetoes.
Interactive tool
The visual guide to US government
- One address, many governments: what federal, state and local governments each do
- Who chooses whom: 52 offices, how each is filled and for how long
- Which elections fall in which years, 2026 to 2033
- A 12-question check to see what stuck
Congress can
Check the president
- Override a veto with a two-thirds vote in both chambersArt. I, § 7
- Impeach (House) and remove (Senate) the presidentArt. I, §§ 2–3; Art. II, § 4
- Approve treaties and confirm nominees (Senate)Art. II, § 2
- Decide how federal money is raised and spentArt. I, §§ 8–9
Check the courts
- Confirm federal judges (Senate)Art. II, § 2
- Impeach and remove federal judgesArt. I, §§ 2–3; Art. II, § 4
- Set the number of justices and create lower courtsArt. III, § 1; 28 U.S.C. § 1
The president can
Check Congress
- Veto bills passed by CongressArt. I, § 7
- Call Congress into special sessionArt. II, § 3
Check the courts
- Nominate federal judgesArt. II, § 2
- Grant pardons for federal crimesArt. II, § 2
The courts can
Check Congress
- Rule that a law is unconstitutionalMarbury v. Madison (1803)
Check the president
- Rule that an executive action is unconstitutionalMarbury v. Madison (1803)
Pick a branch to light up the checks it holds over the other two.
Our promise
Facts, not sides.
Explain how, never whether
We describe how government works and what the record says. We never say what should happen, who is right or how to vote.
A source for every fact
Every fact links to where it comes from, primary sources first. Anything that can change carries the date it was true.
The swap test
Swap the parties or people in any sentence, chart or picture. If it would read differently, we rewrite it.
The same frame for everyone
Comparable people and positions get the same fields, the same space and a neutral order, such as alphabetical or by date.