TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 The U S Constitution 4 CHAPTER 2 Courts 8 CHAPTER 3 Judges Juries and Lawyers 14 CHAPTER 4 The Role of Law Enforcement 22 THINK ABOUT IT 30 FOR MORE INFORMATION 31 GLOSSARY 32 INDEX 32
CHAPTER 1 The U S Constitution Our country has been guided by a document called the Constitution for more than 200 years The Constitution lays out the rules that our leaders use to run the nation One of the most important of these rules sets down how our government is organized There are three branches the legislative the executive and the judicial Each has its own responsibilities The legislative branch is occupied by the U S Congress whose primary function is to make laws The executive branch oversees the daily administration of the country and is led by the president And the judicial branch charged with interpreting and applying the laws is managed by the Supreme Court and the country’s vast court system When America’s Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution 4 21st century skills library
CONSTITUTION READ IT UNDERSTAND IT The Constitution outlines the priorities of the United States government 5
