Search for your representatives
Find any U.S. Senator or House member — contact info, committees, bills, and complete voting history. All data sourced directly from Congress.gov and official government APIs.
🏛️ How the U.S. Government Works
A quick reference to the structure, powers, and processes of the federal government.
Congress
Congress is the lawmaking body of the federal government. It is divided into two chambers: the Senate (100 members, 2 per state, serving 6-year terms) and the House of Representatives (435 members, apportioned by population, serving 2-year terms).
Key powers: Make federal law, declare war, control the federal budget, confirm presidential appointments (Senate), impeach officials (House), and conduct oversight of the executive branch.
Current: The 119th Congress (2025–2027).
The President
The President serves as head of state, commander-in-chief of the military, and chief executive of the federal government. Presidents serve 4-year terms and are limited to two terms by the 22nd Amendment.
Key powers: Sign or veto legislation, issue executive orders, negotiate treaties (with Senate approval), appoint federal judges and cabinet officials, and grant pardons.
The Vice President serves as President of the Senate and is first in the line of presidential succession.
The Supreme Court
The Supreme Court is the highest court in the country. It has 9 justices who serve lifetime appointments after being nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate.
Key powers: Interpret the Constitution, strike down laws that violate it (judicial review), and serve as the final court of appeals. Below the Supreme Court are 13 circuit courts and 94 district courts.
Landmark principle: Judicial review was established in Marbury v. Madison (1803).
Historically, fewer than 5% of introduced bills become law. Most die in committee. The President can veto a bill, but Congress can override the veto with a two-thirds vote in both chambers.
Presidential Elections
Held every 4 years on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Citizens vote for electors who then cast Electoral College votes. A candidate needs 270 of 538 electoral votes to win. If no candidate reaches 270, the House chooses the president.
Congressional Elections
All 435 House seats are up every 2 years. Roughly one-third of the 100 Senate seats are contested each cycle. Midterm elections (between presidential elections) often shift the balance of power in Congress.
Each branch of government has powers that limit the other two, preventing any single branch from becoming too powerful.
📡 How USACivic Sources Its Data
USACivic connects only to verified, government-regulated primary sources. Here's our full source hierarchy and why each matters.
.Gov domains are legally mandated for accuracy and maintained by federal agencies. These are always our first and preferred source.
Regulated, nonpartisan data providers cross-referenced against .gov sources.
• "Shall" — highlights every legal mandate in the bill
• "$" — highlights every spending appropriation
• Black's Law terms — the binding legalese that defines the bill's true scope
Summaries often substitute plain-language synonyms for the binding legal terminology. The actual text always controls.