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Washington, D.C., was created for just one reason—to be the seat of the United States government. Government business goes on every day in buildings throughout the city.
The founders of the United States wanted to make sure that no one leader ever had too much power. So they created a government with three branches. They gave each one checks (or limits) on the power of the others. The legislative branch—the two houses of Congress—meets at the Capitol. It makes the laws that govern the country. The executive branch—headed by the president, who lives in the White House—enforces national laws. The judicial branch—the Supreme Court—makes sure these national laws and the president’s actions are legal. The Court compares them to the Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land.
Washington started out small. It was a small government for a small nation. But as the nation grew, so did the government. Here are just a few places in Washington, D.C., where government happens every day.
