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Washington, D.C., was created for one reason and one reason only—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 and gave each branch checks on the power of the other two. The legislative branch—the two houses of Congress—meets at the Capitol and makes the laws that govern the country. The executive branch—headed by the president, who lives in the White House—is charged with enforcing national laws. The judicial branch—the Supreme Court—makes sure that the laws passed by Congress and the actions taken by the president are legal according to the Constitution, the supreme law of the land.
Washington started out small, 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.
