Documents Online

The basic organizational structure of the U. S. Government is specified in the United States Constitution as being divided into three branches of power, the Executive, Legislative and Judicial. Each branch has it's own duties and responsibilities. Use this page as a starting point to find government website and documents on the internet.

• Executive Branch is responsible for enforcing the laws. This is a gateway to the websites of the President, Vice President, the Cabinet and all Executive agencies, Independent agencies; Government Corporations and Quasi-Official agencies.
• Legislative Branch is responsible for making the laws. This is a gateway to the websites of the United States Senate and House of Representatives; search for legislative information and Congressional documents. Information about the MacPhaidin library's Congressional documents collection.
• Judicial Branch decides arguments about the meaning of a law, how it is applied and if it violates the Constitution. This is a gateway to the website of the United States Supreme Court and searchable sites for information on decisions and other legal materials.

The FDLP Electronic Collection consists of full text information located at official government sites. The Core Documents of U.S. Democracy, Department of State, National Atlas of the United States and many others can be accessed through the FDLP Electronic Collection website.

To learn more about the branches of the federal government; link to the awarding winning Ben's Guide to U.S. Government for Kids. Though this web site is designed for children from grades K to 12, it is an excellent source for basic information to learn more about our government.