The White House
The White House: The Executive Branch
Learn about the executive branch of the federal government, how it is organized, and the powers and responsibilities of the President, Vice President, the Executive Office of the President, and the departments within the Cabinet.
University of Missouri
Exploring Constitutional Conflicts: Separation of Powers
When do the actions of one branch of the federal government unconstitutionally intrude upon the powers of another branch? This article surveys the history of this question in historic Supreme Court cases.
US National Archives
National Archives: Lesson Plans Congress, the President, and the War Powers
Examine the power of Congress to make war by studying primary source documents from various wars throughout U.S. history. Students will analyze how the balance of authority between the legislative branch and executive branch has changed...
C-SPAN
C Span Classroom: Teaching About Gridlock
Learning module and lesson plan with C-SPAN video resources and related articles for students to examine and deliberate on whether or not the President should exercise executive powers during times of Congressional gridlock.
Yale University
Avalon Project: Constitution of the United States: Article Ii
Read the text of Article II of the Constitution, the four sections of which lay out the powers and duties of the executive branch of the federal government.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: The Powers of Government
Students learn how the three branches of the United States government work together and the powers that the Constitution assigns to each branch-legislative, executive, and judicial.
US National Archives
Docs Teach: Separation of Powers or Shared Powers
In this activity, learners will analyze documents that illustrate the relationship between the legislative, executive and judicial branches. Using the scale in Weighing the Evidence, students will decide whether the United States...
A&E Television
History.com: How John Marshall Expanded the Power of the Supreme Court
When John Marshall was appointed chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court in 1801, the nation's highest court occupied a lowly position. There was no Supreme Court Building in the newly completed capital, Washington, D.C., so the six...
Siteseen
Siteseen: Government and Constitution: Article 2 of the Us Constitution
Article 2 of the US Constitution deals with the establishment of the Executive Branch, the election of the President and Vice-President, the powers and responsibilities of the President, and the process of impeachment.
US National Archives
Nara: Teaching With Documents: Sioux Treaty of 1868
The National Archives and Records Administration highlights the Sioux Treaty of 1868. The lesson provided here relates to the power granted to the president and the Senate in Article II, Section 2, Clause 2, of the U.S. Constitution, the...
US National Archives
Nara: Teaching With Documents: The Lewis and Clark Expedition
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) presents the Lewis and Clark Expedition as a Constitutional issue. The lesson provided relates to the power granted to the President and the Senate to make treaties with foreign...
University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill: American Diplomacy
An on-line magazine that provides "Commentary, Analysis, and Research on American Foreign Policy and Its Practice." Also contains articles from actual ambassadors and diplomats in the Foreign Service.
A&E Television
History.com: How the u.s. Constitution Has Changed and Expanded Since 1787
Through amendments and legal rulings, the Constitution has transformed in some critical ways. The U.S. Constitution, written in 1787 and ratified by nine of the original 13 states a year later, is the world's longest-surviving written...
Siteseen
Siteseen: Government and Constitution: Virginia Plan
Learn about the Virginia Plan that was based on a national and state government system with a separation of powers consisting of legislative, executive, and judicial branches. It also contained a resolution for proportional...