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The U. S. Government

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Government</h1> <p class="hero-complex-desc">Learn about the form and functions of the US government with detailed articles, extensive study guides, homework helpers, and clear, unbiased analysis of politics and policy.</p> </div> <div class="loc hero-complex-img"><img src="https://www.thoughtco.com/thmb/TKjrpXKnVXBF6Vj2fVjfIU39vz4=/360x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/tax2_image_issues-58a22d1468a0972917bfb54a.png" width="360" height="0" class=" universal-image__image" /> </div></div><div class="l-left-sidebar "> <div class="loc sidebar l-sidebar"> <div id="breadcrumbs-list_2-0" class="comp breadcrumbs-list is-full is-expandable hide-toplevel-small" data-tracking-container="true"> <span class="breadcrumbs-list-title"> <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/issues-4133022" rel="nocaes" >Issues</a> </span> <ul class="breadcrumbs-list-list"> <li class="breadcrumbs-list-item is-active"> <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/us-government-4133021" rel="nocaes" data-ordinal="1" class="breadcrumbs-list-link is-active" > <svg class="icon icon-caret-right breadcrumbs-list-icon-active" > <use xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="#icon-caret-right" href="#icon-caret-right"></use> </svg> The U. 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Government <svg class="icon icon-caret-right breadcrumbs-list-icon" > <use xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="#icon-caret-right" href="#icon-caret-right"></use> </svg> </a> <ul class="breadcrumbs-list-submenu"> <li class="breadcrumbs-list-item breadcrumbs-list-submenu-item "> <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/us-government-history-and-basics-4133020" rel="nocaes" data-subordinal="1" data-ordinal="1" class="breadcrumbs-list-link" > History & Major Milestones <svg class="icon icon-caret-right breadcrumbs-list-icon" > <use xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="#icon-caret-right" href="#icon-caret-right"></use> </svg> </a> </li> <li class="breadcrumbs-list-item breadcrumbs-list-submenu-item "> <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/us-constitution-and-bill-of-rights-4133019" rel="nocaes" data-subordinal="2" data-ordinal="1" class="breadcrumbs-list-link" > U.S. Constitution & Bill of Rights <svg class="icon icon-caret-right breadcrumbs-list-icon" > <use xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="#icon-caret-right" href="#icon-caret-right"></use> </svg> </a> </li> <li class="breadcrumbs-list-item breadcrumbs-list-submenu-item "> <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/us-legal-system-4133018" rel="nocaes" data-subordinal="3" data-ordinal="1" class="breadcrumbs-list-link" > U.S. Legal System <svg class="icon icon-caret-right breadcrumbs-list-icon" > <use xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="#icon-caret-right" href="#icon-caret-right"></use> </svg> </a> </li> <li class="breadcrumbs-list-item breadcrumbs-list-submenu-item "> <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/us-political-system-4133017" rel="nocaes" data-subordinal="4" data-ordinal="1" class="breadcrumbs-list-link" > U.S. Political System <svg class="icon icon-caret-right breadcrumbs-list-icon" > <use xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="#icon-caret-right" href="#icon-caret-right"></use> </svg> </a> </li> <li class="breadcrumbs-list-item breadcrumbs-list-submenu-item is-collapsed"> <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/us-government-defense-and-security-4133015" rel="nocaes" data-subordinal="5" data-ordinal="1" class="breadcrumbs-list-link" > Defense & Security <svg class="icon icon-caret-right breadcrumbs-list-icon" > <use xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="#icon-caret-right" href="#icon-caret-right"></use> </svg> </a> </li> <li class="breadcrumbs-list-item breadcrumbs-list-submenu-item is-collapsed"> <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/us-government-campaigns-and-elections-4133012" rel="nocaes" data-subordinal="7" data-ordinal="1" class="breadcrumbs-list-link" > Campaigns & Elections <svg class="icon icon-caret-right breadcrumbs-list-icon" > <use xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="#icon-caret-right" href="#icon-caret-right"></use> </svg> </a> </li> <li class="breadcrumbs-list-item breadcrumbs-list-submenu-item is-collapsed"> <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/us-government-business-and-finance-4133011" rel="nocaes" data-subordinal="8" data-ordinal="1" class="breadcrumbs-list-link" > Business & Finance <svg class="icon icon-caret-right breadcrumbs-list-icon" > <use xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="#icon-caret-right" href="#icon-caret-right"></use> </svg> </a> </li> </ul> </li> <li class="breadcrumbs-list-item empty-submenu"> <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/us-foreign-policy-4133010" rel="nocaes" data-ordinal="2" class="breadcrumbs-list-link" > U.S. Foreign Policy <svg class="icon icon-caret-right breadcrumbs-list-icon" > <use xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="#icon-caret-right" href="#icon-caret-right"></use> </svg> </a> </li> <li class="breadcrumbs-list-item empty-submenu"> <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/us-liberal-politics-4133009" rel="nocaes" data-ordinal="3" class="breadcrumbs-list-link" > U.S. Liberal Politics <svg class="icon icon-caret-right breadcrumbs-list-icon" > <use xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="#icon-caret-right" href="#icon-caret-right"></use> </svg> </a> </li> <li class="breadcrumbs-list-item empty-submenu"> <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/us-conservative-politics-4133006" rel="nocaes" data-ordinal="4" class="breadcrumbs-list-link" > U.S. Conservative Politics <svg class="icon icon-caret-right breadcrumbs-list-icon" > <use xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="#icon-caret-right" href="#icon-caret-right"></use> </svg> </a> </li> <li class="breadcrumbs-list-item empty-submenu is-collapsed"> <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/womens-issues-4133002" rel="nocaes" data-ordinal="5" class="breadcrumbs-list-link" > Women's Issues <svg class="icon icon-caret-right breadcrumbs-list-icon" > <use xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="#icon-caret-right" href="#icon-caret-right"></use> </svg> </a> </li> <li class="breadcrumbs-list-item empty-submenu is-collapsed"> <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/civil-liberties-4132996" rel="nocaes" data-ordinal="6" class="breadcrumbs-list-link" > Civil Liberties <svg class="icon icon-caret-right breadcrumbs-list-icon" > <use xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="#icon-caret-right" href="#icon-caret-right"></use> </svg> </a> </li> <li class="breadcrumbs-list-item empty-submenu is-collapsed"> <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/middle-east-4132989" rel="nocaes" data-ordinal="7" class="breadcrumbs-list-link" > The Middle East <svg class="icon icon-caret-right breadcrumbs-list-icon" > <use xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="#icon-caret-right" href="#icon-caret-right"></use> </svg> </a> </li> <li class="breadcrumbs-list-item empty-submenu is-collapsed"> <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/race-relations-4132982" rel="nocaes" data-ordinal="8" class="breadcrumbs-list-link" > Race Relations <svg class="icon icon-caret-right breadcrumbs-list-icon" > <use xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="#icon-caret-right" href="#icon-caret-right"></use> </svg> </a> </li> <li class="breadcrumbs-list-item empty-submenu is-collapsed"> <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/immigration-4132977" rel="nocaes" data-ordinal="9" class="breadcrumbs-list-link" > Immigration <svg class="icon icon-caret-right breadcrumbs-list-icon" > <use xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="#icon-caret-right" href="#icon-caret-right"></use> </svg> </a> </li> <li class="breadcrumbs-list-item empty-submenu is-collapsed"> <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/crime-and-punishment-4132972" rel="nocaes" data-ordinal="10" class="breadcrumbs-list-link" > Crime & Punishment <svg class="icon icon-caret-right breadcrumbs-list-icon" > <use xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="#icon-caret-right" href="#icon-caret-right"></use> </svg> </a> </li> <li class="breadcrumbs-list-item empty-submenu is-collapsed"> <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/canadian-government-4132959" rel="nocaes" data-ordinal="12" class="breadcrumbs-list-link" > Canadian Government <svg class="icon icon-caret-right breadcrumbs-list-icon" > <use xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="#icon-caret-right" href="#icon-caret-right"></use> </svg> </a> </li> <li class="breadcrumbs-list-item empty-submenu is-collapsed"> <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/types-of-government-5179107" rel="nocaes" data-ordinal="13" class="breadcrumbs-list-link" > Understanding Types of Government <svg class="icon icon-caret-right breadcrumbs-list-icon" > <use xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="#icon-caret-right" href="#icon-caret-right"></use> </svg> </a> </li> </ul> <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/issues-4133022" rel="nocaes" class="text-btn" > <span class="text-btn__text-label">View More</span> <svg class="icon icon-caret-down text-btn-icon" > <use xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" 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