SEPARATE INSTITUTIONS, SHARED POWERS The founders distributed federal power among three branches of government: Legislative, Executive, and Judiciary. Congress makes all laws, raises and appropriates public money, and approves treaties. The President, as head of the executive branch, enforces those laws and conducts negotiations with foreign governments. The Judiciary, with the Supreme Court as the final authority, decides if laws are constitutional. This creates a structure of competing branches, each with its own built-in devices to check and balance the powers of the other two. This distribution contributes to the enduring vitality of the United States Constitution—reconciling the demand for order and stability with the flexibility necessary for change and adaptation.