The amount of the American public who can name the three branches of government is, and should be, terrifyingly alarming. Moreso when those within the government itself cannot name them either. Why this should alarm you is when corruption occurs the public is unequipped and unable to identify these actions. Without having that baseline understanding discourse and discussion between individuals comes to a standstill as one or both parties are establishing their claims without a basic knowledge of civics.
Civics is usually a part of the high school curriculum and often wedged into U.S. History or another similar course if taught at all. Understanding current civics is certainly not a part of knowing how it functions unless you are in university level courses likely specific to your degree path.
So let’s start with the mandatory introduction required to know how it is structured and intended to operate. The U.S. Government is divided into three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. Each branch handles and oversees specific functions so that power is not absorbed by one branch. To prevent this is the use of checks and balances to keep the government functioning properly.
No one branch should overpower another.
LEGISLATIVE – Those who makes the rules (laws) representing the public interest
When laws are passed and budgets are allocated it is done by the legislative branch and is run by Congress which consists of the House of Representatives (435 total with members of each state depending on population) and the Senate (100 with 2 from each state). Notice that when a bill is introduced it starts with either S.B. or H.B. indicating who introduced it.
In addition to creating laws Congress also “controls the purse” which is to say that they determine budgets allocated towards different actions or departments. The public all has a local State Representative whose job it is to, well, represent their district within the government. So when you are encourage to “write to your local representative” this is who is being referred to.
EXECUTIVE – Those who enforce the law
Heading the Executive branch is the President, Vice President, and members of the Cabinet. They are to make sure that the laws passed by Congress are upheld and properly executed (hence the name). Cabinet members are those who head certain departments and are selected by the President but must be approved by Congress all except for three positions.
Creating a new department cannot be done within the Executive branch itself and requires approval by Congress in order to function and be recognized. Doing so otherwise would be working against the entire checks and balances to prevent power being taken by any one department or individual.
JUDICIAL – Those who both interpret and ensure laws are constitutional
The court system makes up the Judicial branch with the highest court, the Supreme Court, being at the head and federal courts also represented. If a law or enforcement of a law is deemed to be unconstitutional it is this branch that contests it. They do not make laws but are a part of the enforcement insofar as ensuring it is essentially legal.
There are other Departments within the government that oversee certain functions but exist to handle particular issues or services. Over history these have been created and dissolved as deemed necessary and at times as a response to harm prevention and risk management. Such examples include the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), and many others. Even these agencies, while not a part a branch of government, usually have their own Inspector Generals to ensure proper management and receive reports or complaints regarding its operation.
One agency that has existed for over nearly a century has played a key role in government oversight pertaining to fraud, abuse, and efficiency. Obviously it is one many appear to be completely unaware of along with the work it has published identifying areas which have been identified as wasteful or mismanaged. This agency’s work also extends beyond just the departments within the federal government and has investigated issues that occur at a federal level.
It’s not DOGE.
From the limited information DOGE has provided it appears that there has already been a working, independent, non-partisan watchdog agency that has failed to be mentioned in any recent article covering DOGE and Elon Musk’s actions.
This is the Government Accountability Office or the GAO.
From their own site:
GAO provides Congress, the heads of executive agencies, and the public with timely, fact-based, non-partisan information that can be used to improve government and save taxpayers billions of dollars.
They receive requests from Congress and follow a strict set of protocols in how their investigations are carried out and reports are delivered. Here is a link to the PDF explaining their process. Yearly reports are made available which identify additional discovered matters along with providing solutions to address them.
Some of the most impactful work done by the GAO in relation to youth rights occurred in 2007 and 2008 when that absolute legend Greg Kutz investigated several aspects of the Troubled Teen Industry. These reports were presented in front of Congress during hearings within those same years and lead by then Senator George Miller (D-CA). Some of the first established awareness of this industry happened because of this department. Since then only one report (to my knowledge) has been produced and was in 2022.
Selected Cases of Death, Abuse, and Deceptive Marketing
Concerns Regarding Abuse and Death in Certain Programs for Troubled Youth
State and Federal Oversight Gaps May Increase Risk to Youth Well-Being
Seclusion and Restraint: Selected Cases of Death and Abuse
It was within the above reports in addition to the Congressional Hearing that assisted in formulating a very clear starting solution to addressing the multitude of problems that is the TTI. One that started with direct experience legally navigating justice to peer/expert review of available methods that NYRA has helped support directly in its development. However further elaboration would be more appropriate in its own dedicated post(s) and presentation.
Trying to reason with someone who is deeply immersed in a particular mindset often seems futile and, at worst, hostile. Understanding how they have come to their conclusions and developed their views is the best start if we are to have discussions in such a divided social climate. Often these views are established not within “echo chambers” but something better described as an “epistemic bubble”. Whereas an echo chamber has someone intentionally driving a false narrative to others an epistemic bubble is where people flock to those who share their views and are not exposed to anything that challenges them.
Something to blame for this is the nature of the algorithm unfortunately and on any social media widely used.
Having a baseline understanding of civics, government, and history allows for a sense of agency and to challenge claims critically; we must be able to interrogate those in authority. Providing actual data and studies from multiple sources and being open to someone even possibly challenging them establishes a more receptive and engaging dialogue. It reminds us and others that listening is a key part of genuine conversation. Fighting for “air time” and not being interrupted or talked over fuels the notion of who is right and who is wrong as opposed to the potential in hearing from others and even collaborating to find common ground.
This is not a post to address partisanship in any way nor is that how NYRA approaches the issues relating to youth rights. At this point with a government in dysfunction the collective rights of many are in jeopardy making it difficult to hone in on youth rights exclusively. Where youth are affected here and can more effectively address is whether the subjects mentioned at the beginning are taught or even available in their academic studies. It will differ from state to state and that would actually be useful data. If you find that these subjects aren’t properly covered ask if there is a reason or if there were changes made at some point.
Knowing and understanding the functions of government is fundamental to successfully addressing youth rights and civil rights overall. That is a part of education that is crucial and definitely something you will use all throughout your life including those who are allies.
