The United States has a constitutional federal republic form of government. It is based on a framework where power is divided between a national federal government and individual states. The federal government consists of three separate branches: the executive branch led by the president, the legislative branch made up of Congress (Senate and House of Representatives), and the judicial branch headed by the Supreme Court. Each branch shares and checks the powers of the others to prevent any single branch from becoming too powerful. The states also have their own governments with a similar three-branch system. The people elect officials at various levels, with the president elected indirectly through the Electoral College.