The three branches of federal government — executive, legislative, and judicial — are all headquartered in this showcase city. Being able to tour the facilities and actually see your government in action will bring you closer to those grade school social studies and civics lessons and give you real perspective on the nightly news. In addition to the three major branches, you can visit many other government agencies and service organizations to see how the principles worked out by our founding fathers have evolved over the last 200 years.