UNIT 3: COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT

By: Nicole, Chloe, Wesley, Katie

LEGISLATIVE BRANCH Main job is to make laws. Bicameral legislature (2 houses in

legislature), made of Senate and House of Representatives.

Sessions run for 2 years and start on January 3rd of odd numbered years. As of today (January 3rd, 2013) congress is in it’s 113th Congressional Session.

THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES (LOWER HOUSE) 435 members. Number of

representatives from each state is based on population.

Terms are 2 years with no term limit. Qualifications:1. Must be at least 25 years old2. Must be citizen for at least 7 years3. Must live in state/district they represent North Carolina has 13 representatives.

SENATE (UPPER HOUSE) 100 members. 2 from each state. 6 year term with no limit. 1/3 of the Senate is elected every 2 years

to provide stability in congressional leadership positions. Qualifications:

1. 9 years as a U.S. Citizen2. At least 30 Years old3. Live in the state/district you

represent Voters directly vote for U.S.

senators, stated in the 17th ammendment

CONGRESSIONAL POWERS Delegated/Expressed/Enumerated Implied Powers (Deemed “necessary

and proper” through elastic clause.) Others

Examples:

Power to taxDeclare war

Regulate Commerce and Currency

SPECIAL HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES POWERS

Begin Impeachment Process Elect President/Vice President if no

candidate receives majority of votes. Originate all appropriation/tax/money bills

SPECIAL SENATE POWERS Serve as jury for Impeachment Process. Ratify treaties Approve/reject presidential appointments

CHECK AND BALANCE POWERS Over Executive Branch:Override presidential veto, impeach president, reject/approve appointments, reject/approve treaties.

Over Judicial Branch:Impeach judges, reject/approve treaties

EXECUTIVE BRANCH Made up of President, Vice President,

Cabinet, and Large Bureaucracy. Main job is to enforce laws.

President, Vice President, Cabinet

VICE PRESIDENT

Qualifications: Must be at least 35 years old. Natural born U.S. Citizen Must live in U.S. for 14 years. Term: Only 2 terms allowed (22nd Amendment) or a total of 10 years as president.

PRESIDENT

Same qualifications as the President Leader of the Senate All responsibilities come from the president Term is 4 years but there are no term limits, however no one

has been Vice President more than once.

PRESIDENTIAL SUCCESSION ACT OF 19471. Vice President

2. Speaker of the House

3. President Pro Tempore

4. Secretary of State

5. Secretary of Treasury

6. Secretary of Defense

7. All the way down the executive departments in the order of creation.

ROLES OF THE PRESIDENT Chief Executive: Carry out

the laws of the nation

Chief Legislative Leader: Approves/vetoes laws, suggests legislation to congress, and prepares federal budget.

Chief Diplomat: Appoints ambassadors to other countries, makes treaties (needs approval from senate), and executive agreements

Chief Judicial Leader: Appoints federal judges, grants amnesty, pardon, and reprieves.

PRESIDENT ROLES Chief of State:

Symbolic or ceremonial position, represents U.S.

Party Leader: Most visible and influential member of political party.

Commander in Chief: Leader of the military, War Power Act allows President to move troops to foreign countries for up to 60 days.

EXECUTIVE CHECKS AND BALANCESOver Legislative Branch: Veto legislation passed by Congress.

Over Judicial Branch: Appoint federal judges

JUDICIAL BRANCH

Job is to interpret laws passed by Congress and actions of the executive branch.

Consists of Supreme Court and other federal judges.

Term is for life. Supreme Court is made of one Chief

Justice and eight Associate Judges.

LEVELS OF THE COURT

Federal District Court (94): Have original jurisdiction (over specific geographical area) and is the only court that has trial by jury.

Federal Court of Appeals (12): Have appellate jurisdiction (authority to hear the case on an appeal from a lower court) only over several states and have a panel of 3 judges to make sure rights weren’t violated by lower court.

Supreme Court (1): Jurisdiction is the entire U.S. and its territories.

JUDICIAL CHECK AND BALANCEOver Legislative Branch:Can declare laws passed by congress unconstitutional.

Over Executive Branch: Declare acts of president unconstitutional.

Judicial Review (the ability to determine if an action of the president or law passed by Congress is constitutional) was established by the case Marbury vs Madison

VIDEOSHow a Bill Becomes a Lawhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxT7QjlvDqM

3 Branches of Governmenthttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5M50xBz1cU