With Liberty and Justice, the

Federal Government

Let’s Review

What was the nation’s first

Constitution called?

Articles ofConfederation

Name the meeting in which delegates from

12 states met to revise the Articles of

Confederation.

ConstitutionalConvention

What kind of government did James Madison

propose?

Republic - a form of government in which

power resides with the citizens who elect representatives to

make laws

What 2 plans for representation in government did the delegates

debate?

Virginia Plan&

New Jersey Plan

How did they compromise?

The Great

Compromise

What compromise did the delegates

come up with regarding how

slaves’ votes should be counted?

3/5 Compromise

What compromise did the delegates

come up with regarding how the

president should be elected?

Electoral College

The Constitution could not go into effect until this

took place...

Ratification

What are the principles of the

U.S. Government?

1. Sovereignty: supreme power of government rests with the people

• electorate (voters) choose leaders to make laws and run the country

• US is not a “democracy” but a representative democracy or republic

2. Constitutionalism: all representatives are bound by the rules of the Constitution

• lawmakers cannot just make up laws as they see fit

3. Federalism: national government and state governments share power and authority

3 Branches of Government

The Legislative Branch of

Government

The Members of Congress

•First article of the Constitution described the legislative branch

•Congress is at the head of this branch

Congress is “bicameral” or has two bodies (parts):

Senate House of

Representatives

The Senate• 100 members – two from each state• Qualifications:

1. 30 years old

2. citizen of US for nine years

3. must be resident of state represented

4. Senators elected by the people (17th Amendment)

5. six year term

6. one third of senators are up for re-election every two years

• Vice President of US is president of the Senate – presides over sessions

• President Pro Tempore, majority leader, minority leader are other senate leaders

3

1

House of Representatives• 435 members – the number of representatives is

based on a state’s population• Reapportionment happens every 10 years• Georgia has 13 representatives based on the

2000 census• Qualifications:

1. 25 years old

2. citizen of US for seven years

3. must be resident of state represented

4. two year term

• Speaker of the House and majority leader are leaders in the House

3

1

The Powers of Congress

• expressed powers: written in the Constitution

• implied powers: derive from the expressed powers, but not written specifically

• elastic clause: Article 1, Section 8 stretches the power of Congress to include implied powers

• Committees are used to organize work of CongressHow Congress Operates

select committee:

deal with specific issues and can

be formed at any time

standing committee:

monitor federal

agencies

joint committee: members from

House and Senate to deal with a national

issue

conference committee: works out

compromises between the House and

Senate

The Executive Branch of

Government

The Executive Branch of Government

• The president has enough power to do the job, but the Constitution keeps him from having too much power

• Founding fathers did not want another king

• In the beginning, the Electoral College had the job of choosing the president

The Electoral College• electors: members of the Electoral College

chosen from each state• Electors vote for the president; citizens vote for

electors, not directly for the president• 538 electors: number matches the number of

senators and representatives from each state• The candidate with the most votes in a state

gets all the electors • Electors are not legally bound to vote for the

candidate chosen by the state’s citizens• Electors meet in their state’s capitol; votes sent

to the president of the Senate• Inauguration Day is January 20 following the

election in November

Parts of the Executive Branch

President & Vice President Qualifications

– 35 years old– natural-born citizen– resident of US for 14

years– limited to two terms

(22nd Amendment)– Vice President takes over

if the President dies, resigns, or is removed from office.

Barack Obama

Joe Biden

• Speaker of the House and other leaders in line to take over if vice president cannot take over

• Executive bureaucracy:

Office of the President, Cabinet, independent agencies, regulatory commissions, government corporations

The Cabinet

• Members advise the president• Serve as heads of the executive

departments• Members appointed by the president and

approved by the Senate• Currently 15 members

Independent Agencies• Serve public interest and keep government

running smoothly• EPA: Environmental Protection Agency –

example of independent agency, supervises efforts to clean air and water

• GSA: General Services Administration – oversees spending by the government

Federal Regulatory Commissions

• Have power to make rules and punish violators

• Leaders appointed by the president• Examples:

– FCC: Federal Communications Commission– SEC: Securities & Exchange Commission– FDA: Food & Drug Administration

Government Corporations

• Established to provide products or services for the American people

• Examples:– FDIC: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation –

insures bank deposits and protects banking customers

– USPS: United States Postal Service

Click to return to Table of Contents.

The Judicial Branch of

Government

Judicial Branch of Government

• Supreme Court• Lower federal courts a part of this

branch• Decide the meaning and interpretation

of the Constitution and laws• Protects citizens from mistreatment by

other branches of government

The Supreme Court• Highest court in USA• Chief justice plus eight associate justices• Decides cases involving foreign countries or

between states• Reviews decisions

of lower courts• judicial review: ability

to set aside actions of

the legislative or judicial

branch• Chief justice presides over impeachments

Other Federal Courts• Congress established federal circuit court

districts• Georgia has three district court regions• US Court of Appeals for 11th Circuit is in

Atlanta• Bankruptcy courts are a part of this system

Special Courts

• Courts for special purposes• Examples:

– Tax Court– US Court of Appeals for Armed Forces– US Court of International Trade– US Court of Federal Claims

The System of Checks and Balances

• Constitution keeps the branches of government equally important

• Sometimes the branches of government do not get along well – conflicts can arise if one branch tries to find a way around another

Executive Branch Checks on the Legislative

Branch

• President has the power to veto laws passed by the Congress

• Proposes laws to Congress

• Submits the Federal Budget to the House of Representatives

• Appoints federal officials, who carry out and enforce laws

Executive Branch Checks on the Judicial

Branch

• Nominates judges to the Supreme Court

• Nominates judges to the federal court system

• President has the power to pardon individuals convicted of crimes

• President can grant amnesty, forgiving a class of crime

Legislative Branch Checks on the Executive

Branch

• Congress can overturn a Presidential veto with a 2/3 vote of both houses

• Senate can reject proposed treaties (2/3 vote to approve)

• Senate can reject presidential nominations of federal officials or judges

• Congress can impeach and remove the President (House serves as prosecution, Senate serves as jury)

Legislative Branch Checks on the Judicial

Branch

• Congress can create lower courts

• Senate can reject nominees to the federal courts/Supreme Court

• Congress can amend the Constitution to overturn decisions of the Supreme Court

• Congress can impeach judges and remove from the bench

Judicial Branch Checks on the Executive

Branch

•Supreme Court can use the power of judicial review to rule laws unconstitutional  

Judicial Branch Checks on the Legislative

Branch

• Supreme Court can use the power of judicial review to rule presidential actions unconstitutional

• Supreme Court can use the power of judicial review to rule treaties unconstitutional