the united states of america an overview of our government
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The United States of America
An overview of our government
We Have Three Branches of Government…
• Legislative Branch- Makes Laws• Executive Branch- Enforces Laws• Judicial Branch- Interprets Laws
• Now for a more detailed look at each branch…
The Legislative Branch is the Congress, which consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
House of Representatives:*Lower House*435 members (population
based)*2 year terms *All members up for re-
election in even numbered years
*No term limits
Senate:*Upper House*100 members (2 per state)
*6 year terms*One-third of members up
for re-election every two years
*No term limits
Requirements to serve in Congress…
House of Representatives:
*At least 25 years old*A resident of the state one
is elected to represent.*A U.S. citizen for at least 7
years
Senate:
*At least 30 years old*A resident of the state one
is elected to represent*A U.S. citizen for at least 9
years
The United States Capitol Building
Powers delegated to Congress:
1. Taxes (The power to tax and spend tax money.)2. Borrowing (Borrow money for the U.S.)3. Commerce (Regulate foreign and domestic trade.)4. Naturalization, Bankruptcy (Citizenship, Bankruptcies)5. Coins, Weights, and Measures (Coin money and establish
its value.)6. Counterfeiting (Establish punishment for counterfeiting.)7. Post Offices (Control mail system)8. Copyrights, Patents (Protection for authors and inventors.)9. Federal Courts (Set up inferior courts to the Supreme
Court.)
Powers delegated to Congress cont.
10. Piracy (Power to punish piracy)11. Declarations of War (At the request of the President.)12. Army (Raise and support. Appropriate money)13. Navy (Provide and maintain)14. Rules of Military 15. Militia (National Guard- citizen soldiers)16. Rules for the Militia17. National Capital (Congress controls Washington D.C. In
1973 power was given to citizens to elect local government officials.)
18. Necessary Laws (Power to make laws concerning items 1-17. Referred to as the “elastic clause.”)
Some notable powers denied to the Federal Government…
• Writ of Habeas Corpus cannot be denied (Except in cases of rebellion, invasion, or when public safety requires it.)
• Bills of Attainder and Ex Post Facto Laws (Cannot be passed.)
• Special Preference for Trade (No preference can be given to one state over another in commerce.)
• Spending (The government cannot spend money unless it is appropriated by Congress.)
• Creation of Titles of Nobility
Washington State Congressional Districts
Suzan DelBene (D) 1st District2012- Present
Rick Larson (D)2nd District2001- Present
Jaime Herrera Beutler (R)3rd District2011- Present
Doc Hastings (R)4th District1995- Present
Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R)5th District2003- Present
Derek Kilmer (D)6th District2013- Present
Jim McDermott (D)7th District1989- Present
Dave Reichert (R)8th District2005- Present
Adam Smith (D)9th District1997- Present
Members of the U.S. House of Representatives from Washington State
Denny Heck (D)10th District2013-Present
House of Representatives
Patty Murray (D)1993- Present
Maria Cantwell (D)2001- Present
Members of the United States Senate from Washington State
U.S. Senate Chamber
The Executive Branch consists of the President, the Vice President, and the Cabinet
*4 year term*Limit two terms*Presidential candidate selects his/her Vice
Presidential candidate prior to the election*Elected officially by the Electoral College
The President, Vice President and the Cabinet- 2009
Requirements to be eligible to run for President
*At least 35 years old*A natural born citizen of the United States.*A resident of the United States for at least 14
years.
Powers of the President
*Commander in chief of the Armed Forces*Grant reprieves or pardons, except in the cases of
impeachment.*Make treaties with other nations, with 2/3 approval of the
Senate*Nominate ambassadors and other high officials. The Senate
must confirm.*Nominate Supreme Court Justices. The Senate must
confirm.
Duties of the President
*State of the Union Address annually (report on the condition of our nation to Congress)
*Must carry out the laws (many government agencies oversee the execution of the laws)
President Barack Obama (D)2009-Present
Vice President Joe Biden (D)2009-Present
The President and Vice President of the United States
Department of AgricultureSecretary Tom Vilsack
Department of CommerceSecretary Penny Pritzker
Department of DefenseSecretary Ashton Carter
Department of EducationSecretary Arne Duncan
Department of EnergySecretary Ernest Moniz
Department of Health & Human ServicesSecretary Sylvia Burwell
Department ofHomeland SecuritySecretary Jeh Johnson
Department of Housing& Urban DevelopmentSecretary Julian Castro
President Barack Obama’s Cabinet
Department of the InteriorSecretary Sally Jewell
Department of JusticeAttorney GeneralLoretta Lynch
Department of Labor Secretary Thomas Perez
Department of StateSecretary John Kerry
Department of TransportationSecretary Anthony Foxx
Department of the TreasurySecretary Jack Lew
Department of Veterans AffairsSecretary Robert McDonald
President Barack Obama’s Cabinet cont.
The Judicial Branch consists of the Supreme Court and the Federal Court system
• *Nothing is stated in the Constitution about whomay or may not serveon the Supreme Court.
*Once nominated by thePresident and confirmedby the Senate, Justices serve for life.
The Supreme Court Building
The Federal Court System
*Judicial Power gives courts the right to decide legal cases.
*The Constitution creates the Supreme Court but Congress has the power to establish inferior courts.
*Today there are 94 district courts and 13 courts of appeal.
*All federal judges serve for life.
Jurisdiction of Federal Courts
*The Constitution*Federal Laws*Treaties*Foreign Ambassadors and Diplomats*Naval and Maritime laws*Disagreements between states or between citizens
from different states*Disputes between a state or citizen and a foreign
state or citizen
Supreme Court Jurisdiction
*Marbury v. Madison (1803) gives the Supreme Court the right to judge whether or not a law is constitutional.
*Serves mainly as an Appellate Court by reviewing lower court decisions.
*Only has original jurisdiction in a few instances (cases involving ambassadors, public ministers and consuls, and cases in which a state is one of the parties involved)
Stephen Breyer1994(Clinton)
Antonin Scalia1986(Reagan)
Anthony Kennedy1988(Reagan)
John Roberts2005(G.W. Bush)
*Chief Justice
The United States Supreme Court Justices
Clarence Thomas1991(G.H.W. Bush)
Ruth BaderGinsburg1993(Clinton)
Samuel Alito2006(G.W. Bush)
Sonia Sotomayor2009(Obama)
Elena Kagan2010(Obama)
The End
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