UUnited S States Government Government

BasicsBasics

Legislative BranchLegislative BranchBicameral LegislatureBicameral Legislature

Congress

Senate House of Representatives

CongressCongress Both houses Both houses

must approve must approve laws laws before the president can sign

Can override a Can override a presidential veto presidential veto with a 2/3 votewith a 2/3 vote

Majority rule Majority rule for for most votesmost votes

Congress (cont.)Congress (cont.) Majority Party Majority Party

controls schedule controls schedule in each housein each house

Speaker of the Speaker of the House most House most powerful member powerful member of Congressof Congress

SenateSenate 100 members 100 members

= 2 per state= 2 per state

At least 30 years At least 30 years oldold

9 years US 9 years US citizencitizen

Resident of state Resident of state elected fromelected from

Who is the head of the Senate?

ViceVice PresidentPresident…who is the current V.P.?

Joe BidenJoe Biden

SenateSenate PowersPowers Confirms Confirms

presidential presidential appointments appointments like like federal judges and federal judges and Cabinet membersCabinet members

Holds Holds impeachment impeachment trialstrials

Approve Approve all treaties treaties with with foreign foreign governmentsgovernments

Who are the current Senatorscurrent Senators fromfrom TexasTexas?

John Cornyn (R) & Sen.-elect Ted Cruz (R) John Cornyn (R) & Sen.-elect Ted Cruz (R)

House of House of RepresentativesRepresentatives 435 members435 members

Minimum of 1 Minimum of 1 per stateper state

At least 25 years At least 25 years oldold

7 years US 7 years US citizencitizen

Resident of state Resident of state and district and district elected fromelected from

Who is the current Speaker of the HouseSpeaker of the House?

Rep. John Boehner (R-OH)Rep. John Boehner (R-OH)

HouseHouse PowersPowers Starts bills Starts bills

that call for that call for spending spending moneymoney

Starts Starts impeachment impeachment proceedingsproceedings

Breaks ties in Breaks ties in Electoral CollegeElectoral CollegeWho is the Congressman from the 2Congressman from the 2ndnd District District?

Rep. Ted Poe (R)Rep. Ted Poe (R)

Executive BranchExecutive Branch

President

CabinetDepartments

ExecutiveOffice

Agencies,Boards,

Commissions

PresidentPresident Must be at least 35Must be at least 35

Natural born Natural born citizencitizen

14 years residency 14 years residency in the USin the US

Can serve only 2 Can serve only 2 terms (22terms (22ndnd Amendment)Amendment)

These apply to VP These apply to VP alsoalso

Who is the President of the U.SPresident of the U.S.?

Barack ObamaBarack Obama

President as President as Chief Chief ExecutiveExecutive

Develops Develops federal policyfederal policy

Enforces the lawEnforces the law

Appoints federal Appoints federal officialsofficials

Prepares the Prepares the national budgetnational budget

President’s RolePresident’s Role Commander-in-Chief Commander-in-Chief

of the militaryof the military

Makes foreign policyMakes foreign policy

Chief of State Chief of State Symbolic representativeSymbolic representative

of the nationof the nation

Annual State of the Annual State of the Union addressUnion address

President’sPresident’s PowersPowers Enforces federal Enforces federal

lawslaws

Grants reprieves and Grants reprieves and pardonpardon

Appoints federal Appoints federal judges, judges, ambassadors, ambassadors, Cabinet membersCabinet members

Make treatiesMake treaties

Can Can veto legislationveto legislation

Judicial BranchJudicial Branch Supreme Court-Supreme Court-

only court only court created by the created by the ConstitutionConstitution

All other federal All other federal courts created by courts created by CongressCongress

All federal judges All federal judges appointed by appointed by president and president and approved by approved by SenateSenate

Who is the Chief Justice Chief Justice

of the of the Supreme Supreme

CourtCourt?

Who is the Chief Justice Chief Justice

of the of the Supreme Supreme

CourtCourt?John RobertsJohn RobertsJohn RobertsJohn Roberts

Supreme CourtSupreme Court No stated No stated

requirements requirements for officefor office, , but but usually usually experience as a experience as a lawyer or lower lawyer or lower federal judgefederal judge

Lifetime Lifetime appointmentappointment

9 members9 members

PowersPowers Final say on Final say on

cases cases involving federal law

Final say on cases involving 2 or more states

Cases involving Cases involving foreign foreign ambassadorsambassadors

Supreme Court (cont)Supreme Court (cont) Decides issues of Decides issues of

Constitutional lawConstitutional law

Most cases come on Most cases come on appeal from a lower appeal from a lower federal courtfederal court

Cases can be appealed Cases can be appealed from a state courtfrom a state court

Decisions by Decisions by majority votemajority vote

Decisions are finalDecisions are final

Supreme Court (cont.)Supreme Court (cont.) Greatest Power is Greatest Power is

Judicial ReviewJudicial Review

Supreme Court determines what determines what is & is not is & is not constitutionalconstitutional