united states government constitution & branches

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United States United States Government Government Constitution & Branches

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Page 1: United States Government Constitution & Branches

United States United States GovernmentGovernment

Constitution

& Branches

Page 2: United States Government Constitution & Branches

Forms of World GovernmentDemocracy: rule by the majority

Monarchy: rule by a single person,

usually royalty

Oligarchy: rule by a few (the elite)

Dictatorship: rule by one person

Page 3: United States Government Constitution & Branches

U.S. Constitution

• Basic structure of our government

• Founded more than 200 years ago (Oldest working Constitution in the world)

• Separated Powers between Federal and State governments

• Established a “Republic”: power held by voting citizens through their elected representatives

Page 4: United States Government Constitution & Branches

James Madison

• Became known as the “Father of the Constitution”

• Many of his ideas were included in the new government

Page 5: United States Government Constitution & Branches

Ratification

• New constitution must be ratified or approved by a 2/3 majority of the states (9 states) to replace the Articles of Confederation

• Many states didn’t feel that it addressed the basic rights of citizens, so the Bill of Rights was added.

• This ratification process took 3 years to complete

Page 6: United States Government Constitution & Branches

• First 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution

• Protects the citizens

• States the government can not take away our basic freedoms

Page 7: United States Government Constitution & Branches

Main Freedoms Outlined in the First Amendment & Their

Importance

• The 1st Amendment guarantees freedom of religion, press, speech, assembly and the right to petition.

• These rights are important because they form the most basic rights of all citizens.

Page 8: United States Government Constitution & Branches

The 2nd, 3rd, & 4th Amendments address colonial grievances.

• Second- right to bear arms

• Third- no quartering of soldiers in peacetime

• Fourth- no unreasonable searches and seizures/search warrants

Page 9: United States Government Constitution & Branches

The Rights of the Accused-5th, 6th, 7th & 8th Amendments

• 5th Amendment- due process of law, indictment, no person forced to testify at his own trial, no double jeopardy

• 6th Amendment- quick trial by jury, nature and cause accusation, confronted with the witness against him, obtaining witnesses in his favor, right to an attorney

Page 10: United States Government Constitution & Branches

The Rights of the Accused:

• 7th Amendment- jury can decide civil cases

• 8th Amendment- no excessive bail, fines, or cruel and unusual punishment

Page 11: United States Government Constitution & Branches

9th & 10 Amendment

• 9th amendment- people have other rights not named in the Bill of Rights

• 10th amendment- a great deal of power will remain with the states

Page 12: United States Government Constitution & Branches

Branches ofGovernment

Legislative: makes laws.

Made up of Congress &

Gov. Agencies

Executive: makes sure laws are

obeyed.

Judicial:Interprets the laws

Court System: Highest is the Supreme Court

Page 13: United States Government Constitution & Branches

•All branches work together but use a systems of checks and balances that keep any one branch from becoming too powerful•Power is spread out evenly & each branch has a different job to do.

Page 14: United States Government Constitution & Branches
Page 15: United States Government Constitution & Branches

Balance of Powers between Federal & State Governments

Delegated Powers(Federal

Government)

Coining MoneyRegulating Interstate &

International TradeProviding for

National DefenseDeclare War

Conducting Diplomacy

Reserved Powers (State)

Conducting ElectionsRegulating Trade within the State

Establishing Local Governments

Regulating Education

Concurrent Powers(Powers Shared)

TaxingBorrowing MoneyEnforcing Laws

Providing for PublicWelfare

Page 16: United States Government Constitution & Branches

Executive Branch Members:President: Leader of the country and

commands the military.

Vice President: President of the Senate and becomes President if the President can no longer do the job.

Departments: Department heads advise the President on issues and help carry out policies.

Page 17: United States Government Constitution & Branches

The President is the head of the executive branch and plays a large role in making America’s laws.

His job is to approve the laws that Congress creates.

When the Senate and the House approve a bill, they send it to the President.

If he agrees with the law, he signs it and the law goes into effect.

Page 18: United States Government Constitution & Branches

Veto

• If the President does not like a bill, he can refuse to sign it. When he does this, it is called a veto.

• Congress can override a veto by a two-thirds of the Members of Congress

Page 19: United States Government Constitution & Branches

• Despite all of his power, the President cannot write bills. He can propose a bill, but a member of Congress must submit it for him.

• In addition, the President has several duties. – He serves as the American Head of State, meaning

that he meets with the leaders of other countries and can make treaties with them. However, the Senate must approve any treaty before it becomes official.

Page 20: United States Government Constitution & Branches

Powers of President

• Also, the President is the official head of the U.S. military. – He can authorize the use of troops

overseas without declaring war. – To officially declare war, though, he

must get the approval of the Congress.

Page 21: United States Government Constitution & Branches

Requirements for President & Vice-President

• Must be at least 35 years old.

• Must be a natural-born U.S. citizen

• Lived in the U.S. for at least 14 years.

• When elected, the President serves a term of four years. The most one President can serve is two terms, for a total of eight years. (22nd Amendment)

Page 22: United States Government Constitution & Branches

Do you know???

Who is the only President to be elected to office FOUR times?????

Page 23: United States Government Constitution & Branches

Legislative Branch

Page 24: United States Government Constitution & Branches

Parts of Congress

• The U.S. Congress is made up of two parts, the House of Representatives and the Senate.

• Its primary duty is to write, debate, and pass bills, which are then passed on to the President for approval.

Page 25: United States Government Constitution & Branches

Parts of Congress

Other Powers of Congress • Makes laws controlling trade between

states and between the United States and other countries.

• Makes laws about taxes and borrowing money.

• Approves the making of money. • Can declare war on other countries.

Page 26: United States Government Constitution & Branches

Congress

• Each Congress lasts for six years. When two years are over, new Members of Congress are elected (1/3 elected every 2 years)

• Congress meets once every year and usually last from January 3rd to July 31st, but in special cases, it can last longer.

• The way that states are represented in Congress is different – Senate is equal– House is based on population of the state

Page 27: United States Government Constitution & Branches

House of Representatives

Representatives must:

• Be at least 25 years old.

• Be a U.S. citizen for the past 7 years.

• Live in the state they represent.

Page 28: United States Government Constitution & Branches

Special Jobs of the House

The House has special jobs that only it

can do. It can:

• Start laws that make people pay taxes.

• Decide if a government official should be put on trial before the Senate if she or he commits a crime against the country. (impeachment)

Page 29: United States Government Constitution & Branches

U.S. Senate

Senators must:

• Be at least 30 years old.

• Be a U.S. citizen for the past 9 years.

• Live in the state they represent.

Page 30: United States Government Constitution & Branches

Special Jobs of the Senate

The Senate has special jobs that only it can do.

It can: • Say yes or no to any treaties the president

makes. • Say yes or no to any people the president

recommends for jobs, such as cabinet officers, Supreme Court justices, and ambassadors.

• Can hold a trial for a government official who does something very wrong.

Page 31: United States Government Constitution & Branches

Supreme Court

• Hear only a small percentage of cases brought before them each year

• The Supreme Court is made up of nine Justices. One of these is the Chief Justice.

• They are appointed by the President and must be approved by the Senate.

• Justices have their jobs for life, unless they resign, retire, or are impeached.

Page 32: United States Government Constitution & Branches

Justice Requirements

• There are no official qualifications for Justices, but all have been trained in the law.

• Many Justices served as members of Congress, governors, or members of the President's Cabinet.

• One president, William Howard Taft, was later appointed Chief Justice.

Page 33: United States Government Constitution & Branches

Supreme Court

• The Supreme Court, part of the judicial branch, was established in the Constitution as the highest court in the nation.

• The Supreme Court’s most important responsibility is to decide cases that raise questions of constitutional interpretation.

Page 34: United States Government Constitution & Branches

Supreme Court

• The Court decides if a law or government action violates the Constitution. This is known as judicial review.

• It enables the Court to overrule both federal and state laws when they conflict with its interpretation of the Constitution.

• Since the Supreme Court stands as the ultimate authority in constitutional interpretation, its decisions can be changed only by a constitutional amendment.

Page 35: United States Government Constitution & Branches

Do you know???

Who the Supreme Court

Chief Justice is today?

Page 36: United States Government Constitution & Branches

Becoming a U.S. Citizen

Birth

• Born on American soil

• Born to American parents

Naturalization

• Process for legal immigrants who apply to become a U.S. citizen

Page 37: United States Government Constitution & Branches

Qualifications for Citizenship

1. Applicants must have entered the United States legally

2. They must be of good moral character3. They must declare their support of the

principles of the American Government4. They must prove they can read, write, and

speak English (if over 50, and lived here for more than 20 years are exempt)

5. Show basic knowledge of American History and government

Page 38: United States Government Constitution & Branches

Naturalization Process

• Be at 18 years old• Lived in the U.S. for the 5 previous years

as a lawfully admitted resident and live in the state applied in for the previous 3 months

• Investigation and preliminary hearing– Asked questions about moral character– Witnesses also asked questions about their

character & integrity

Page 39: United States Government Constitution & Branches

New Citizens

Receive

• Certificate of Naturalization (declares them to be a U.S. citizen)

• A letter from the president

• A short history of the Pledge of Allegiance

• Booklet containing important documents in U.S. history

Page 40: United States Government Constitution & Branches

Only the Federal Government Can:

• Can both grant citizenship and take it away.

State governments can deny convicted criminals some of the privileges of citizenship, such as voting but has no power to deny citizenship itself.

Page 41: United States Government Constitution & Branches

Political Parties

• Political Party: a group of people who share similar ideas about government

• Raise money to help their candidates get elected

• Political parties did not exist when the Constitution was written– Believed politicians would do what was best

for their party and not for the people

Page 42: United States Government Constitution & Branches

Democratic Party• Works to support the needs of the working-

class America

• Believes in protecting the individual rights of people

• More liberal platforms have put them behind causes such as– Civil rights– Protection of labor unions– Champions of the environment

Page 43: United States Government Constitution & Branches

Republican Party (GOP)

• GOP: Grand Ole Party

• More conservative

• Promote the growth of business & industries

• Lower taxes

• Reduce the size of federal government

Page 44: United States Government Constitution & Branches

• Existed for more than 150 years in U.S.

• Power divided into two main groups– Democratic– Republican

• Every 4 years creates an overall platform, or set of ideals, they hope to achieve

Page 45: United States Government Constitution & Branches

Third-Party Political Groups

A few examples are:

• Constitution Party

• Green Party

• Libertarian Party

Page 46: United States Government Constitution & Branches

• Interest groups: share common political interests and try to influence government policies

• Try to get legislators and government officials to support their groups

• Examples are:– Education – Business practices– War– Animal rights– Environment

Page 47: United States Government Constitution & Branches

State Government in Arkansas

• Set up like the Federal Government

• Current State Constitution established in 1874 (Our 5th)

• More than 83 amendments

Page 48: United States Government Constitution & Branches

State Executive Branch

• Headed by the Governor

• Elected every 4 years

• Term Limit: 2 terms

• Duties include– Creating state budget

– Signing bill into law or vetoing them

– Appointing people to fill state positions

Page 49: United States Government Constitution & Branches

Lieutenant Governor

• Second in charge

• Not elected as a running mate of the governor

• Duties include – Presiding over the State Senate– Filling in when the governor is out of state– Stepping in for Governor when current

governor is removed or dies while in office

Page 50: United States Government Constitution & Branches

State Judicial Branch

• Court systems and judges

• Settles arguments and decides what the laws mean

• Arkansas Supreme Court: highest court in Arkansas

• Arkansas Court of Appeals: hears court cases being appealed

• Appeal: right to have case reviewed by a higher court

Page 51: United States Government Constitution & Branches

State Legislative Branch

• Called the Arkansas General Assembly

• 60 day session each year

• Senate (Upper House): 35 Senators

• House of Representatives (Lower House): 100 Representatives

Page 52: United States Government Constitution & Branches

State Legislative Branch

Duties include:–Write and pass laws

–Approve the state’s tax structure

–Funding for the budget

–Regulate state agencies

Page 53: United States Government Constitution & Branches

Lobbyists

• Lawyers, doctors, insurance agents, or other individuals who work for large corporations or interests groups

• Meet with legislators to give & receive info about proposed bills and to persuade them to support the interests of their clients

Page 54: United States Government Constitution & Branches

Tax Money

• Pay for many of the services people use– Schools, clinics, Medicare, Medicaid etc.

• Programs and services that protect our lands, waterways, native animal species, and Arkansas citizens

Page 55: United States Government Constitution & Branches

Citizen Involvement

Citizens should be involved in their community and government to:

• Strengthen their nation

• Help their neighbors

Page 56: United States Government Constitution & Branches
Page 57: United States Government Constitution & Branches
Page 58: United States Government Constitution & Branches

Voting

• Every American citizen 18 years of older has the right to vote unless they are in jail for committing a crime

• EVERY VOTE COUNTS– if you choose not to vote then don’t complain!