United States of America est. 1776 By Mr. Schramel est. 1976 The Constitution est. 1789 United States of America est. 1776 By Mr. Schramel est. 1976

We the people of the United States… Preamble We the people of the United States… It begins with “We the people” to describe that we (as in citizens) run the government.

Article 1 The Legislature Describes how the Legislature, (Congress) should act Congress elected by citizens to represent citizens in government. Two Houses…House of Representatives and the Senate All powers are listed in section 8 (enumerated powers)

Some of the Jobs of Congress The main role of Congress is to make laws and levy taxes Congress also declares war and maintains military Congress approves the printing of currency Can impeach executive and judicial branch members

The Senate 100 Senators (2 per state) Elected to a 6 yr term Minimum age 30 years Minimum citizenship of U.S. 9 years U.S. Vice President- Leader of Senate (rarely present)

The House of Representatives 435 Members (based on population, but every state has at least 1) Elected to a 2 year term Minimum age requirement 25 years Minimum citizenship of US 7 years Speaker of the House- Leader of the House, elected by majority party from majority party.

Article 2 Executive Branch 17 total members (president, vice president, 15 cabinet members) 4 year term...maximum of 10 years Elected by the people through the electoral college Minimum 35 years old Must be a natural born citizen and a resident for 14 years Leader – President

So what can/does the President do? Signs bills to become laws or veto bills May call emergency congress sessions in time of crises Appoints federal judges (with Senate approval) Can pardon any federal crimes Can call for executive orders for emergency situations. Commander and Chief of the Military

What is the Electoral College? Each state is assigned a number of electors based on the amount of U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives in their state For example: Minnesota has 10 (2 Senators and 8 Representatives) If a presidential contender receives the majority of the vote in the specific state, he/she wins all of the states electors. In order to win the presidency, you must receive at least half of the electors (538 possible)

Why the Electoral College? The framers wanted a safety net for the presidential election. They believed that Americans (back then) were for the most part uneducated and could possibly choose a bad president without knowing. They decided that the people could vote for the president, but the electors would ultimately choose the president. Despite Electoral College, the electors have always followed what the voters have wanted.

Article 3 The Judiciary Defines the Judiciary to interpret the laws. Supreme Court is the highest court, takes on Constitutional issues only (no criminal) Underneath is a system of courts that covers everything from criminal courts to civil courts. Can declare the executive and legislature to be unconstitutional.

Judicial Branch Breakdown 9 members in the Supreme Court, countless in lower courts Lifetime term (unless impeached) Appointed by the president, confirmed by congress No age or citizenship requirements

Judicial Powers Declare laws unconstitutional Declare acts by politicians unconstitutional Judicial Power – the court will hear & judge cases concerning the Constitution, Laws of the U.S., and treaties Judge and act upon acts of treason (a U.S. citizen committing a war act against the U.S.)

Articles 4-7 Article 4 Relations among the states States must honor one another’s laws, records, and rulings. Article 5 Amending the Constitution The Constitution may be amended, but needs to have 2/3rds majority of congress to propose, and 3/4ths of congress ratify it. Article 6 Supremacy of the National Govt. The Constitution, national laws, and treaties are the supreme law of the land. Article 7 Ratification 9 of the 13 states must ratify the constitution for it to go into effect. The Constitution was officially signed in 1788

Bill of Rights (First 10 Amendments) A list of rights that “people are entitled to against the government” Basically that means: Rights that are guaranteed to every citizen to protect them from the government. They are called Amendments because they were “added” to the Constitution. Amendments 11-27 (not called Bill of Rights) were added later throughout time.