Last Topic - Constitutions of United States and its silent Features Silent Features 1.Preamble 2. Introduction and Evolution 3. Sources 4. Significance of U.S.A Constitution

Federal system of USA Introduction to the United States Federal System Legislation Enacted Legislation Sources for Legislative objective The Judiciary Executive Branch and Administrative Law

Introduction to the United States Federal System A. The Structure of the Federal Government B. The Constitution

Introduction to..…. The Structure of the Federal Government The legal system in the United States is an often uneasy balance of national government and the governments of the fifty states

Introduction to..…. The Structure of the Federal Government The powers of the federal government are specifically defined in the Constitution. Those powers not expressly prescribed therein are left to the jurisdiction of the fifty sovereign states

Introduction to..…. The Structure of the Federal Government The Constitution are the "supreme law of the land," and that federal laws have legal superiority over a state constitution or law

Introduction to …… The Constitution The Constitution is the founding document for the United States federal government. It is the basic and "supreme law of the land."

Introduction to …… The Constitution No laws may contradict any of the Constitution's principles. The federal courts have jurisdiction to interpret the Constitution and evaluate the constitutionality of federal and state laws

Introduction to …… The Constitution The Constitution creates a federal government be comprised of three separate and equal branches: legislative, executive and judicial

Introduction to …… The Constitution The legislative branch, Congress, has the authority to make laws. The executive branch, the President and cabinet, has administrative and regulatory power. The judiciary interprets the laws

Introduction to …… The Constitution The government is designed to provide a system of "checks and balances," in which each branch has oversight powers over the others

Legislation A. Background B. Proposed Legislation

Legislation ….. Background Article 1, Section 1 of the Constitution creates a bicameral legislature known as Congress, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The chief function of Congress is to enact laws

Legislation ….. Background The House and the Senate have equal legislative functions and powers. There is no "upper" or "lower" house in Congress. Legislation must be passed by the majority of each chamber of Congress before it is sent to the President to be signed into law

Legislation ….. Background The Senate has 100 members (two from each state), elected to six year terms. The House of Representatives has 435 members, who serve two year terms

Legislation ….. Proposed Legislation Proposed legislation may be initiated in either chamber of Congress in one of four formats: bills, joint resolution, concurrent resolution or simple resolution. The bill format is most common

Legislation ….. Proposed Legislation There are two kinds of bills: public and private. Public bills affect the public generally, private bills are used to address the matters of individuals. When a bill is introduced, it is numbered by the clerk of the house introducing the legislation. This is the first reading of the bill. It is next referred to one of the standing committees

Enacted Legislation 1. Presidential Action 2. Publication of Enacted Laws 3. Codified Law

Enacted ……. Presidential Action Each bill is passed by Congress is enrolled for Presidential action. A bill becomes law by Presidential signature. The Constitution requires the President to approve the bill by signature or to veto it by returning the bill to the house from which it originated with his objections for reconsideration

Enacted ……. Presidential Action A veto overridden with a two-thirds vote in each chamber, and the bill becomes law. Finally, a bill may become law by "pocket veto," whereby the President does not return the bill to Congress with objections within10 days

Enacted ……. Publication of Enacted Laws When a law is signed by the President, it is assigned a public law number. The first printing of the public law is known as a "slip law." The Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration prepares and publishes the enacted legislation

Enacted ……. Publication of Enacted Laws The printed law has a heading that includes the public law number, date of approval, bill number and title. Statutes at Large enumerations appear in the top right corner of the page

Enacted ……. Codified Law The Law Revision Counsel of the House of Representatives prepares the official subject compilation of all general and permanent laws, known as the United States Code

Enacted ……. Codified Law There are fifty subject "titles" found in the United States Code. New editions are published every six years, with cumulative supplements printed at the end of each regular session of Congress

Sources for Legislative Intent 1. Committee Reports 2. Congressional Hearings 3. Congressional Record

Sources for …… Committee Reports The work of preparing and drafting legislation is done largely by the standing committees of both the House and Senate. Each bill is referred to the appropriate committee

Sources for …… Committee Reports If a committee votes to report a bill to the larger house, a report is written to analyze and describe the purpose and scope of the proposed law. There is a section-by-section analysis of the bill

Sources for …… Congressional Hearings Public hearings may be held by the standing and special Committees of either the House of Representatives or the Senate. Experts and interested persons and groups may be invited by Committees to speak to the need of legislation

Sources for …… Congressional Hearings Committees generally require witnesses to file a written statement of their proposed evidence. Transcripts of public hearings are frequently printed and distributed

Sources for …… Congressional Record The Congressional Record is published each day the Congress is in session. It is the official record of the debates, proceedings and activities of Congress

Sources for …… Congressional Record It presents a complete performance of all bill and amendment texts and of all motions or procedural matters

The Judiciary The Court System Federal Trial and Appellate Courts United States Supreme Court

The Judiciary….. The Court System Article III of the Constitution establishes the federal judiciary branch of government. The Supreme Court was organized in 1790 with judicial power to review cases arising under the Constitution

The Judiciary….. The Court System The federal courts have the judicial responsibility to rule on the constitutionality of federal laws, to interpret and to apply the laws to resolve disputes

The Judiciary….. Federal Trial and Appellate Courts The federal district courts are the trial courts, both civil and criminal, in the federal system. There are 94 federal district courts

The Judiciary….. Federal Trial and Appellate Courts A lower court's ruling on an issue of law may be appealed to the intermediate appellate court. In the federal court systems, these intermediate courts are the United States Courts of Appeal

The Judiciary….. United States Supreme Court The United States Supreme Court is the court of final appeal. The Court is comprised of the Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices

Executive Branch and Administrative Law A. Background B. Administrative Law Sources

Executive Branch ….. Back round The Executive branch of the federal government includes the President, the Vice President, the Cabinet and the federal agencies. Among the Presidential powers are the power to nominate the federal judiciary, ambassadors and all other officers of the United States

Executive Branch ….. Back round The President selects the Cabinet and the heads of governmental agencies, subject to approval by Congress. The Cabinet is the highest advisory group to the President

Executive Branch ….. Administrative Law Sources Congress has the authority to write the laws but gives authority to promulgate rules and regulations to interpret and to administer those laws to the federal agencies

Executive Branch ….. Administrative Law Sources A general statement describing the rule's purpose and authority usually accompanies the final rule. Technically, the administrative law is subordinate to legislation

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