1. DIVISION AND SEPARATION OF POWERS

2. Unitary system: central government makes
all decisions while lower levels of government
implement central government decision. Central
government is sovereign.
Federal system: central government shares
power with regional governments. We were first!
Confederate system: regional governments
are sovereign.

3. Federalism in the Constitution
a system of government in
which power is divided by
a constitution, between
a central and regional
governments.

4. Federalism in the Constitution
The Founding Fathers wanted to limit the powers of governing.
They had just fought a war against the most powerful unitary
monarchy in the world, so they divided up government power
In order to limit it.
With expressed powers, the Constitution gives specific
powers to the national (central) (federal) government
and reserves the rest to the states.

5. Federalism in the Constitution

6. Powers of the national government
Expressed Powers
Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution:
Seventeen enumerated powers such as
collecting taxes, coining money, declaring war,
regulating commerce (more later), etc.

7. Powers of the national government
Implied Powers
Article I, Section 8, Clause 18
“necessary and proper clause or “elastic clause”
Examples: creating a national bank, a national
highway system, an education agency, or
civil rights laws.

8. Powers of the States Reserved Powers Tenth amendment
Examples: Police powers, public schools,
creation of local governments, voting laws,
marriage laws, etc.

9. Concurrent Powers Powers shared between national and state government
Examples: charter banks, grant corporate charters,
regulate product quality, regulate conditions of
labor, etc.

10. The Supremacy Clause Article VI
The US Constitution, laws made by Congress, and
treaties made under the Constitution are the
“supreme law of the land”.

11. Separation of Power in the Constitution
Legislative Branch designed to be the most powerful
Bicameral
Expressed powers
“Elastic Clause”

12. Separation of Power in the Constitution
Executive Branch created an entirely NEW office--President
Framers wanted an ‘energetic’ executive
Moderately independent
Competes with Congress for power

13. Separation of Power in the Constitution
Judicial Branch a check on too much democracy
Appointed for life
Resolves conflicts
Judicial review

14. Checks and Balances
Checks and Balances were built into the Constitution to ensure that no one branch of government ever became too powerful.
It gives each branch of government some power over the others

15. Powers of the national government

16. Checks and Balances Example
The Legislative branch votes on and passes a bill.
The bill then goes to the Executive branch. The President decides whether to sign the bill to make it a law or veto it.
Then the Legislative branch, with enough votes, can override the veto to make the bill into a law.
The Judicial Branch (Supreme Court) can then examine the law to determine its constitutionality.

17. I’m Just a Bill Google it!

18. Representing the American People
The US Congress is a bicameral
legislature. Power is divided
between two chambers: the
House of Representatives and
the Senate.
There are significant differences
between the House and the
Senate in terms of functions
and representation.

19. House and Senate: Representation.
Because of the “great
compromise” the House was
meant to represent the people and the Senate to
represent the states.
As a result, the House and Senate differ in size and
Representatives and Senators represent their
constituents differently.

20. The people living in the district from which an official is elected.
CONGRESS
Constituency:
The people living in the district from which an official is elected.
The constituency of a Representative
is determined by their congressional
District. A senator represents the
entire state.

21. CONGRESS The House The Senate 435 members 100 senators 2 year term
Number of
representatives per state
varies by population
Tend to have localized,
narrow constituencies
The Senate
100 senators
6 year term
States represented equally
(2 each)
Have broader, more diverse
constituencies

22. CONGRESS The Committee system Standing committees Select committees.
Joint Committees.
Conference Committees