1. Street Law
Lawmaking

2. Who has the power to make laws?
The laws that we obey come from many sources, including:
Legislatures: both state and federal levels
Government Agencies: OSHA & EPA
Courts when they decide appeals
The people through voting
Laws affect us at both the state and federal levels. Example would be federal & state drug laws.

3. Legislatures
The U.S. constitution divides the power to make laws between the central and state government.
At both levels legislatures are the lawmaking body.

4. Congress Congress is the legislature at the national level.
It is divided into two houses:
The Senate -> which consists of 100 members (2 from each state)
The House of Representatives -> 435 members (representation is based upon population)
The Constitution gives Congress the power to pass laws that are binding in every state.

5. State legislatures
States lawmaking powers rest within their legislatures (Our legislature is located in Madison)
Every state except Nebraska has a two house legislature.
States pass laws with statewide impact in such areas as education, traffic, marriage, and divorce.
Example: collective bargaining rights for teachers in WI

6. Federalism
The power of the federal government to pass laws is limited.
The states have power to pass laws in all the areas not granted to the national government in the Constitution.
States cannot enter into treaties, coin money, or declare war.
Federal governments cannot grant marriage licenses or settle divorces.

7. Conflict
In the 1960s federal laws against racial segregation came into conflict with state laws that required separate accommodations for African-Americans.
Marijuana is legal in some state like California and Oregon, but it is illegal at the federal level.
How do these conflicts get resolved?

8. The supremacy clause
“The Constitution and the Laws of the United States shall be the Supreme Law of the Land”
Every law passed at the federal and state level has to fall in line with the U.S. Constitution.

9. Group Activity
Decide whether each law is federal, state, and/or local.
No parking on the east side of Lincoln Avenue between 4 and 6 pm.
All ages between the ages of 6 and 16 must attend school.
In order to sell any product on public streets, the seller must first apply for and receive a vendor’s permit.
No employer of more than 15 persons may discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, or national origin.
All persons travelling on interstate airline carriers are subject to search before entering the airplane departure area.