1. Aim: What role does the government play?
Homework:
a) Look at the Current Event schedule and be prepared to present your Current Event when it is due.

3. Structure of the United States Government
The United States Government is broken up into three separate, but equal branches. Each branch has their own roles and responsibilities.

4. Legislative Branch
Article I of the Constitution establishes the Legislative Branch as a bi-cameral legislature. It is made up of a House of Representatives and a Senate. There is a total of 535 total members of Congress. Congress’ main responsibility is to make the laws for the country.

5. Senate House of Representatives Legislative Branch 100
Number of Representatives
435
2 Senators per state
What Determines Representation?
Population of state – minimum of 1 per state
6 years
Term of Office
2 years
9 years
Citizenship
7 years
30 years
Minimum Age 25
Must live in the state he or she represents
Residency
Must live in the state he or she represents
Vice-President or
Pro Tempore
Presiding Officer
Speaker of the House

6. Powers of Congress
Collect taxes
Establish post offices
Regulate trade
Make rules for citizenship
Coin money
Set standards for weights and measures
Grant copyrights and patents
Establish federal courts
Declare war
Raise and support an armed forces
To make all laws which are necessary and proper

7. Role of the Senate (Upper House) Senator Charles Grassley
Confirms Presidential Appointments
Ratifies treaties with foreign countries
Acts as the jury in impeachment trials of federal officials
Chooses Vice President if there is no majority in Electoral College (12th Amendment)
Senate Pro Tempore
Senator Charles Grassley

8. Role of the House of Representatives (Lower House)
Introduces revenue bills
Chooses Speaker of the House
Brings impeachment charges of federal officials
Chooses President if there is no majority in the Electoral College (12th Amendment)
Speaker of the House
Nancy Pelosi

9. Executive Branch
Article II of the Constitution establishes the Executive Branch. It is made up of the President, Vice-President, and the 15 cabinet offices. The Executive Branch’s main responsibility is to enforce the laws for the country.

10. When did they take office? What political party do they belong to?
President
Requirements
Vice President
Donald J. Trump
Current
Michael Pence
January 20, 2017
When did they take office?
Republican
What political party do they belong to?
Electoral College
Who selects them?
Natural born citizens
Citizenship
Natural born citizen* 35
Minimum Age
35*
Must live in the U.S. for 14 yrs
Residency
Must live in the U.S. for 14 yrs*
4 years
Maximum 2 Terms
Term of Office

11. Powers of the President
Serves as commander in chief of the armed forces
Makes treaties
Appoint ambassadors to foreign countries
Call Congress together for special law-making sessions
Make appointments to the executive branch
Grant pardons and reprieves (suspends punishment ordered by law) for federal crimes
Make appointments to the federal courts
Sign and veto bills
Carry out the laws of the United States
Gives the State of the Union Speech annually

12. Judicial Branch
Article III of the Constitution establishes the Judicial Branch. It is made up of nine Supreme Court justices. The Judicial Branch’s main responsibility is to interpret the laws for the country.
Top row Left to Right
Chief Justice:
John G. Roberts
Associate Justices: Clarence Thomas,
Ruth Bader Ginsburg,
Stephen Breyer,
Samuel Alito
Second Row left to Right
Associate Justices:
Sonia Sotomayor,
Elena Kagan,
Neil M. Gorsuch, and
Brett M. Kavanaugh

13. Requirements of Judicial Branch
What political party do they belong to?
Doesn’t matter
Who appoints them?
The President
Who ratifies the appointments?
The Senate
Citizenship
Minimum Age
None
Residency
Term of Office
For life

14. Types of Cases the Supreme Court Hears
The first kind involves disputes between states.
The second involves foreign ambassadors.
It serves as a final court of appeals. It hears cases that have been tried and appealed as far as law permits in federal and state courts.

15. Role of the Supreme Court
If the Supreme Court finds that a law passed by Congress conflicts with (goes against) the Constitution it must declare the law unconstitutional.
The law is then “thrown out”. This power to review a law and decide whether it is constitutional or not is known as judicial review.
A Supreme Court decision sets a precedent (a rule that must be followed and applied to similar situations in the future) for all U.S. courts to follow when making their decisions.

16. How does a bill become a law?
Introduction of a Bill: Bills, or written ideas for a law, can start in either house of Congress. They can be introduced by citizens, Congressmen, or be proposals from the President.

17. How does a bill become a law?
Once proposed, the bill is sent to committee (group of legislators dealing with specific topics or issues of study)

18. How does a bill become a law?
Committee Stage: Committee members investigate the bill and debate whether to approve, amend, or kill the bill. Most changes occur at this stage. If approved, the bill is sent to the house’s floor for debate. However, most bills die at this stage.

19. How does a bill become a law?
On the Floor for Consideration: The bill is debated on the floor of the house where the bill began. The bill is approved or killed. If it is approved it is sent to the other legislative house, and sent to the committee stage.

20. How does a bill become a law?
Consideration by the Other House: On the floor of the second house, the bill is again debated and either approved or killed. Is the same exact version of the bill is approved by a simple majority of both Houses it is sent to the President. If differences exist, the two versions of the bill go to the Senate-House Conference Committee.

21. How does a bill become a law?
Senate-House Conference Committee: If differences exist between the Senate and House versions of the bill, a Conference Committee, made up of members from both Houses, “iron out” the differences and create a compromise bill
Both houses of Congress must approve the compromise bill before it can go to the President.

22. How does a bill become a law?
Enactment:
The President can sign the bill and it becomes a law.
The President can veto the bill and the bill dies.
Congress can override a President’s veto with a 2/3 majority vote