1. American Government

2. the framers of the Constitution,
The Founding Fathers,
the framers of the Constitution,
wanted to form
a government
that did not allow
ONE PERSON
to have
too much
AUTHORITY
or control.
King George III
of England

3. While under the rule of the
British King
they learned
that this could be
a very bad system.
King George III

5. This document would Separate from their ties to England
Founding Fathers
wrote the
Declaration Of
independence
This document would Separate
the Colonists
from their ties to England

6. also wrote the Constitution
The Founding Fathers
also wrote the Constitution
The Constitution is the
Highest law
in the United States.
All other laws come from the Constitution. It tells how the Government works.

7. The Founding Fathers decided to SEPARATE The POWER so no one part
would have
More
power
than
Another
This is called
the system of
Checks
&
Balances

8. The United States Government
Today
The United States Government
is divided into
3 parts
They are called the
3 Branches Of
Government

9. The 3
Branches Of
our
government

10. The 3 Branches
ARE:
Executive
Legislative
Judicial

11. Each Branch has its own Responsibilities
and at the same time they collaborate
to make the country Run Smoothly
The Constitution also assures us
that the Rights of Citizens
are Not Ignored or Disallowed

12. LEGISLATIVE Divided into 2 groups:
Branch
Divided into 2 groups:
Senate and the House of Representatives
Makes Laws
Approves Presidential Appointments
Has 2 Senators Elected from each State
The number of Congressman is based on population

13. LEGISLATIVE
Branch

14. Judicial Decides if Laws are Constitutional
Branch
Decides if Laws are Constitutional
Are Appointed by the President
There are only 9 Supreme Court Justices
Appoints Federal Judges
Can Overturn Rulings by Other Judges

15. Judicial
Branch

16. executive Includes President, Vice President, & Executive Cabinet
Branch
Includes President, Vice President, &
Executive Cabinet
Signs Laws
Vetoes Laws
Pardons People
Elected every 4 years
Appoints Federal Judges

17. They are the Secretaries of:
executive
Branch
The Cabinet includes the Vice President and the heads of 15 Executive Departments
They are the Secretaries of:
Agriculture
Health
Labor
Transportation
Commerce
Homeland Security
State
Veteran’s Affairs
Housing & Urban Development
Energy
Defense
Interior
Attorney General
Education
Treasury

18. executive
cabinet

19. President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden
executive
Branch
Natural-Born US Citizen
At Least 35 years old
Must live in the US
for 14 years
President Barack Obama
and Vice President Joe Biden

20. Presidents of the United States of America
U.S. Presidents
to see all of the
Presidents of the United States of America

21. Electing a
president

22. This year, that day will be November 6th.
Election 2012
Election Day is held on the very first Tuesday in the month of November according to Congress written back in 1845.
This year, that day will be November 6th.
Many US citizens were farmers back then and November was a good time to hold elections because by then the crops would have been harvested.

23. Election 2012 Presidential Elections have been held since 1789.
Since 1792, the US Constitution has required that Presidential Elections be held every 4 years.
This year’s election will be the
57th Presidential race in US history.

24. The candidates

25. A President can only serve two (2) terms,
The candidates
President
Barack Obama
has been
nominated
to run
for re-election
as the Candidate
for the
Democratic Party.
A President can only serve two (2) terms,
which is equal to 8 years.

26. Franklin Delano Roosevelt
was the only person 
to be President
for more than two terms.
He served from March 4, 1933 until his death on April 12, 1945, (12 years and 39 days),
Longer than any other
President.

27. asked to be President Obama’s running mate in this Election.
Vice President
Joe Biden
has been
once again
asked to be President Obama’s running mate in this Election.

28. Democratic Party The Democratic Party platform
includes Equal Opportunity, 
Protecting the Environment, and Healthcare for Everyone
Famous Democratic Presidents include: Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Jimmy Carter,
Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.

29. The Republican Nominee
The Candidates
The Republican Nominee is
Former Governor
Mitt Romney Of
Massachusetts

30. asked to be Romney’s running mate in this Election.
Paul Ryan,
a former US
Congressman
from Wisconsin
has been
asked to be Romney’s running mate in this Election.

31. includes Rebuilding the Economy,
republican
Party
The Republican Party platform
includes Rebuilding the Economy, 
Creating Jobs, and 
Reforming Government
Famous Republican Presidents include: Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, George Bush,
and George W. Bush.

33. to be elected president.
It takes a lot of work
and many months
to be elected president. 
People vote during the
state primaries and caucuses. That helps each party decide who to choose as their candidate.

34. The candidates try to get people to vote for them by giving speeches, shaking hands, giving interviews, and paying for ads on TV, radio, in newspapers, and on the internet.

35. Voting Rights
18 years old
A US Citizen
Registered to Vote

36. Popular vote The Popular Vote is the actual number
of votes cast by the American public.
This number determines who wins
each “State”

37. Electoral
College
A nominee needs a majority of the electoral votes to win the presidency.
You'll notice, on election night, that the
TV commentators keep track
of the states each nominee wins.
They add up the number of electoral votes that each state win represents.

38. Let’s take a closer look at the
Electoral
College
Let’s take a closer look at the
Electoral College map
of the United States.

39. The first candidate that reaches
Electoral
College
The first candidate that reaches
270 votes
to win the Election

41. At the beginning of every decade, or every ten years, the government
takes a census to determine
the population of each state.
It might lose electoral votes if a state's population has decreased.
It may receive more electoral votes than it previously had if a state's population has increased.
The most recent electoral map was drawn up after the 2000 census.

42. online at: http://pbskids.org/democracy/vote/
You can cast
your own vote
online at: