Three Branches Of Government. Balancing it all out Federal government has 3 parts Executive,...
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Transcript of Three Branches Of Government. Balancing it all out Federal government has 3 parts Executive,...
Balancing it all out
• Federal government has 3 parts• Executive, Legislative, Judicial• Each balance the other so one has all the power• Founding fathers wrote this into the Constitution
The roles in Executive
• Represents our country in talks with other nations• Leads nation in times of war• Makes suggestions to Congress about laws• Writes budgets, but needs Congress approval• Works with Congress to get laws passed/rejected
Others in the Executive Branch
• Personal Staff of President:• Press secretary• Speech writers• Policy aides
• Cabinet• Heads of White House Offices/Agencies
What can a President do?
• Make treaties w/approval of Senate• Veto/signs bills• Lead political party• Entertain foreign guests• Grant pardons• Appoint ambassadors• Nominate Cabinet members, Supreme Court Justices and
other high officials• Commander-in-Chief during a war
What can’t the President do?
• Make laws• Declare war• Decide how federal money will be spent• Interpret laws• Choose Cabinet members or Supreme Court Justices
without Senate approval
Legislative Branch
• Federal Level: House of Representatives & Senate• Bicameral : Two Houses• Two sessions per term/called “Congress” (starts in
January)• Every 2 years all House members and 1/3 Senate
members are elected
House of Representatives
• 2 year Term• 435 Members• Initiates (starts/heads up) all Taxation and Spending Bills• Initiates (starts/heads up) Impeachment Proceedings
Senate
• 6 year Term• 100 Members: Equal Representation• In charge of “Advice and Consent” to all Job
appointments and on treaties• Tries (as in questions like a court judge) all impeached
officials
Differences in the Houses
House of Representatives Senate
Strong Leadership/Impersonal Rule Friendly, Personal Interaction
Members more specialized Members more general
Committee decisions influential Committee decisions not as influential
Debates not as important Floor debates more important
Selects President when no candidate gets enough electoral votes
Selects VP when no candidate has enough votes
Congressional Committees System
• Standing Committees• House 19 with 89 subcommittees• Senate 17 with 69 subcommittees
• Joint Committees• Special or select committees• Conference committees
Congressional Leadership Positions
• Speaker of the House - John Boehner (R)• Majority Leaders (House and Senate)• House: Eric Cantor (R)• Senate: Harry Reid (D)
• Minority Leaders (House and Senate)• House- Nancy Pelosi (D)• Senate- Mitch McConnell ( R)
• Whips (House and Senate)• Kevin McCarthy (majority) (R )• Steny Hoyer (minority) (D)
• President Pro Tempore (Senate)• Daniel Inouye
• Vice-President (President of Senate)• Joe Biden
Congressional Staff
• Personal Staff• Committee Staff• Support Organizations• Congressional Budget Office (CBO)• Congressional Research Service (CRS)• Government Accountability Office
What influences their votes?
• Own Political Views• Constituents Interests• Colleagues Influence • Interest Groups• Presidential Pressures• Party Leadership
State and Local Level
• State: State Legislature/General Assembly/General Court• All have bicameral except Nebraska
• Local: City Council
Judicial Branch
• Federal Level: US Supreme Court• State Level: State Supreme Court• Local Level: Same as state, minus Supreme Court, on
smaller level
What it does
• Supreme Court has final say in all matters dealing with the US Constitution
• Determine if laws/regulations are unconstitutional• Interprets the meaning of laws, helping the police and
other courts apply them.
US Supreme Court
US Court of Appeals13 Circuits
US Court of AppealsIn the federal circuit
US Court of Appeals For the armed forces
94 US District Courts
Including 3 territories:
Guam, Virgin
Islands, and
Northern Mariana Islands
United States Court of
International Trade
United States Claim Court
United States
Court of Veterans Appeals
Courts of Criminal
Appeals in military services:
Army, Navy,
Marine Corps, Air Force, and
Coast Guard
United States Tax
Court