American Government 101

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American Government 101
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• What are the 3 branches?

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Separation of Powers

• Executive Branch
• Legislative Branch
• Judicial Branch

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• What is Congress main duty?
• What type of legislature is Congress?
• What are the 2 houses?
• How many Senators are there?
• What is the House of Reps. based on?

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Legislative Branch Makes the Laws

• Bicameral Legislature
• Senate
• 2 each state
• 100 Senators
• 6 year terms
• Must be 30
• House of Representatives
• Based on state population
• 435 representatives
• 2 year terms
• Must be 25

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Capitol
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Duties of the Legislative Branch

• Appropriate government monies
• Approves federal budget
• Makes amendments to Constitution
• can declare war
• Impeachment
• Override a presidential vote by 2/3 vote
• Approve presidents appointments
• Ratify treaties

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Elastic Clause

• necessary and proper clause
• Congress pay any laws
• Drones?
• Stem cell research

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Im Just a Bill

• You are going to hate me for this!!!

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Speaker of the House John Boehner
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NJ Congressman Frank Pallone (D) 6th District
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President of the Senate Joe Biden
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Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
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Senators

• Robert Menendez

• Corey Booker

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• Who is part of the Executive Branch?
• What is their main duty?
• How many years does a president serve in a term?
• How many terms can they serve?
• How many years can a person be a president?

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Executive Branch- Enforce the Law

• President
• 4 year terms
• 2 terms
• 10 years
• Must be 35 and born in the US
• Vice President
• Cabinet (Sec. of State, Treasury, etc.)
• Federal Authorities (FBI)

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President Barack Obama
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Duties of the Executive Branch

• Makes Treaties
• Appoints ambassadors, federal judges, and other
  officials
• Vetoes (rejects) bills
• Commander- in Chief
• Pardons Criminals
• Call Congress into special session
• State of the Union Address

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• What is the main duty of the judicial branch?
• What is the highest court in the US?
• How many judges are there?
• How long do they hold the position?

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Judicial Branch Judges Laws

• Supreme Court
• 9 judges
• Chief Justice
• Have position for life (death, retirement,
  impeachment)
• Judge laws unconstitutional
• Highest appellate court in US

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Chief Justice John Roberts
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Federalism
Concurrent
Delegated
Reserved
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Supremacy Clause

• National laws trump state laws
• Marijuana
• Abortion

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Checks and Balances - Example

• President suggests a law in his State of the
  Union Address
• Congress creates a bill and sends to Pres.
• President vetoes the bill
• Congress overrides the veto with a 2/3 vote and
  makes it into a law
• SC hears a case on the law and deems it
  unconstitutional
• Congress can
• Impeach SC members
• Change the law so it is now constitutional

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Electoral College Choose the POTUS

• Yep, still gonna hate me!!!
• Popular vote most votes throughout country
• Doesnt matter!!!

Obama Romney Obama Romney Obama Romney Obama Romney
Popular vote 65,915,796 60,933,500
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