Introduction to the Structure of Government and Legal System in the United States

1. Introduction to the Structure of Government and Legal System in the United States Constitution as a legal base. Print and digital resources

2. Organization of the Federal Government Slide

3. U. S. Constitution • Fundamental (organic) law of country • Concise statements of broad principles • Defines political relationships • Creates framework of National Government • http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys– annotated with court cases • http://thomas.gov – multiple research sources

4. Executive – enforces and carries out the law Legislative – enacts the law Judicial – interprets the law Branches of Government

5. Executive – enforces and carries out the law Legislative – enacts the law Judicial – interprets the law Executive Branch

6. President of the United States

7. President of the United States • Executive Materials • Executive Orders and Proclamations • State of the Union Address • Speeches and Press Conferences • Executive Sources • Compilation of Presidential Documents • Code of Federal Regulations, Title 3 • Federal Register • Public Papers of the President

8. U.S. Executive Agencies

9. Example of an Agency

10. Regulations Published - Proposed and final regulations are published daily (Federal) and monthly (state) by agency in the Federal Register or State Register Codified – Organized by agency and subject into chapters, articles, and sections Published – in the Code of Federal Regulations (50 Titles) or South Carolina Code of Regulations (139 Chapters

11. Executive – enforces and carries out the law Legislative – enacts the law Judicial – interprets the law Judicial Branch

12. Federal Court System • U.S. District Courts • Trial courts • Judge/jury • Each state has at least one U.S. District Court • U.S. Courts of Appeals (various circuits) • Appeals courts • 3-judge panel (hears oral arguments by attorneys) • Multijurisdictional: Sixth Circuit covers Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee + Some of the courts are specific to subject matter (Federal Circuit) • U. S. Supreme Court • Final appeals level (with limited original jurisdiction) • 9 justices • Also will take appeals from highest state court

14. Reporters • Federal • Supreme Court • Official - U.S. • Unofficial - S.Ct., L. Ed. • Court of Appeals • F., F.2d, F.3d • District Courts • F.Supp., F.Supp.2d

17. Executive – enforces and carries out the law Legislative – enacts the law Judicial – interprets the law Legislative Branch

20. Laws and Statutes Slip Law – assigned an Act number and published Session Law – bound laws - U.S. Statutes at Large Statutes/Codes – arranged into titles by subject – United States Code (51 Titles) Annotated – supplemented with additional resources such as cases, journal articles, and legal encyclopedias (Unofficial - Federal)

21. Legislative Sources • Print • U. S. Statutes at Large • United States Code • Digital • THOMAS http://thomas.gov • GPO Federal Digital System http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys • A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/amlaw/lawhome.html

22. U.S. Senate CONGRESS U.S. House of Representatives

24. Searching and Browsing Bills + Bill Summary & Status pages Slide

25. U.S. Statutes at Large http://www.fdsys.gov

26. U.S. Code

27. Legislative Process: “Short Form” Referred to Committee Referred to Committee Reported to Floor Reported to Other Chamber • Hearing • Mark up • Debate • Amendments • Vote • Engrossed Bill introduced Referred to Conference Committee Reported to Floor Reported to Floor • Hearing • Mark up Chamber Differences Resolved • Debate • Vote • Enrolled • Debate • Amendments • Vote • Engrossed Presented to President Slide

28. Library of Congress’s THOMAS website: www.thomas.gov For federal legislative information, primarily 1989-present Slide