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BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT

BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT. Inquiring minds should want to know…. What are the three branches of government? Why do we need three branches? Who are the leaders of the three branches of government? What are the roles of the three branches of government? How do the branches work together?.

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BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT

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  1. BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT

  2. Inquiring minds should want to know… • What are the three branches of government? • Why do we need three branches? • Who are the leaders of the three branches of government? • What are the roles of the three branches of government? • How do the branches work together?

  3. Why three branches? • Limitation of Powers – • Separation of Powers – • Checks & Balances – Reduce Control Divide Control Share Control

  4. Branches of Government Executive Legislative Judicial

  5. Legislative Branch • Congress • Responsible for making laws Senate Senators/2 per state House of Representatives Representatives/based on population Originate a bill, get a majority vote from all of Congress, get the President to approve – bill becomes a law

  6. House of Representatives • The House of Representatives was established as a result of the Great Compromise. The House is larger than the Senate. • The Constitution gave Congress the power to determine the size of the House and to divide representation according to state population. States with large populations have more representatives than small states. • Originally, there was one representative for every 30,000 people. Today, there is one representative per several hundred thousand people. There are six states with just one representative per state. They are Alaska, Delaware, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming. California has the most representatives, a total of 53.

  7. Senate • Voters elect two senators from each state, regardless of population size. There is equal representation from each state in the Senate. It doesn't matter if the state is big or small, densely or sparsely populated, or where it is located. Senators are elected every 6 years. The elections are staggered so that both senators from a state are not elected at the same time.

  8. Executive Branch Elected and serves for no more than two consecutive 4-year terms, appoints members of the President’s cabinet Commander-in-chief of the armed forces, deals with other countries, veto power • The President • Responsible for enforcing laws

  9. Executive Branch • In Article II of the Constitution, the president's qualifications and powers are detailed. In order to be considered for the office, a presidential candidate must be at least 35 years old, a natural-born U.S. citizen, and have at least 14 years of residence in the United States. • The president is the manager or director of the federal government. The president sees that the government runs smoothly and that the laws of the land are enforced and obeyed. He promises to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution. • The president and vice president serve for a term of four years and can be re-elected to a second term. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the only president to be elected more than twice. He won the presidency four times but died shortly into his last term. The Twenty-second Amendment to the Constitution was passed in 1951, limiting a president to two terms.

  10. Judicial Branch • Supreme Court • Responsible for interpreting the laws Appointed by the President, highest court, there are 9 total members, serve a lifetime term Overrule decisions made by lower courts, determine actions made by the President or Congress unconstitutional

  11. Supreme Court • The Supreme Court heads the judicial branch of the United States government. It is the only court established by the Constitution. Decisions made by the Supreme Court are usually of national importance. • "Equal Justice under Law" is the motto of the Supreme Court. The wording of the Constitution is complex, so it must be studied and examined carefully. When questions concerning particular laws arise in lower courts, the justices who make up the Supreme Court are responsible for explaining and interpreting the Constitution. • The Constitution also gives the Supreme Court the power to judge whether federal, state, and local governments are acting within the law. The Supreme Court can also decide if a president's action is unconstitutional.

  12. Supreme Court (cont.) • The decisions of the Supreme Court are absolute and final; in contrast, the decisions and judgments reached in lower courts may be appealed or questioned. Thousands of requests for rulings reach the Supreme Court each year. Fewer than one hundred fifty are actually considered and ruled upon.

  13. Branches of Government Executive Branch The President enforces laws Judicial Branch The Supreme Court interprets laws Legislative Branch Congress makes laws

  14. Now you tell me… How does our Government work?

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