The United States Government

Branches of GovernmentExecutiveLegislative

Judicial

Types of GovernmentFederal

StateLocal

Standard III.4 American Government and Politics

Branches Of Government

Legislative Executive Judicial

Legislative BranchCongress

House of RepresentativesSenate

House of Representatives

Requirements of representativesAt least 25 years oldU.S. citizen for at least 7 yearsLive in the state you represent

What they doSort through bills that go to the senate for further approval

How many are there? 435 representatives in the United StatesEach state gets a certain amount of representatives based on their population

Where does Michigan stand?110th Congress

Legislative Branch

Senate

Requirements for senatorsAt least 30 years oldU.S. citizen for at least 9 yearsLive in the state they represent

What they doApprove treaties the president makesApprove supreme court justices

How many are there?100 senators2 senators per state

Where does Michigan stand?110th Congress

Legislative Branch

Executive Branch

President : the leader of our nationVice President : the leader of our

senate, and 2nd in command

PresidentWho is the president?

George W. BushRequirements to be president

At least 35 years oldBorn in the United StatesLived in the U.S. for the last 14 years

How long is he/she president?Up to 2 terms4 year terms

What does he do?Foreign affairs and relations-American

Head of StateCommander and Chief of the MilitaryHe can veto bills from Congress

Executive Branch

Vice PresidentWho is the Vice President

Dick CheneyRequirements for the Vice President

Constitutionally, there are no qualifications for the

vice president.

Executive Branch

Judicial Branch

Supreme Court : the highest court in the United States

Other Federal Courts

The Supreme Court

Established by Article III of the Constitution

Decides the final verdict on all cases appealed to this court

All the members are appointed by the President

Judicial Branch

Other Federal Courts

Created and established by Congress

Three typesU.S. Court of Appeals U.S. District CourtsU.S. Bankruptcy Courts

Judicial Branch

State Governments

Two partsConstitutionPowers

State Governments: Constitutions

ConstitutionsEach state has their own constitution It can’t contradict the national ConstitutionAlso has a legislative, judicial and executive separation of powersInstead of a president there is a governor

State Government

State Governments: Powers

Ratify amendmentsManage public health and safetyOversee trade within the stateMake and enforce lawsTaxBorrow money

(the state government cannot override the federal government: comparison of powers with federal government)

State Government

Federal Versus State Government

Coin Money

Declare War

Conduct foreign relations

Oversee foreign and interstate trade

RatifyAmendments

Manage public health and safety

Oversee trade within the state

Make and enforce laws

Tax

Borrow Money

State GovernmentFederal Government

Federal State

Federal Government

ConstitutionPowers

Checks and Balances

Federal Government: Constitution

The federal constitution is “the supreme law of the land”

It was written in 1787Ratified in 1790Replaced the Articles of Confederation as

the official governmental rulebookCannot be overruled by any state or local

constitutionMOVIE!

Federal Government

Federal Government: Powers

Coin moneyDeclare warConduct foreign relationsOversee foreign and interstate tradeMake and enforce lawsTaxBorrow MoneyWorks through a system of checks and balances

between branches of government

(Comparison of powers with state governments)

Federal Government

Local GovernmentsMost people live under multiple local

governmentsEach category has its own set of rules, but

none of them can go beyond the powers of the state or federal governments

Five categoriesCountyTown and TownshipMunicipalitySpecial DistrictSchool District

Federal Checks and Balances

Each branch of the government can limit the powers of the others

Example: how a bill becomes a law:

MOVIE!

Federal Government State Government