TWO HOUSES OF CONGRESS

When the founding fathers wrote the constitution ,they envisioned that the legislative branch would be the foundation of the government. •The senate is the upper house of congress and has one hundred members two from each state. •The great compromise was reach dividing the congress into two houses, the senate and the house of representatives.

The Courts of the Judicial Branch

United States Constitution made the Supreme Court the highest court in our land.

Presently there are ninety three U.S. district courts.

There are two sides to every dispute brought before the district courts.

However the respondent can choose to waive their right to a jury.

The Executive Branch

The Constitution granted specific powers to the president to run our country.

However it did not detail the actual support departments that the president would need.

The Executive Branch

With the words “he may require the opinion in writing of the principal officer in each of the executive department” the founding fathers left the task of establishing the remainder of the Executive branch to the newly formed government in 1789, congress created the department of state and the department of the treasury.

Legislative Branch The legislative branch is made up of the two houses of

congress – the senate and the house of Representatives.

The most important duty of the legislative branch is to make laws.

Law are written, discussed and voted on in congress. There are too senators in the senate, two from each

state. Senators are elected by their stats and serve six-year

terms. The vice president of the U.S. in considered the head of

the senate, but does not vote in the senate unless there is a tie.

Legislative Branch The senate approves nominations made by the

president to the cabinet, the supreme court, federal courts and other post.

The senate must ratify all treaties by a two- thirds vote.

There are 435 representatives in the House of Representatives.

The number of representatives each state gets is based on its population. For example, California has many more representatives than Rhode Island. When census figures determine that the population of a state has changed significantly the number of representatives in that state may shift proportionately.

Legislative Branch

Representatives are elected by their states and serve two year terms.

The Speaker of the House is elected by the representatives and is considered the head of the House of Representatives.