US Constitution
The Supreme Law of
the USA
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The Father of the Constitution
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James Madison
Articles of Confederation, 1st
Draft – 1781 - 1789
Constitutional Convention:
Philadelphia – Independence Hall
Meetings supposed to be held in
secret, but Madison took notes.
Madison: Virginia Plan.
Big state vs. small state
compromises: Virginia, New
Jersey, Connecticut.
George Washington in charge.
Ben Franklin sleeping?
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Articles
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The Constitution is
made up of 7 Articles.
Articles state how the
Govt. should operate.
The Branches
Article I: Legislative.
Article II: Executive.
Article III. Judicial.
Role in the Law?
Amendments
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The Constitution
contains 27
Amendments.
Amendments define
what rights citizens do
and do not have.
Status of 18th & 21st
Amendments.
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Article I
Congress: House of Representatives
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Membership based off of population.
Taken directly from Madison’s Virginia Plan.
Originally 59 seats.
Today 435 members. Max number.
1 Representative for every 30,000 pop.
1 Rep for every ~709,000 people.
7 states have only one Rep in the House.
California has 53.
Kansas has 4.
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Kansas Congressional Districts
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Congress: House of
Representatives
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Must be 25 years old & a citizen for the
previous 7 years.
2 year term. No term limits.
All Representatives run for re – election
every 2 years.
Must be a resident of the district they
represent.
Representatives work more on the local
level than their counterparts in the Senate.
Kansas 4th District: Mike Pompeo - R
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Congress: Senate
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Equal Representative regardless of size.
Taken directly from William Paterson’s New Jersey
Plan
100 members, 2 per state.
6 year terms in office.
Must be 30 years old & a citizen for the previous 9
years.
A resident of that state.
Membership broken into three classes. 33, 33, 34 per
class. Each class runs for re – election in 2 year cycles.
Freshman Senators, Junior Senators & Senior
Senators, (Even in Washington, Sophomores are not
important).
Kansas: Pat Roberts – R , Jerry Moran – R
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Original Capital Building
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Congressional Leadership
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Majority & Minority Leaders.
Democrats vs. Republicans vs. Independents.
Speaker of the House is the Majority leader of
the House.
Nancy Pelosi of California / John Boehner of Ohio
/ Paul Ryan of Wisconsin
Roles of the Vice President: Only 2 officially.
VP Joe Biden – D from Delaware.
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Congressional Powers
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Impeachment: The House impeaches, the
Senate tries the case.
Supremacy Clause: The Constitution supersedes
all State laws if there is ever a conflict.
All States must recognize the laws of all other
states.
Same Sex Marriage?
Necessary and Proper Clause: If a law has been
left out and Congress feels it is needed,
Congress has the power to add it.
Very wide ranging and vague, on purpose.
Due to that fact, it is also known as the Elastic
Clause.
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Article II
The President
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Must be at least 35 years old.
A natural born US citizen.
What makes someone a citizen?
Lived in the US for a minimum of 14 years.
Non continuous.
4 year term.
A maximum of two terms. 22nd Amendment.
What is the maximum amount of time one
person can be President?
10 years.
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Electoral College
Who Elects the President?
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Ronald Reagan: 1984
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Franklin D. Roosevelt: 1936
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Article III
The Supreme Court
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Nine Judges serve on the Court.
A Chief Justice & 8 Associate Justices.
Judges are nominated by the President and
confirmed by the Senate.
Judges hold their seat “during good behavior”:
Has been interpreted as meaning for life.
Crimes that prevent service or bring objectivity
into question.
Judges serve until they retire or die.
The Supreme Court does not try cases, they rule
whether or not cases from lower courts are
constitutional.
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Supreme Court
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Marbury vs. Madison: Judicial Review.
Chief Justice John Marshall takes the case and rules
a law unconstitutional.
He then waits to see if the Congress or the
President will try and stop him. They don’t.
Can the President legally ignore the Supreme Court?
Andrew Jackson and the “Trail of Tears”.
Roe vs. Wade, 1973: Legalizing abortion.
Plessy vs. Ferguson, 1896: Legalized segregation
Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka, Ks, 1953:
Struck down segregation in public schools.
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Amendments
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Question: List the names of the five family
members on the “Simpsons”.
Question: List the five rights guaranteed
by the 1st Amendment.
Can rights be limited?
Bill of Rights.
2nd Amendment: A well regulated Militia.
5th Amendment: Plead the 5th.
13th – 15th: Civil War Amendments.
19th Amendment: Women’s Suffrage.
25th Amendment: 2 Term Limit.
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