The Government of the United
States of America
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3 Branches of Government
The Constitution divided the United States
Government into three branches: the
legislative, the executive, and the
judicial branch
Each has its own responsibilities, but they
work together through a system of
checks and balances
Constitution
The document which establishes the
basic principles of the American
government and way of life
Written in 1787 by our country’s
founding fathers
Checks and Balances
Limits imposed on all branches of the
government by giving each the right to
amend acts of the other branches
– ex. The President can veto a bill that both
chambers of congress have passed
– ex. The Supreme Court can rule that a law
passed by congress is unconstitutional
Back to 3 Branches
The legislative branch, also known as
congress, is made up of the House of
Representatives and the Senate
The executive branch consists of the
President, the vice president, and the
presidential cabinet
The judicial branch is the federal court
system
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The Legislative Branch
House of Representatives
– 435 members
Senate
– 100 members
Primary job is to draft and pass new
legislation (bills and amendments)
The Executive Branch
The President of the United States
Primary purposes:
– Commander and Chief of the military
– Signs legislation into law
– Dictates foreign and domestic policies
The Judicial Branch
The federal court system, including the
Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Appeals,
and the U.S. District Court
Primary purposes are to evaluate the
constitutionality and proper application
of laws
– District courts deal with criminal cases
So what are bills,
amendments, and laws?
Bill - Public bills deal with general questions
and become Public Laws, or Acts, if approved
by Congress and signed by the President.
Private bills deal with individual matters such
as claims against the Federal Government,
immigration and naturalization cases, land
titles, et cetera, and become private laws if
approved and signed
What are bills, amendments
and laws, cont.
Amendment - A proposal by a Member to
alter the language or provisions of a bill or
act. It is voted on in the same manner as a
bill. (Constitution Article 5, two thirds of each
house of Congress must approve a proposed
amendment and three fourths of the states
thereafter ratify it)
Law - a bill that has been signed into effect by
the President
Let’s make a bill
Work with your table group to create a
bill
Submit the bill to a neighboring group
who will vote on it
If bill passes, take it to the president for
signing
Resources
http://bensguide.gpo.gov/3-5/government/branches.html
http://www.usconstitution.net/constkidsK.html
http://bensguide.gpo.gov/9-12/lawmaking/