Massachusetts Government
Legislative
United States Government
Judicial
Before clicking on either the RED
or BLUE box. Give 3 clicks
Legislative
Executive
Judicial
to learn a few introductory facts about each government.
Executive
Find out more about
Find out more about
Find out more about
the
Massachusetts
Find out more
the
theabout
Massachusetts
the United States
Government
Massachusetts Government
Government
Find out more about
the Massachusetts
Government
That’s right! Massachusetts and the United States each have
a government. As we progress through Civics, there is much
to learn about each of these! On your note page, take notes
on both the MA and US governments
Introduction
United States Government
US Overview
Legislative
Judicial
Give 2 clicks
for more detailed
Executive
knowledge on the set-up of
the United States Government
U.S Congress
435 Representatives
100 Senators
Supreme Court
(9 judges)
President (1)
Vice-President (1)
Appeals Courts
Cabinet
District Courts
(15 members)
Click this button to return
to introduction page
Click this button to read more
about the U.S. Legislature
Hit the web - click this button for
lots of detail on the U.S. government
Click this button to read more
about the Judicial Branch
Click this button to read more
about the Presidency
435? Hit the web to learn
about the person who
represents Lexington…
The U.S. Congress
The primary duty of Congress is to write, debate, and pass bills, which are then passed on to the president for approval.
The Constitution grants Congress "all legislative powers" in the national government. Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution
lists a wide range of congressional powers, including:
*
Coining money.
*
Maintaining a military.
*
Declaring war on other countries.
*
Regulating interstate and foreign commerce.
Congress also controls federal taxing and spending policies—one of the most important sources of power in the
government. The Constitution also gives Congress the authority to "make all laws which shall be necessary and proper," an
implied source of power sometimes called the Elastic Clause.
There are, however, some congressional powers that are rarely used such as the ability to impeach an official and
amending the United States Constitution.
In addition to the power described above, Congress shares powers with the president in matters such as, framing U.S.
foreign policy and control over the military. For example, while the president negotiates treaties, they are only put into effect
once the Senate approves them. Also, while Congress can declare war and approve funds for the military, the president is
the commander-in-chief of the military.
A new Congress begins in January every two years following congressional elections, in which voters choose all
representatives and a third of the senators. The entire House membership faces re-election every two years, but the
Senate is a continuing body because there is never an entirely new Senate. Since the First Congress, which met from
1789 to 1791, all Congresses have been numbered in order. The 114th U.S. Congress will begin in January, 2015.
Congress meets once every year. Usually the session lasts from January 3rd to July 31st, but it can last much longer.
For the most part, the House and Senate each meet in their respective chamber in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
However, on rare occasions, they will meet together for a joint session of Congress in the House chamber. For example, a
joint session will be called to count electoral votes for presidential election.
Back to
Intro Page
Back to U.S. Gov.
Page
See some visuals
that explain
Congress
See some
pictures
from the
Congress
Judicial Branch
The judicial branch of government is established in Article III of the Constitution with the creation of the Supreme Court.
This court is the highest court in the country and is empowered with the judicial powers of the government. There are lower
Federal courts but they were not created by the Constitution. Rather, Congress deemed them necessary and established
them using power granted from the Constitution. Courts decide arguments about the meaning of laws, how they are
applied, and whether they break the rules of the Constitution. A court's authority to decide constitutionality is called judicial
review. If the Supreme Court rules that a law made by Congress does not “fit” with the rules of the Constitution, the law is
declared unconstitutional and it is “thrown out”.
Judicial review puts the Supreme Court in an important role in the American political system. It is the referee in disputes
among various branches of the federal, as well as state governments, and is the ultimate authority for the most important
issues in the country. For example, in 1954, the Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education banned racial segregation in
public schools. The ruling started a long process of desegregating schools and other institutions.
The Supreme Court is made up of nine Justices. One of these is the Chief Justice, currently this is John Roberts. They are
appointed by the President and must be approved by the Senate. Justices have their jobs for life, unless they resign, retire,
or are impeached.
Click this button to return
to U.S. page
U.S. Judicial
Click here to go back to
the Introduction page
To the left is the U.S. Capitol Building - It is
where the House of Representatives and
Senate meet. It is not the White House!
Republican
MitchMcConnell of
Kentucky is the
majority leader of
the U.S. Senate
Republican John Boehner
of Ohio is the Speaker of
the House in the U.S.
House of Representatives –
he began working in this
role in January 2011.
Click to see some pictures and
explanations relating to the U.S.
Government’s Legislative Branch
Here is the view of the House “chamber”
when most seats are filled!
Back to IntroPage
Back to U.S.
Gov. Page
Back to
Congress
reading
The President of the United States
The President is the head of the Executive Branch. The powers of the President of the United States are set forth in
Article II of the Constitution. Some of these powers the President can exercise on his/her own. Others require the consent
of the Senate or Congress as a whole. The following is a list of duties of the President of the United States:
National Security Powers:
Presidency
*Serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. He can authorize the use of troops overseas without declaring
war. To declare war officially, though, he must get the approval of the Congress.
*Makes treaties with other nations; however, the Senate must approve any treaty before it becomes official.
*Nominates ambassadors, with the agreement of a majority of the Senate.
*Receives ambassadors of other nations, thereby recognizing those lands as official countries.
Legislative Powers:
*Presents information on the state of the union to Congress.
*Recommends legislation to Congress. Despite all of his power, the President cannot write bills. He or she can propose a
bill, but a member of Congress must submit it for him.
*Vetoes bills passed by Congress, if he/she does not think they should be laws
*Approves laws passed by Congress.
Administrative Powers:
*Take care that the laws be faithfully executed" -- Article II, Section 3
*Appoints the heads of each Executive Branch department as Chief of the Government. He also appoints ambassadors,
Supreme Court Justices, and other officials, with the agreement of the majority of the Senate.
*Requests written opinions of administrative officials.
*Fills administrative vacancies during congressional recesses.
Judicial Powers:
*Grants reprieves and pardons for Federal crimes (except impeachment).
*Appoints Federal judges, with the agreement of the majority of the Senate.
Click this button to return
to introduction page
Click this button to return
to U.S. page
Massachusetts Government
Mass Overview
This is the Massachusetts
State House. Both the
Massachusetts Governor
Judicial
and the Massachusetts
Legislative
Executive
Give 3 clicks to learn
Massachusetts
Supreme
Governor Legislature
(1)
work
here.
Yes!
State
Legislature
Judicial Court (7 judges)
more
about the
has its’ own
LieutenantMassachusetts
Governor (1)
160 Representatives
structure of the
40 Senators
government!
Constitutional
Officers (4)
Massachusetts
Both Reps and Senators
Executive Council – this is Lower State Courts
government
have a “leader”. The
an elected group that few
“Speaker of the House”
people know about . They
and the “President of the
have some important
Senate”
powers (8)
Cabinet (10)
Click this button to return
to introduction page
160 and 40? Hit the
web and find out who
your senator and rep
are…
Click to see some pictures
of leaders of the Mass.
Government
More on Massachusetts Government
Deval Patrick is Massachusetts’ governor. The Chief Executive
of the Massachusetts government. He was elected Governor in
2006 and re-elected in 2010. He is the first black Governor of
Massachusetts
Massachusetts currently does not have a Lieutenant Governor.
Tim Murray was Deval Patrick’s LG, but he resigned.
Coming Soon – Click the Blue Button on the right
Just like the U.S. government has a Speaker of the House,
so does Massachusetts. Robert DeLeo is the current
Speaker of the House of Representatives in the
Massachusetts government.
In the U.S. government, the Vice President is the “President of
the Senate”. In the MA government the senators pick one of
their 40 to be “Senate President”. Currently, that person is
Therese Murray
Take me to the quiz, I am ready! (Did you
take notes on MA and US?)
Back to Massachusetts
overview
Massachusetts Government – Coming Soon
Deval Patrick’s second
term ends in less than a
month!
Massachusetts
currently does not
have a Lieutenant
Governor.
Back to IntroPage
Charlie Baker will become
the Governor of
Massachusetts in early
January, 2015.
Karyn Polito will become
Lieutenant Governor in
January 2015
Back to Massachusetts
overview
The U.S. Congress - A Closer Look
• Must be 25 years old
Click once for
more information
• Serve a 2 year term
• Number per state is based
on population
• All bills that involve
spending money must start
in the House
• Must be 30 years old
• Serve a 6 year term
Back to
Congress
reading
Click this button to return
to U.S. page
• 2 senators from each state –
no matter the population
• Senate has power to check
on many decisions made by
the President of the United
States
Take me to the quiz, I am
ready! (Did you take notes
on MA and US?)
Quick Quiz
Answer the questions with your partner, then click and the answers to all the
questions will appear
1.
435
2.
2
3.
40
4.
John Boehner
1.
How many members of the U.S. House of Reps?
2.
How many U.S. Senators from Idaho?
3.
How many members of the Massachusetts Senate?
4.
AsFinished
of January the
2011,quiz?
who is the
the House
GoSpeaker
to the ofnext
slideof the5.
United States Representatives?
and follow the directions!
How many members are there of the United States Supreme6.
5.
6.
7.
9
Bill
Court?
7.
False
In either the Massachusetts government or the U.S.
government, a proposal for a law is called a: ______
8.
False
9.
3
True or False: The President can write a bill.
10. Trick
8. True or False: The President can make a law for new taxes.
question,it is
the Governor
9. The Massachusetts government and the U.S. government
or the
both have _____ branches.
President, it
10. Who is the Chief Executive of the government?
depends on
which
Finished the quiz? Hit the websites (or search on your own) and check
for more detail:
MAKE ADDITIONS TO YOUR MASSACHUSETTS AND UNITED STATES PAGES!
Topics to look up• The Bill of Rights
http://bensguide.gpo.gov/9-12/citizenship/rights.html
• Federalism
• “Checks and Balances”