Warm Up
Answer in your notebook:
Ironstone Elementary School has a “no weapons” policy on its
campus. The Sikh religion requires all male members of the
faith to carry a kirpan, a small knife, on their body at all times.
Little Johnny, a third grader who comes from a family of
devout Sikhs, brings a kirpan to school one day. His parents
made sure that the kirpan was inside of its sheath and that
the sheath was welded to the base of the blade, so it could not
be removed. When Johnny’s teacher noticed him carrying the
kirpan, she told the principal, who immediately suspended
Johnny. Do you agree with the principal’s decision? Explain.
Review
1.What is a legislature?
2.What does the term “enumerated powers” refer to?
3.What are some of the enumerated powers?
4.Under the Constitution, what power do state
governments have?
5.What are some of the things that local governments
can regulate?
6.What happens when a federal law contradicts a state
or local law?
7.What is a bill?
8.How does a bill become a law?
9.What is an executive order?
Interpreting Laws
• After a bill becomes a law, people must obey it
• Sometimes, the language of the law is open to
different interpretations
• Disputes over what a law means often end up
in court
• A judge who interprets what the legislature
meant when it passed a law is determining
legislative intent
Statute Application and Drafting
Activity
Warm Up
Answer in your notebook:
In your opinion, what should an immigrant
legally be required to do before they can
live and work in the United States? From
what you know about immigration law, do
you think it is currently too easy, too hard,
or just hard enough for people to legally
immigrate to the U.S.?
Agencies
• Legislatures usually only deal with problems in a general way
• They authorize administrative agencies to develop rules and
regulations to make laws more specific
• Regulations have the force of law and strongly affect our daily lives
• E.g.
• The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) develops and enforces
regulations under existing laws passed by Congress
• The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) does the
same with workplace safety laws
• The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) creates regulations to
enforce transportation security laws
Agencies
• State and local agencies have biggest impact on daily life
• E.g.
• Local zoning commissions may regulate what kind of
buildings can be located in specific parts of a city or town
• Local agency might hold hearings to determine whether a
new restaurant can serve alcohol or play live music
• Regulations issued by agencies become law without being
voted on
• Agencies usually hold public hearings, which give citizens a
chance to express their views on proposed rules and
regulations
• Federal regulations must be published in the Federal Register
International Law
• International law: the law that applies to the conduct of
countries
• Made when national governments make agreements with
each other, called treaties
• Treaties are sometimes made independently but are often
facilitated by the United Nations (U.N.)
• International laws made by treaties may regulate: trade
between countries, refugees crossing national borders, use of
the ocean, the environment,
patents/copyrights, etc.
International Law
• Treaties are also used to determine whether one country is
legally obligated to return someone accused of a crime to
another country
• The process through which one country asks another to hand
over a suspected or convicted criminal is called extradition
• Under international law, each country is presumed to have
authority over people within its borders
• To overcome this presumption, countries sign extradition
treaties with other countries
• If country A has an extradition treaty with country B, it must
find and extradite (i.e. hand over) anyone convicted or
accused of committing a crime in country B if they are
currently within the borders of country A
Countries in blue have
extradition treaties with U.S.
Countries in gray do not have
extradition treaties with U.S.
The United Nations
• The most important institution in international law is the
United Nations, an intergovernmental organization designed
to promote cooperation between its 193 member governments
• Four goals: maintain international peace and security; to
develop friendly relations among nations; to cooperate in
solving international problems and in promoting respect for
human rights
• All member governments have to abide by its charter
• The U.S. was one of the founding members of the U.N. and
has been its biggest financial supporter
• Many people in the U.S. have criticized the U.N. for being
inefficient, bureaucratic, and slow
• Others have criticized the U.S. for not fully supporting U.N.
actions
Warm Up
Last year, the United States government
gave $40 billion to foreign governments in
the form of foreign aid. In your opinion, is
this too much, too little, or just the right
amount? Defend your answer.
Review
1.What is an administrative agency?
2.What is a regulation?
3.In what ways do regulations differ from
statutes?
4.What is international law?
5.What is a treaty?
6.What is the United Nations?
7.Where is the United Nations headquartered?
8.What does extradition mean?
9.To what country will you flee after you commit
your next crime?
Corrupt Government Activity
Lobbying
• Lobbying is the act of trying to convince lawmakers to vote as
you want them to
• Someone who lobbies is called a lobbyist
• Lobbyists use campaign contributions, ads, favors, letterwriting campaigns and other techniques to influence legislation
Grassroots lobbyists try to
influence policy by asking the
public to contact legislators, as
opposed to conveying the
message to the legislators
directly
Professional Lobbying
• Today, special interest groups lobby for every imaginable cause
• Businesses hire professional lobbyists to influence federal,
state, and local legislators
• E.g.
• The National Rifle Association (NRA) hires lobbyists to oppose
restrictions on gun ownership
• The agribusiness industry lobbies for agricultural subsidies and
against certain laws (e.g. food labelling requirements)
• The American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) lobbies
for foreign aid to Israel and for military policies that benefit
Israel
Warm Up
This election cycle, presidential candidates are
projected to spend a combined $3 billion on
advertising, travel, consulting, direct mail, and
other expenses in their quest for the White House.
In your opinion, is this a good or a bad thing?
Explain.
Criticisms of Lobbying
• Professional lobbyists have advantages over grassroots
lobbyists: they have more money and they know legislators
and their staffs personally
• Critics of lobbying say that it allows some people and business
to “buy legislation”