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The American System of Government: Executive, Legislative, Judicial

Explore the three branches of the American government - Executive, Legislative, and Judicial - and their roles in maintaining checks and balances. Learn about the President, Vice-President, Cabinet, and the process of presidential impeachment. Discover the major political parties and the duties of the President's Cabinet. Find out interesting facts about the presidency and the vice-presidency!

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The American System of Government: Executive, Legislative, Judicial

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  1. American Government

  2. The American system of government is established by the United States Constitution. There are three separate but equal branches of government.

  3. 3 Branches of Government: Executive Legislative Judicial

  4. Our government is a system of checks and balances. Executive Branch Judicial Branch Legislative Branch

  5. Let's take a closer look at our government.

  6. Executive Branch • Has the power to enforce the laws that are written by Congress.

  7. Executive Branch • People included: • President, Vice-President and the President’s Cabinet. • The White House is the symbol of the Executive Branch.

  8. The President • President • Elections • Elected every 4 years by the Electoral College. • Limited to 2 terms (25th Amendment) • Duties / Powers • Commander–in–Chief of the military, nominates federal judges, proposes budgets, signs bills into law, and proposes domestic & foreign policy for the nation. • The President also appoints the cabinet that helps him make decisions. For example the Secretary of State helps with decisions about foreign countries. • Can grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the U.S., except in cases of impeachment. • Succession • If the President dies in office, the Vice-President takes over.

  9. So You Wanna Be the President? • 35 years old • Natural born citizen of the U.S. • Resident of the United States for 14 years

  10. The President • Perks • Salary ($400,000 yearly) • White House, Air Force One, Marine One, Camp David, Secret Service, Staff, Etc.

  11. Air Force One

  12. Our Current President • Barack H. Obama • 44th President of the U.S. • Elected November 4, 2008, sworn in on January 20th, 2009 • Born in Hawaii on August, 4th 1961 • Parents from Kenya (father) and Kansas (mother) • Attended Harvard Law School • 1stAfrican American President

  13. Presidential Impeachment • Impeachment: removal from office due to unlawful activity • Presidents who have been impeached: • Andrew Johnson (17th President) • William (Bill) J. Clinton (42nd President)

  14. Andrew Johnson (17th President)

  15. William (Bill) J. Clinton (42nd President)

  16. Political Parties • An organization of people which seek to achieve goals common to its members through the acquisition and exercise of political power. • Ex. • Republican Party • Democrat Party • Libertarian Party • Green Party • Constitution Party

  17. Major Political Parties Republican Democrat Tend to support ideas of equal rights and opportunities for the working and lower classes, as well as the right to civil liberties that protect individuals from the government’s interference. • Tend to support the rights of business owners large and small, and they believe that government should in general have a relatively limited role in daily life.

  18. After you're elected... “I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

  19. Did You Know... 1. The president tosses the first ball of baseball season! 2. If the president is unable to fulfill his or her duties, the vice president must take over. 3. When George Washington became president at the age of 57, he only had one tooth left! 4. George Washington started as president with a salary of $25,000 per term. 5. Woodrow Wilson didn’t have to go to school until he was 9 years old. 6. Jimmy Carter could read 2,000 words per minute!

  20. Executive Leader at All Levels National (President) State (Governor) Local Mayor

  21. The Vice-President • Elections • Vice President is elected with the President. • Serves a 4 year term with the President • Duties • Assists the President (Top Advisor) • President of the Senate (votes in cases of a tie) • Succession • Takes over President duties if the President dies in office. • Speaker of the House takes over if Vice-President dies after taking position as President.

  22. Current Vice-President • Joseph Robinette Biden • Born November 20, 1942, in Scranton, Pennsylvania • Graduated from Syracuse Law School • 47th Vice-President

  23. The Vice-President • Perks • Salary ($230,000) • Vice-President’s Mansion, Marine Two, Secret Service, Staff, etc.

  24. President and Vice-President Safety • Although not a written law, the Secret Service tries to make a point of not having the President and Vice-President in the same place at the same time as often as possible. • Why would they do this????

  25. The President’s Cabinet • 15 Departments: • The leaders of the departments are the President’s closest advisors. • The leaders are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. • The Departments: Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health & Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing & Urban Development, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury & Veterans Affairs.

  26. The Pentagon Building • Headquarter of the U.S. Department of Defense • Located in Arlington County, Virginia • Five-sided concrete and steel symbol of the U.S. military • Struck on September 11, 2001, shortly after New York City’s World Trade Center • Killed 189 people • Damaged 1/3 of the building

  27. Play-Doh Activity • With your play-doh create something that illustrates the President, Vice-President, or Cabinet member performing a duty of the Executive Branch.

  28. The Legislative Branch • Has the power to make the laws

  29. The Legislative Branch • People • Congress is bicameral (2 houses)…House of Representatives and the Senate • House of Representatives (Lower House) • U.S. Senate (Upper House) • The symbol of the Legislative Branch is the U.S. Capital Building.

  30. The Great Compromise • Constitutional Compromise when the framers created the current Constitution. • Also called the Connecticut Compromise • Compromise between big states and small states. • Each state will get 2 members in the Senate • Each state’s membership in the House of Representatives will be based upon population

  31. The Great Compromise

  32. Congress / The Senate • U.S. Senate • Representation • Each state (no matter the size) gets 2 Senators • 100 Senators total • Terms in Office / Elections • Elected for 6 year terms • All voters in the state vote for each Senator • Duty / Powers • Represent the interest of Louisiana while in Washington D.C. • Declare war, pass laws and taxes, impeach the President or judges, serve on committees, and ratify treaties with foreign nations • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xj4aMGlf6bA&feature=channel

  33. The United States Senate • U.S. Senate • Requirements • 30 years of age, a U.S. citizen for at least 9 years, and live in the state you represent • Salary & Benefits • Salary = 174,000 • State & Federal Office • Transportation fees

  34. U.S. Senate • Senate Leadership • Daily Leadership = President Pro Tempore • Republican & Democratic Majority Leaders • Special Debate Privileges • Filibuster – tactic to defeat bills by talking for extensive periods of time. • Only ended by cloture, a vote by 3/5ths of the Senate to end the filibuster. • Louisiana Senators • David Vitter - Republican • Run off between other candidates on December 6th

  35. Congress / House of Representatives • Representation • The number of representatives is based on the state’s population (Census, taken every 10 years) • Louisiana has 6. • Total number in the U.S. is 435. • Elections / Terms in Office • Elected every 2 years and serve 2 year terms • Vote for the representative for your district. • You live in District 1 • Duties / Powers • Represent the interest of Louisiana while in Washington D.C. • Declare war, pass laws and taxes, impeach the President or judges, serve on committees, and ratify treaties with foreign nations • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6LWHFVzjKY

  36. U.S. House of Representatives • Requirements • 25 years of age, be a U.S. citizen for 7 years, and live in the state you represent • Salary & Benefits • Salary $174,000

  37. House of Representatives • House Leadership • Speaker of the House • Line of secession, after Vice-President • John Boehner • Other Duties • Select President IF majority not reached in the Electoral College (Ex. 1876) • Louisiana • 6 Members • You live in District One • Steve Scalise (Republican)

  38. Louisiana U.S. House of Representatives

  39. The Electoral College

  40. The Electoral College:What is it? • The Electoral College is the system that the U.S. uses to select the President of the United States • The President is NOT elected based upon popular vote. • It’s a PROCESS, not a place.

  41. Why Was This System Selected? • The founding fathers selected the Electoral College system for many reasons • Look at the population map below.

  42. The Electoral CollegeHow Is Your Number Determined? • Each state’s Electoral Votes is based upon 2 items: • Representation in Congress • Results of the latest Census 2010 • Examples: • Alabama 7 in HOR and 2 Senators = 9 Elec Votes • Alaska 1 in HOR and 2 Senators = 3 Elec Votes • Connecticut 5 in HOR and 2 Senators = 7 Elec Votes • California 53 in HOR and 2 Senators = 55 Elec Votes • Florida 27 in HOR and 2 Senators = 29 Elec Votes • New York 27 in HOR and 2 Senators = 29 Elec Votes

  43. Louisiana & the Electoral College • PRIOR to the 2010 Census…. • Louisiana had 9 electoral votes • AFTER the 2012 Census…. • Louisiana will have 8 electoral votes • Louisiana lost population • WHY????

  44. How Does It Work? • When Voting • You are actually voting for the elector that supports the candidate that you vote for. • It states the candidates name on the ballot, however you are voting for the elector, not the candidate.

  45. Winner Take All • When the voting polls close and votes are counted, all states except one use the winnertake all system • This means whoever gets the most popular vote in that state, will get all the electoral votes in that state. • Maine does not use winner take all • Examples (NOT ACTUAL NUMBERS): • 13,000 vote for Clinton and 11,000 for Bush I. Clinton gets all 8 electoral votes. • 13,000 vote for Bush II and 11,000 for Gore. Bush II gets all 8 electoral votes.

  46. Winning in the Electoral College • 538 possible Electoral Votes • Candidates need 270 to win. • If a majority is not reached in the Electoral College, then the House of Representatives has the Constitutional power to decide the election.

  47. The 2012 Electoral Map

  48. Electoral College!!!! • Practice Problem # 1 • Mississippi has 4 in the HOR and 2 Senators. Show me with your candy how many electoral votes Mississippi will have.

  49. Electoral College!!!! • Practice Problem # 1 • Mississippi has 4 in the HOR and 2 Senators. Show me with your candy how many electoral votes Mississippi will have.

  50. Electoral College!!!! • Practice Problem # 3 • Currently, Louisiana has 7 members in the HOR and 2 Senators. However, due to the U.S. Census in 2010 Louisiana lost an electoral vote. Show me with your candy how many electoral votes Louisiana will have.

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