Transcript Federal System

Natural Rights:
Life, Liberty, and Property
John
Locke
The Social Contract:
Unwritten agreement
between people and
government. If the
government abuses the
people's rights you rebel.
Popular Sovereignty
People Power: the people
run the government not
the government running
the people.
Found in Declaration of
Independence.
"man should be left
free of the
government."
Popular Sovereignty is
found in the first three
words of the Constitution.
WE THE PEOPLE.
Popular
Sovereignty
The Constitution
Separates our
“Power should government into three
Baron de Separation of be a check to equal branches. Each
Powers
Montesquieu
Power.”
branch can check up
on the other two and
Checks and
balance their power.
Balances
Voltaire
US BILL OF RIGHTS:
"Only the
Freedom of Religion Speech
Basic Rights of
enlightened or
and Press Freedom to
Man
educated should rule
Assemble, Freedom to Petition
a democracy."
the government.
Adam
Smith
Capitalism
or
Free Market
Economy.
Laissez-Faire
economics.
"Economic Liberty
guarantees
Economic
Progress…
The people control the
The Government
economy in the U.S. The U.S.
should leave the
economy works by the laws
economy alone.
of supply and demand not by
Let people do as
government control like a
they please."
command economy or
"Man should be free
communist country.
to pursue wealth
and property, the
government should
not infer."
Sharing Powers between the
federal and state governments..
Constitution Becomes Law
 Becomes the “supreme law” in the land
(ultimate authority)
 No state can make laws that are against
the Constitution
 Disputes between Fed. & State
governments

Handled by Federal Court
Powers of the Federal Government
Articles of Confederation
Constitution
 Declare War/Make Peace
 Declare War/ Make Peace
 Coin Money
 Coin Money
 Manage Foreign Affairs
 Manage Foreign Affairs
 Postal System
 Postal System
 Impose Tax
 Impose Tax
 Regulate Trade
 Regulate Trade
 Organize Court System
 Organize Court System
Organization of Government
Article I
•
Legislative Branch Continued
Powers of Congress
 Collecting Tax
 Coining money
 Regulating trade
 Declare war
 Raise/support army
 “makes laws”
Article I: THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH: The U.S. Congress
Powers of Congress
Collect Taxes
Coin Money
Regulate Trade
Raise and Support Armies
Makes all laws necessary to fulfill its function.
CONGRESS MAKES LAWS!
The House of
Representatives
Qualifications of a Congressman.
•Be at least 25 years old.
•Be a US Citizen for at least 7 years.
The Senate
Qualifications for a Senator.
•Be at least 30 years old.
•Be a US Citizen for at least 9 years
•Live in the state they represent.
Two Senators per State = 100 Senators
Representation by population =435 Congressman.
Serve 2-year terms.
Serve 6-year terms, every 2 years 1/3 are up for
reelection.
Special Powers only for the Senate.
Special Powers only for the House.
Start laws that make people pay taxes.
Decide if a government official should be
impeached if he or she commits a crime.
•Say yes or no to any treaties the President makes.
•Say yes or no to people the President recommends
for jobs like the cabinet, Judges, Attorneys,
Ambassadors.
•Hold an impeachment trial for any government official
who does something illegal.
 Many believed the
articles of
Confederation
failed, because they
didn’t have a strong
executive who could
check/limit
Congress.
•Consists of President, Vice President, &
Cabinet
•President’s job to carry out nations laws
& policies.
Article II: THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH: The President of the United States
Qualifications to be President
•Be at least 35 years old.
•A US Citizen born in the United States.
Presidents serve 4-year terms, no more than two terms of office.
The President Approves and Enforces Laws!
The Powers of the President
Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces
Approves laws passed by Congress
Conducts relations with foreign countries. (Diplomacy, Ambassadors, Treaties.)
With the help of his cabinet enforces laws made by Congress.
Special Powers of the President
Can Veto Laws passed in Congress
Can appoint Justices, Judges, and Attorneys.
Can fire attorneys.
Limits of Power on the President
Cannot pass laws, may introduce a law but must get a U.S. Congressman to sponsor the bill in the House
of Representative.
Congress can bring home troops from anywhere after 90 days of being deployed.
The President's Cabinet
Secretary of State
Department of State (1789):
Works with other countries.
Secretary of the Treasury
Department of the Treasury (1789):
Supervises the collection of taxes and the printing of money.
Secretary of Defense
Department of Defense (1947):
Oversees the armed forces.
Attorney General
Department of Justice (1870):
Enforces the U.S. Government's laws.
Secretary of the Interior
Department of the Interior (1849):
Protects natural resources and wildlife.
OTHER CABINET OFFICERS
Secretary of Commerce Promotes business and job opportunities, technology.
Secretary of Labor Overseas the interests of US workers.
Secretary of Health and Human Services Looks after people's health and
provides services including conducting medical research, preventing diseases,
assuring the safety of food and drugs; providing financial assistance for low
income families.
Secretary of Housing & Development Overseas housing needs
Secretary of Transportation Overseas railroads, highways, ports, airways.
Secretary of Energy Overseas research into new energy sources.
Secretary of Education Establishes guidelines for school improvement.
Secretary of Veteran Affairs Operates programs for Veterans and their
families.
Secretary of Homeland Security (2003): Works to prevent terrorist attacks
within the United States, reduce America's vulnerability to terrorism, and
minimize the damage from potential attacks and natural disasters.
Electoral College
Judicial Branch
 Interprets Laws
 Deals with disputes
between states
 Rule if law goes against
constitution
 Judicial Power resides in
“Supreme Court”
 Oversee laws passed by
Congress
Article III: The Judicial Branch
The Supreme Court
The Highest Court in the Land
•1 Chief Justice
•8 Associate Justices
Qualifications for Supreme Court Justice
Must be U.S. Citizen
The Supreme Court Rules on Laws as
Constitutional or Unconstitutional!
Justices serve for life or until they retire or are impeached by the House, and convicted
by the Senate.
Facts about the Supreme Court
 7,500 Cases sent to the Supremes a year, only 80 to 100 are heard by the
Supremes!
 Supreme Court Cases can only be overturned by Amendment.
 One former President (Howard Taft) was appointed as a Justice.
 Some famous cases include: Marbury v. Madison, Dred Scott, Plessy v,
Ferguson, Brown v. Board of Education, Miranda v. Arizona, Roe v. Wade.
LOWER FEDERAL COURTS
US CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS
 Directly below Supreme Court
 Hear cases involving the Constitution
 Rule on appeals of lower court decisions.
US DISTRICT COURT
 Directly below US Circuit Court
 Hear cases involving the Constitution
 Rule on appeals of lower state court decisions.
Checks & Balances
The Constitution divides government power between
the Legislative, Executive, & Judicial branches of gov.
Order of Presidential Succession
According to the Presidential Succession Act of 1947, if the President of the
United States is incapacitated, dies, resigns, is for any reason unable to hold
his office, or is removed from office (impeached and convicted), people in
the following offices, in this order, will assume the office of the President,
provided they are qualified as stated by the Constitution to assume the
office of the President, which means they have to be must be at least 35
years old, must be a natural-born U.S. citizen, and have lived in the U.S. for
at least 14 years.
1.Vice President
2.Speaker of the House
3.President Pro Tempore of Senate
4.Cabinet officers in this order:
•Secretary of State, Treasury, Defense, Attorney General,
Secretaries of Interior, Commerce, Labor, Health and Human
Services, Housing and Development, Transportation, Energy,
Education, Veteran Affairs, Homeland Security.
5.Highest Ranking Army Officer
6.Highest Ranking Naval Officer
Ratifying Conventions
 State Legislatures set up
conventions to gain
public favor.
 9 of 13 states had to ratify
the Constitution, before
it could be used!
Constitutional Debate
Federalists
Anti-Federalists
 Opposed Constitution
 Supported Constitution
 Took away liberties fought
 Wrote Newspapers called
“The Federalist Papers.”
 Notable men:
 George Washington, Ben
Franklin, Alexander
Hamilton, John Jay
over against Britain
 Constitution benefited elite,
not common people or local
gov.
 Too strong of a Central gov.
 Patrick Henry & George
Mason against Constitution
Protecting Citizen’s Rights
Adopting the Constitution
 Only after the promise of a
“Bill of Rights” did some
states ratify the Constitution
(such as Virginia).
 All 13 states ratified the
Constitution by May 1790
(Rhode Island was the last
state) .
 The Bill of Rights was added
in 1791.