1. STRUCTURE OF OUR FEDERAL (NATIONAL) GOVERNMENT

2. House of Representatives (Lower House) 435 Members, 1 Per District 2 year terms 25 years old Citizen for 7 years Reapportionment every 10 years to account for changes in population Gerrymandering- creating districts in odd shapes to over/under represent a group 100 Members, 2 per state 6 year terms 30 years old Citizen for 9 years Continuous Body (1/3 reelected every 2 years) “At Large” within a state Legislative Branch (Bi-Cameral-Two Houses) Senate (Upper House)

3. Executive Branch President and Vice President 35 years old 4 year terms 22 nd Amendment- can serve 10 years MAX Natural Born Citizen Live in the US for 14 years Cabinet- Official Advisors (15) Secretary of… President chooses, Senate confirms No Term Limits (generally corresponds to Pres. Term) Regulatory/Independent Agencies (Dozens)

4. Judicial Branch Supreme Court (9) No Requirements (Nominated by Pres. Confirmed by Senate) Serve for life (or until retirement) Inferior Courts The Constitutional Courts Special Courts

5. Legislative Branch 1. Why is the Senate referred to as the upper house and the House referred to as the lower house? 2. Is Congress representative of the people it serves? 3. Should Congress be bigger?

6. Executive Branch 4. What does it mean to be a natural born citizen? 5. Is it valuable to have a Bi-Partisan (both parties represented) Cabinet? 6. Have regulatory/independent agencies been “captured” by the special interest/businesses they are supposed to monitor?

7. Judicial Branch 7. Is serving for life a good thing? 8. Is 9 judges a good thing? Is it fair some Presidents get to choose multiple justices and others choose none? 9. What is legislating from the bench? Does it happen? Should it?