1. United States Government Basics

2. Bicameral Legislature
Legislative Branch
Bicameral Legislature

3. Congress Both houses must approve laws before the president can sign
Can override a presidential veto with a 2/3 vote
Majority rule for most votes

4. Congress (cont.) Majority Party controls schedule in each house
Speaker of the House most powerful member of Congress

5. Senate 100 members = 2 per state At least 30 years old
9 years US citizen
Resident of state elected from
Who is the head of the Senate?
Vice President…who is the current V.P.?
Joe Biden

6. John Cornyn (R) & Sen.-elect Ted Cruz (R)
Senate Powers
Confirms presidential appointments like federal judges and Cabinet members
Holds impeachment trials
Approve all treaties with foreign governments
Who are the current Senators from Texas?
John Cornyn (R) & Sen.-elect Ted Cruz (R)

7. House of Representatives
435 members
Minimum of 1 per state
At least 25 years old
7 years US citizen
Resident of state and district elected from
Who is the current Speaker of the House?
Rep. John Boehner (R-OH)

8. House Powers Starts bills that call for spending money
Starts impeachment proceedings
Breaks ties in Electoral College
Who is the Congressman from the 2nd District?
Rep. Ted Poe (R)

9. Executive Branch

10. President Must be at least 35 Natural born citizen
14 years residency in the US
Can serve only 2 terms (22nd Amendment)
These apply to VP also
Who is the President of the U.S.?
Barack Obama

11. President as Chief Executive
Develops federal policy
Enforces the law
Appoints federal officials
Prepares the national budget

12. President’s Role Commander-in-Chief of the military
Makes foreign policy
Chief of State
Symbolic representative
of the nation
Annual State of the Union address

13. President’s Powers Enforces federal laws Grants reprieves and pardon
Appoints federal judges, ambassadors, Cabinet members
Make treaties
Can veto legislation

14. Who is the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court?
Judicial Branch
Supreme Court-only court created by the Constitution
All other federal courts created by Congress
All federal judges appointed by president and approved by Senate
Who is the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court?
John Roberts

15. Supreme Court
No stated requirements for office, but usually experience as a lawyer or lower federal judge
Lifetime appointment
9 members

16. Powers Final say on cases involving federal law
Final say on cases involving 2 or more states
Cases involving foreign ambassadors

17. Supreme Court (cont) Decides issues of Constitutional law
Most cases come on appeal from a lower federal court
Cases can be appealed from a state court
Decisions by majority vote
Decisions are final

18. Supreme Court (cont.) Greatest Power is Judicial Review
Supreme Court determines what is & is not constitutional