Creating A Government Unit Exam Review Power Point

Terms and Qualifications for Office

House of Representatives 435 members Term - 2 years term / entire body up for re – election every 2 years Qualifications – 25 years old, 7 years a citizen and a resident of the state

Senate 100 members Term – 6 years / 1/3 of body elected every 2 years Qualifications – 30 years old, 9 years a citizen and a resident of the state

President Term – 4 years / 2 terms Qualifications – 35 years old and born in the United States

Supreme Court 9 members Term - Life

Vocabulary

Republic A nation in which the voters elect representatives to govern them

Federalism The sharing of powers between the state and national governments

Separation of Powers Each branch of the government has its own powers – clearly described in the Constitution Each branch of the government has its own duties and responsibilities

Electoral College The system of electors chosen from each state to choose the President. Responsible for choosing the President and Vice - President

Checks and Balances Each branch of the Federal Government has some way to check, or control, the other two branches Examples – President vetoes a bill, Congress overrides his veto, Supreme Court declares a law unconstitutional, President appoints a Supreme Court Justice and the Senate ratifies the appointment

Bill A proposed law

Override Overruling a President’s veto Takes a 2/3’s majority in both houses of Congress

Veto Rejecting a bill

Impeach Bringing charges against a President or Supreme Court Justice

Amend To make changes in the Constitution 2/3’s of Congress to propose and ¾’s of the states to approve Constitution has 27 of them

Due Process Government must follow the same rules in all cases brought to trial Trial by jury, right to be defended by a lawyer, right to a speedy trial

Shared or Concurrent Powers The national government has certain powers, the state governments have certain powers and there are powers shared by both

Law Bill that is signed by the President

Legislative Branch Makes the laws Made up of the Congress – the House of Representatives and the Senate

Executive Branch Enforces the laws President is the head of this branch

Judicial Branch Interprets the laws Made up of the Supreme Court and other Federal Courts

Census Counting the population ever 10 years Began in 1790 Determines a state’s representation in the House of Representatives

Bill of Rights Lists the freedoms the government has to protect First 10 amendments to the Constitution – ratified in 1791

Ratify To pass or accept 9 of the 13 states had to do this for the Constitution to go into effect

Federalist A person who was in favor of the Constitution

Antifederalist A person who was opposed to the Constitution

Constitution A document that sets out the laws and principles of a government “Recipe for Government” Spells out the rights of the citizens Limits the power of government

Economic Depression A period when business activity slows, prices and wages fall and unemployment rises Led to Shays’ Rebellion in 1786

Who Am I?

James Madison Virginia “Father of the Constitution” Co – author of the Virginia Plan One of the authors of the Federalist Papers

George Washington Virginia President of the Constitutional Convention First President elected under the new Constitution

John Adams Massachusetts Was not at the Constitutional Convention because he was our Minister to England First Vice-President elected under the new Constitution

Benjamin Franklin Pennsylvania Oldest delegate at the Constitutional Convention

William Paterson New Jersey Author of the New Jersey Plan

Roger Sherman Connecticut Author of the Great Compromise

Alexander Hamilton New York Only New York delegate to stay at the Constitutional Convention One of the authors of the Federalist Papers

John Jay New York One of the authors of the Federalist Papers

Edmund Randolph Virginia Co – author of the Virginia Plan