ESL AMERICAN GOVERNMENT REVIEW

A CONSTITUTION IS A GROUP OF LAWS IN 1787, LEADERS FROM 12 STATES WENT TO PHILADELPHIA AND WROTE THE CONSTITUTION THE CONSTITUTION SAYS THAT AMERICANS SHOULD CHOOSE AND VOTE FOR, PEOPLE TO WORK FOR THEM IN THEIR GOVERNMENT

THE PREMABLE IS THE INTRODUCTION IT ANNOUNCES TO THE PEOPLE IN THE U.S. TO SET UP THEIR OWN GOVERNMENT IT TELLS THEM TO HOW TO KEEP PEACE AT HOME AND HOW TO DEFEND THEMSELVES IT EXPLAINS WHAT THE GOVERNMENT WILL DO TO PROVIDE FEEDOM FOR ALL PEOPLE

THE PREAMBLE “WE THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES, IN ORDER TO FORM A MORE PERFECT UNION, ESTABLISH JUSTICE, INSURE DOMESTIC TRANQUILTIY, PROVIDE FOR THE COMMON DEFENSE, PROMOTE THE GENERAL WELFARE, AND SECURE THE BLESSINGS OF LIBERTY FOR OURSELVES AND OUR POSTERITY, DO ORDAIN AND ESTABLISH THIS CONSITUTION FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.”

WHAT WAS MISSING IN THE CONSTITUTION? IT DID NOT SAY THAT AMERICANS HAD FREEDOM OF RELIGION OR FREEDOM OF PRESS (WHICH MEANS THE GOVERNEMENT CAN NOT TELL THE PEOPLE WHAT TO WRITE IN NEWSPAPERS OR BOOKS). AMERICANS WANTED A LAW TO SAY SOLDIERS WOULD NO LONGER SLEEP IN AMERICAN HOMES

WHAT DID THEY DO? IN 1917 THE LEADERS OF THE U.S. ADDED THE ( AMENDMENTS) OR NEW LAWS TO THE CONSITUTION THESE TEN AMENDMENTS ARE CALLED “ THE BILL OF RIGHTS” THE BILL OF RIGHTS IS NOW APART OF OUR CONSITUTION THESE RIGHTS INCLUDE: FREEDOM OF RELIGION FREEDOM OF PRESS AMERICAN DO NOT HAVE TO LED SOLDIERS SLEEP IN THEIR HOMES IT GIVES MANY FREEDOMS

THE U.S. CONSTITUION IS MORE THAN 200 YEARS OLD MORE AMMENDMENTS HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THE CONSTITUTION

CONGRESS THE U.S. MAKES LAWS BY MEN AND WOMEN IN CONGRESS. THERE ARE TWO HOUSES, OR PARTS OF CONGRESS: THE SENATE THE HOUSE OFREPRESENTATIVES

SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES ARE THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO WRITE LAWS EVERY STATE SENDS TWO SENTATORS TO WORK IN THE SENATE. STATES WITH MANY PEOPLE SEND MANY REPRESENTATIVES TO WORK IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES WHERE DO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATE MEET? IN THE CAPITOL BUILDING AMERICANS HELP WRITE THEIR OWN LAWS BY VOTING FOR THEIR SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES. CONGRESS: THE HOUSE OF REPRESTATIVES HAS 435 REPRESENATIVES THE SENATE HAS 100 SENATORS

THE PRESIDENT AMERICANS VOTE FOR EVERY FOUR YEARS. HE CARRIES OUT THE LAWS OF OUR COUNTRY HE HELPS TO MAKE OUR LAWS THE WHITE HOUSE IS WHERE HE LIVES (IT IS THE CAPITOL IN WASHINGTON D.C.)

THE SUPREME COURT NINE JUDGES WORK IN THE SUPREME COURT THE JUDGES DECIEDE IF OUR LAWS AGREE WITH THE CONSITUTION

POWERS OF THE CONSITUTION THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND STATE GOVERNMENT SHARE POWER REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE CHECKS AND BALANCES

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND STATES SHARE POWER THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND STATE GOVERNMENT IN THE U.S.A SHARE POWER -THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT THE STATE GOVERNEMENT CAN NOT DO - THE STATE GOVERNMENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CAN NOT DO

REPRESENATION OF THE PEOPLE VOTERS CHOOSE PEOPLE TO REPRESENT THEM IN CONGRESS THEY MAKE THE LAWS THE NUMBER OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM ANY STATE IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES (LOWER HOUSE) IS BASED ON THE POPULATION OF EACH STATE. IN THE SENATE (UPPER HOUSE) EACH STATE HAS TWO SENATORS. (IT DOES NOT MATTER THE SIZE OF THE STATE OR POPULATION

CHECKS AND BALANCES THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHARES POWER IN THREE BRANCHES: EXECUTIVE LEGISLATIVE JUDICIAL EACH BRANCH HAS POWER THEY HAVE LIMITED POWER TO CHECK EACH OTHER THE SEPERATION OF POWER MAKES NO BRANCH MORE POWERFUL THAN ANOTHER

LEGISTATIVE BRANCH MADE UP OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESETATIVES AND SENATE CONGRESS MAKES THE LAWS THAT GOVERN ALL AMERICANS LAWS MUST PASS BY THE MAJORITY VOTE OF BOTH HOUSES OF CONGRESS THE PRESIDENT CAN CHECK THE POWER OF CONGRESS BY VETOING ( SAYING NO TO A BILL) IF THE PRESIDENT VETOES A BILL, CONGRESS CAN OVERFIDE THE VETO BY A TWO-THIRDS VOTE OF BOTH THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

LEGISTATIVE BRANCH CONGRESS: 1. CAN CHECK THE PRESIDENT BY REFUSSING TO APPOINT A JUDGE OR CABINET MEMBER 2.IT CAN REFUSE TO APPROVE A BUDGET (LEAVING THE PRESIDENT WITHOUT FUNDS TO GOVERN) 3.HAS THE POWER TO REMOVE A PRESIDENT FROM OFFICE IS HE/SHE HAS COMMITTED A SERIOUS WRONGDOING (IMPEACHMENT) A TRIAL IS HELD AND TWO-THIRDS MAJORITY VOTE IN THE SENATE IS NEEDED TO REMOVE THE PRESIDENT

JUDICIAL BRANCH DECIEDES WHETHER FEDERAL LAWS HAVE BEEN BROKEN CAN BE ASKED TO DECIDE IF LAWS PASSED BY CONGRESS AND THE ACTIONS OF THE PRESIDENT ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH THE CONSITUTION IF THE SUPREME COURT DECIDES A LAW OR ACTION GOES AGAINST THE PRINCIPLES OF THE CONSITUTION IS SAID TO BE UNCONSITUTIONAL. The law is dropped, the President is forced to change the action The Senate is able to check the judicial and executive branch by approving the appointments

EXECUTIVE BRANCH SEES THAT THE LAWS MADE BY CONGRESS ARE CARRIED OUT THE PRESIDENT IS THE HEAD, AND IS CHOOSEN BY THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE THE PRESIDENT APPOINTS THE CABINET AND MANY OTHER OFFICIALS WHICH NEED TO BE APPROVED BY THE SENATE THE PRESIDENT HAS THE POWER TO VETO A BILL THAT CONGRESS HAS PASSED. THIS VETO CAN BE OVERRIDDEN BY A TWO- THIRDS VOTE OF THE SENTATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES