CHAPTER 9 The Constitution

The Constitution establishes balanced national government by dividing authority among three independent branches – executive, legislative and judicial.

Executive Branch White House Executes the law President: Head of state of the United States  Vice President: Takes over presidency if the president becomes too ill to continue in office or dies.  Cabinet: Official advisors determined by the president. Includes administrative heads of executive departments of the federal government and others appointed by the president.

Legislative Branch Capitol Building Congress: Makes laws and changes existing laws based on the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.  The Senate: 100 members, 2 from each state  The House of Representatives: 435 members, apportioned to each state based on population.

Judicial Branch Supreme Court Supreme Court: Studies and interprets the law.  Nine members (a Chief Justice and 8 Associate Justices)  Appellate: US Court of Appeals (Appeal=Request for change; ask a higher power)  Trial Courts: US District Courts, US Court of International Trade, US Court of Federal Claims  Other Federal Courts: Territorial Courts, US Court of Military Appeals (Trial and Appellate), US Tax Court

Checks and Balances Legislative: Before a bill becomes law, both the Senate and the House of Representatives must approve it in identical form. Executive: The President has the power to sign the bill into law or veto it. If the president vetoes a bill, Congress can over-ride the veto by a two-thirds vote of both houses. Judicial: The Supreme Court has the power to declare a law passed by Congress to be unconstitutional.