1. Three Branches of Government
Lesson 2 Term 2

2. The Preamble
Why does the preamble to the Constitution mention liberty and justice?
The writers wanted to make sure that the Constitution protected individual rights.
What are the three branches of government?
The Legislative, Judicial and Executive
Which one is known as the law-making branch?
The Legislative.

3. Legislative Branch What are the main powers of Congress?
To make laws, to raise an army and a navy, declare war and control commerce.
Congress became two houses…
The Senate and the House of Representatives
In Article II the Constitution, says that the power to enforce the rules is given to the executive branch.

4. Role of President To be elected president, the person must be:
At least 35 years old, been born in the United States, and must have lived in the United States for 14 years.
What are two ways in which Congress can limit the power of the President?
It can override the President’s veto, and can impeach the president.
Why were the delegates careful to preserve the separation of powers?
They wanted to prevent one branch from having too much power.

5. Judicial Branch
Article III states that the judicial branch must decide whether laws are working fairly.
Why did the delegates create a federal court system?
To decide cases that involve the whole nation or more than one state.
What is the highest court in the United States that heads the judicial branch?
The Supreme Court

6. The Supreme Court How many Supreme Court justices are there today?
Nine
What is one way in which the Supreme Court limits the power of Congress?
It can decide that a law passed by Congress is unconstitutional and has to be thrown out.