1. American Government
Brainpop hyperlink in picture

2. There are three separate but equal branches of government.
The American system of government is established by the United States Constitution.
There are three separate but equal branches of government.
The Founding Fathers, the framers of the Constitution, wanted to form a government that did not allow one person to have too much authority or control.
With this in mind the framers wrote the Constitution to provide for a separation of powers, or three separate branches of government.

3. 3 Branches of Government:
Executive
Together, these branches make, execute, and interpret the laws that govern our country. Because each branch has both individual and shared powers, each is accountable to the others.
Each has its own responsibilities and at the same time they work together to make the country run smoothly and to assure that the rights of citizens are not ignored.
Legislative
Judicial

4. Our government is a system of checks and balances.
Executive
Branch
This "checks and balances" system means that the balance of power in our government remains steady.
A branch may use its powers to check the powers of the other two in order to maintain a balance of power among the three branches of government.
Judicial
Branch
Legislative
Branch

5. Let's take a closer look at our government.
Boy has a website attachment
government.

6. Executive Branch
Has the power to enforce the laws that are written by Congress.

7. Executive Branch People included:
President, Vice-President and the President’s Cabinet.
The White House is the symbol of the Executive Branch.

8. The President President Elections Duties / Powers Succession
Elected every 4 years by the Electoral College.
Limited to 2 terms (25th Amendment)
Duties / Powers
Commander–in–Chief of the military, nominates federal judges, proposes budgets, signs bills into law, and proposes domestic & foreign policy for the nation.
The President also appoints the cabinet that helps him make decisions. For example the Secretary of State helps with decisions about foreign countries.
Can grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the U.S., except in cases of impeachment.
Succession
If the President dies in office, the Vice-President takes over.

9. So You Wanna Be the President?
35 years old
Natural born citizen of the U.S.
Resident of the United States for 14 years

10. The President Perks Salary ($400,000 yearly)
White House, Air Force One, Marine One, Camp David, Secret Service, Staff, Etc.

11. Air Force One

12. Our Current President Barack H. Obama 44th President of the U.S.
Elected November 4, 2008, sworn in on January 20th, 2009
Born in Hawaii on August, 4th 1961
Parents from Kenya (father) and Kansas (mother)
Attended Harvard Law School
1st African American President

13. Presidential Impeachment
Impeachment: removal from office due to unlawful activity
Presidents who have been impeached:
Andrew Johnson (17th President)
William (Bill) J. Clinton (42nd President)

14. Andrew Johnson (17th President)

15. William (Bill) J. Clinton (42nd President)

16. Political Parties
An organization of people which seek to achieve goals common to its members through the acquisition and exercise of political power.
Ex.
Republican Party
Democrat Party
Libertarian Party
Green Party
Constitution Party

17. Major Political Parties
Republican
Democrat
Tend to support the rights of business owners large and small, and they believe that government should in general have a relatively limited role in daily life.
Tend to support ideas of equal rights and opportunities for the working and lower classes, as well as the right to civil liberties that protect individuals from the government’s interference.

18. After you're elected...
“I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
After the president has been elected, he or she is sworn into office on January 20 for a four-year term.

19. Did You Know...
1. The president tosses the first ball of baseball season!
2. If the president is unable to fulfill his or her duties, the vice president must take over.
3. When George Washington became president at the age of 57, he only had one tooth left!
4. George Washington started as president with a salary of $25,000 per term.
Fourteen times in American history, the vice president has become a president.
Washington had false teeth that were made out of elephant and walrus tusk.
Today the president receives $200,000 per year plus $50,000 in expenses. In addition, he receives $100,000 in untaxable travel and entertainment income per year.
5. Woodrow Wilson didn’t have to go to school until he was 9 years old.
6. Jimmy Carter could read 2,000 words per minute!

20. Executive Leader at All Levels
National
(President)
State
(Governor)
Local
Mayor

21. The Vice-President Elections
Vice President is elected with the President.
Serves a 4 year term with the President
Duties
Assists the President (Top Advisor)
President of the Senate (votes in cases of a tie)
Succession
Takes over President duties if the President dies in office.
Speaker of the House takes over if Vice-President dies after taking position as President.

22. Current Vice-President
Joseph Robinette Biden
Born November 20, 1942, in Scranton, Pennsylvania
Graduated from Syracuse Law School
47th Vice-President

23. The Vice-President Perks Salary ($230,000)
Vice-President’s Mansion, Marine Two, Secret Service, Staff, etc.

24. President and Vice-President Safety
Although not a written law, the Secret Service tries to make a point of not having the President and Vice-President in the same place at the same time as often as possible.
Why would they do this????

25. The President’s Cabinet
15 Departments:
The leaders of the departments are the President’s closest advisors.
The leaders are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.
The Departments: Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health & Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing & Urban Development, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury & Veterans Affairs.

26. The Pentagon Building Headquarter of the U.S. Department of Defense
Located in Arlington County, Virginia
Five-sided concrete and steel symbol of the U.S. military
Struck on September 11, 2001, shortly after New York City’s World Trade Center
Killed 189 people
Damaged 1/3 of the building

27. Play-Doh Activity
With your play-doh create something that illustrates the President, Vice-President, or Cabinet member performing a duty of the Executive Branch.

28. The Legislative Branch
Has the power to make the laws

29. The Legislative Branch
People
Congress is bicameral (2 houses)…House of Representatives and the Senate
House of Representatives (Lower House)
U.S. Senate (Upper House)
The symbol of the Legislative Branch is the U.S. Capital Building.
Hyperlink attached to picture

30. The Great Compromise
Constitutional Compromise when the framers created the current Constitution.
Also called the Connecticut Compromise
Compromise between big states and small states.
Each state will get 2 members in the Senate
Each state’s membership in the House of Representatives will be based upon population

31. The Great Compromise

32. Congress / The Senate U.S. Senate Representation
Each state (no matter the size) gets 2
Senators
100 Senators total
Terms in Office / Elections
Elected for 6 year terms
All voters in the state vote for each Senator
Duty / Powers
Represent the interest of Louisiana while in Washington D.C.
Declare war, pass laws and taxes, impeach the President or judges, serve on committees, and ratify treaties with foreign nations

33. The United States Senate
U.S. Senate
Requirements
30 years of age, a U.S. citizen for at least 9 years, and live in the state you represent
Salary & Benefits
Salary = 174,000
State & Federal Office
Transportation fees

34. U.S. Senate Senate Leadership Special Debate Privileges
Daily Leadership = President Pro Tempore
Republican & Democratic Majority Leaders
Special Debate Privileges
Filibuster – tactic to defeat bills by talking for extensive periods of time.
Only ended by cloture, a vote by 3/5ths of the Senate to end the filibuster.
Louisiana Senators
David Vitter - Republican
Bill Cassidy - Republican

35. Congress / House of Representatives
Representation
The number of representatives is based on the state’s population (Census, taken every 10 years)
Louisiana has 6.
Total number in the U.S. is 435.
Elections / Terms in Office
Elected every 2 years and serve 2 year terms
Vote for the representative for your district.
You live in District 1
Duties / Powers
Represent the interest of Louisiana while in Washington D.C.
Declare war, pass laws and taxes, impeach the President or judges, serve on committees, and ratify treaties with foreign nations

36. U.S. House of Representatives
Requirements
25 years of age, be a U.S. citizen for 7 years, and live in the state you represent
Salary & Benefits
Salary $174,000

37. House of Representatives
House Leadership
Speaker of the House
Line of secession, after Vice-President
Paul Ryan
Other Duties
Select President IF majority not reached in the Electoral College (Ex. 1876)
Louisiana
6 Members
You live in District One
Steve Scalise (Republican)

38. Louisiana U.S. House of Representatives

39. The Electoral College

40. The Electoral College: What is it?
The Electoral College is the system that the U.S. uses to select the President of the United States
The President is NOT elected based upon popular vote.
It’s a PROCESS, not a place.

41. Why Was This System Selected?
The founding fathers selected the Electoral College system for many reasons
Look at the population map below.

42. The Electoral College How Is Your Number Determined?
Each state’s Electoral Votes is based upon 2 items:
Representation in Congress
Results of the latest Census 2010
Examples:
Alabama 7 in HOR and 2 Senators = 9 Elec Votes
Alaska 1 in HOR and 2 Senators = 3 Elec Votes
Connecticut 5 in HOR and 2 Senators = 7 Elec Votes
California 53 in HOR and 2 Senators = 55 Elec Votes
Florida 27 in HOR and 2 Senators = 29 Elec Votes
New York 27 in HOR and 2 Senators = 29 Elec Votes

43. Louisiana & the Electoral College
PRIOR to the 2010 Census….
Louisiana had 9 electoral votes
AFTER the 2012 Census….
Louisiana will have 8 electoral votes
Louisiana lost population
WHY????

44. How Does It Work? When Voting
You are actually voting for the elector that supports the candidate that you vote for.
It states the candidates name on the ballot, however you are voting for the elector, not the candidate.

45. Winner Take All
When the voting polls close and votes are counted, all states except one use the winner take all system
This means whoever gets the most popular vote in that state, will get all the electoral votes in that state.
Maine does not use winner take all
Examples (NOT ACTUAL NUMBERS):
13,000 vote for Clinton and 11,000 for Bush I. Clinton gets all 8 electoral votes.
13,000 vote for Bush II and 11,000 for Gore. Bush II gets all 8 electoral votes.

46. Winning in the Electoral College
538 possible Electoral Votes
Candidates need 270 to win.
If a majority is not reached in the Electoral College, then the House of Representatives has the Constitutional power to decide the election.

47. The 2012 Electoral Map

48. Electoral College!!!! Practice Problem # 1
Mississippi has 4 in the HOR and 2 Senators. Show me with your candy how many electoral votes Mississippi will have.

49. Electoral College!!!! Practice Problem # 1
Mississippi has 4 in the HOR and 2 Senators. Show me with your candy how many electoral votes Mississippi will have.

50. Electoral College!!!! Practice Problem # 3
Currently, Louisiana has 7 members in the HOR and 2 Senators. However, due to the U.S. Census in 2010 Louisiana lost an electoral vote. Show me with your candy how many electoral votes Louisiana will have.

51. Electoral College!!!! Practice Problem # 4
Oklahoma has 7 electoral votes
Pretend in the 2000 Election that Bush II received 20,000 votes in Oklahoma and Gore received 18,000 votes. (Just example numbers)
Show me with your candy how the electoral votes were distributed in Oklahoma.

52. Electoral College!!!! Practice Problem # 5 Utah has electoral votes
In 1976 Carter ran against Ford. Assume Carter received 25,000 votes and Ford received 20,000 votes. (Just example numbers)
Show me with your candy how the electoral votes were distributed in Utah.

53. Play-Doh
Create something with your play-doh that illustrates a duty, power, election of or anything to do with either house of Congress.

54. The Judicial Branch
Has the power to interpret laws

55. Judicial Branch People
Supreme Court and all federal judges
The symbol of the Judicial Branch is the Supreme Court Building.

56. The Judicial Branch Salary Representation
Federal judges are NOT voted for.
Appointment / Terms in Office
Appointed by the President and approved by the U.S. Senate.
Appointed for life.
Can only be removed by impeachment
Duties / Powers
Pass judgments on matters of law, settle disputes between other branches, and decide if laws passed by Congress are constitutional
Salary
174,000 – district
184,000 – appeals
213,000 - supreme

57. The Judicial Branch 3 levels of the Federal Court System
District Court
Lowest Level
Trial Court
In New Orleans
Appellate Court
Mid level
Hear appeals from lower court
Part of the 5th circuit
Supreme Court
Highest court in the land
Final Authority

58. Federal Courts

59. U.S. Supreme Court Highest Court in the Land
Use the principle of Judicial Review
Right to declare a law to be unconstitutional
9 Justices
Head Justice, called the Chief Justice
Cases
Appeal your case and the court decides if they will hear it
Decide a case, write an opinion
Examples
Plessy v. Ferguson
Declared segregation to be ok
Brown v. Board of Education
Overturned Plessy and said segregation is illegal

60. U.S. Supreme Court

61. People of the U.S. Supreme Court Today
Chief Justice John Roberts, Jr.
Associate Justices:
ANTONIN SCALIA
ANTHONY M. KENNEDY
CLARENCE THOMAS
RUTH BADER GINSBURG
STEPHEN G. BREYER
SAMUEL A. ALITO, JR.
SONIA SOTOMAYOR
ELENA KAGAN

62. Judicial Selection

63. Judicial Selection No formal qualifications for federal judges
Federal judges serve “during good behavior”, which generally means for life.
Why? – allows judges to be free from political pressures when deciding cases (don’t have to worry about being re-elected)
May be removed from office through impeachment and conviction
12 federal judges impeached – 7 found guilty and removed

64. Background of Supreme Court Judges
Almost all federal judges have
Had legal training
Held positions in government
Served as lawyers for leading law firms
Served as federal district attorney
Served as law school professors
Few African-Americans, Hispanics, or Women
President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed first African American Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshall.
President Ronald Reagan appointed the first female Supreme Court Justice, Sandra Day O’Connor

65. The Supreme Court At Work
When is the Supreme Court in session?
Term of the Supreme Court begins on the first Monday in Oct. and generally lasts until June or July of the following year

66. Play-doh
Create something that illustrates the power or duties of the Judicial Branch.

67. Let's Review... What are the 3 branches of government?
Legislative, Executive, and Judicial
2. Congress is made up of __________ and __________.
The Senate and House of Representatives
3. How many Senators are from each state? 2
4. Which branch of government includes the President?
Executive Branch

68. Let's Review... 5. What is the job of the Executive Branch?
Carry out laws
6. Who is the current President of the United States?
George W. Bush
7. What is the job of the Judicial Branch?
Decide what laws mean
8. How long do Supreme Court justices serve?
For the rest of their lives