2. Articles of Confederation
1777-1781
Our 1st form of government
Established the name of the united states
Had many problems
Unicameral (one house) legislature called
Congress created from representatives of the 13
states
One vote per state
Weak central government
No national courts
No power to tax
No money meant no army
Important laws had to be approved by at least 9
3. Articles of Confederation
No executive officer to enforce laws
No way to control trade between states
No way to settle quarrels between states
States had more power
They could tax
They had courts
States could make currency
4. Constitutional Convention
1786
Annapolis, MD (aborted due to lack delegates)
1787 – Constitutional Convention
Philadelphia
Independence Hall
George Washington – president
Not all agreed
Compromises made
Virginia plan-large state plan
James Madison
New Jersey plan-small state plan
Ratified 1788
5. Preamble
“We the People of the United States, in
Order to form a more perfect Union,
establish Justice, insure domestic
Tranquility, provide for the common
defense, promote the general Welfare,
and secure the Blessings of Liberty to
ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain
and establish this Constitution for the
United States of America.”
6. Article 1
Legislative Branch
Purpose
Make laws
2 houses or bodies of Congress
House of Representatives
Senate
7. House of Representatives
435 members
Based on population (about 1 for every 500,000)
Each state gets at least one representative
Term- 2 years
Unlimited terms
Qualifications
25
US Citizen- 7 years
Resident of state
Male or female
8. Senate
100 Total Senators
2 from each state
Term
6 years, 1/3 every of Senators up for re-election
every 2 years
Unlimited terms
Qualifications
30 years old
Citizen for 9 years
Resident of the state
Male or female
9. Senate
Leaders of the Senate
Vice President - Currently V.P.-Joe Biden
Senate pro-tempore - Currently Harry Reid (D.,
Nevada)
Checks & Balance
Senate has Power of impeachment
They are the Jury in the impeachment trial
10. General information about
Congress
Congress (with a capital C) is the name
for both the U.S. House of
Representatives and The US Senate
Both meet in:
Capitol Building in Washington DC
Paid the same, approximately $174, 000 a
year.
11. Lawmaking process
Job of Congress is to get laws passed to make sure our
country is running smoothly
How pass laws
An idea in the form of a “bill” is introduced either in the House of
Reps or the Senate
Revenue laws (money laws like taxes, or refunds, etc must start in the
House of Representatives)
It goes to a committee where it is heard, fixed, and voted on
If it is approved in committee it goes to the floor of the whichever
house it started in and gets voted on. If it passes the first house,
then it goes to the next house
Example: Bill introduced in the House of Reps, goes to a House of Reps
committee, is voted on in committee and passes, then it goes to the
“floor” of the House of Reps and is voted on. If it passed then it is sent to
the Senate and the same process starts over again.
12. Lawmaking Process
Bill must be passed by both houses of
Congress
Sent to President to sign or veto
If President vetoes the bill, Congress needs a
2/3 vote in both houses to over rides the veto
If President doesn’t act in 10 days, bill
automatically becomes law if Congress is in
session
Judicial Branch interprets laws to ensure they
are within the limits of the Constitution
13. Duties of Congress, not
states, Article 1, Section 8
Money-power to raise, borrow, coin money
Defense-power to declare war, to raise and
support military
Ex post facto law
Congress can’t convict someone of an act if that
act was legal at the time when it occurred.
Postal duties
Make treaties
14. Federal system (federalism)
Delegated Powers- Powers only belonging to
the federal gov’t
Ex.-military, postal system, standards, copyrights,
commerce, immigration, declaration of war
Concurrent Powers- shared federal and state
powers
Ex.- general welfare, courts, levy taxes, banks,
borrow money
Reserved Powers-Powers belonging only to
state gov’ts
Ex.-schools, local gov’t, marriage regulations
15. General information about
Article 1 – The Legislature
Congress can’t tax goods exported from
any state
Each citizen must treat citizens of other
states the same as their citizens
16. Article 2 – The Executive
Branch
Purpose to Enforce laws
Consists of
President
Vice President
15 cabinet members
17. President
Takes office on Jan. 20 following an
election year
Term Limits
4 years
2 terms – set by the 22nd amendment
Office located - White House
Current President:
Barack Obama
18. Qualifications & General
information
Age at least 35
Natural born citizen
Live in US for 14 years
Male or female
General Info:
Only 1 resigned from office - Richard Nixon
Only 1 appointed to office - Gerald Ford
1st African American – Barack Obama
19. Election of President
Electoral college
538 total electoral votes
Need 270 to win
If no candidate gets a majority of
electors
House of Reps decides
Each state gets 1 vote
Inauguration Jan. 20
20. Presidential duties
Can call both houses into special session
Veto power
Makes appointments for ambassadors,
judges, 15 cabinet members (they must be
confirmed by the Senate)
Commander-in–chief
Prepares annual budget
Ready by Jan., presented to Congress
2 biggest expenditures
Defense and Social Security
21. Order of succession
Vice President
Speaker of the House
President pro-tempore
Cabinet- Sec. of State
22. Cabinet - 15
Sec. of State – foreign affairs
Attorney General – chief legal officer
Sec. of Defense – defense
Sec. of Agriculture – farm programs
Sec. of Treasury – coinage and printing of money and secret
service
Sec. of Health and Human Service – health and social
security
Sec. of Energy – energy programs
Sec. of Interior – natural resources and parks
Sec. of Labor – settles strikes, working conditions
Sec. of Homeland Defense – oversees protection of U.S.
Sec. of Education – education
Dept. of Transportation – transportation and Coast Guard
Sec. Commerce – industry and business
23. Article 3 - Judicial Branch
Purpose-to interpret laws and decide on
the constitutionality of laws
Federal court system has 3 courts
U.S. Supreme
U.S. Appellate or Court of Appeals
U.S. District
24. Judicial Branch
Judges are appointed by the President
Approved by Senate
Term for life
No qualifications
Supreme court
9 justices
Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. (conservative)
Supreme Court Building in Washington DC
25. Checks and Balances
Executive Branch- Vetoes
Legislative Branch -passes by 2/3 vote
in each house
Judicial Branch– declares law
unconstitutional
26. Articles 4 - 7
4 rights of the states
5 how to amend the constitution
6 constitution is supreme law of the
land
7 how the constitution would be ratified
(approved)
27. Amendments-27
1-10 Bill of Rights
1 speech and press
2 bear arms
4 privacy
6 speedy trial
9 enumeration
12 election of president
13 no slavery
28. Amendments-27
14 citizenship for blacks
15 black men the right to vote
16 income tax
18 prohibition
19 women right to vote
21 repeal 18
22 president’s term
26 vote at 18