Professional Documents
Culture Documents
CONSTITUTION
Unit 2: How Government Works
L1 HW Review Questions
Identify & Example (2 sentences)
1) nominate 2) impeach 3) originate 4) prosecute 5) unlimited 6) resident
7) bureaucracy 8) propose 9) recommend 10) veto 11) approve 12)
pardon 13) amnesty
Classwork
) Reading Study Guide (pgs. 55-58)
Highlighted (3 colors) & answered = - 2 tics
Homework
) R.S.G (pgs. 60-64)
The Preamble
Preamble = introduction
Legitimacy = govnt based on
agreement with citizens
We the people of the United
States do ordain and establish
this Constitution.
Why form a govnt?
Improve structure of politics
Create justice & peace
Protect nation from attack
Ensure well-being of citizens
Freedom! Freedom? Freedom
Senate:
Approve presidential
nominations to the federal court
Approve treaties (2/3 vote)
Serve as jury in impeachment
trials
House of Representatives
Originate all spending ($$) bills
Serve as prosecution in
impeachment trial
Representation
Senate:
Each state has 2 senators
(x50 = 100)
House of
Representatives:
Proportional to population
Currently fixed at: 435
2) Chief Diplomat
a) Act as representative of U.S. to foreign governments
b) Make treaties (requires: 2/3 Senate approval)
3) Chief Legislator
a) Propose a federal budget
b) Recommend laws to Congress
c) Veto legislation
d) Approve legislation
4) Commander-in-Chief of
Armed Forces:
a)
b)
Supreme commander of
all branches of U.S.
military
Authorize use of U.S.
military for up to 60 days
(without Congress
approval or declaration of
war)
5) Chief of State
a) Serve as ceremonial head
of U.S. government
Special Powers
Grant pardon (forgiving person for
crimes)
Grant amnesty (forgiving group of
people for specific class of crime)
Term:
Maximum: 2 terms x 4 years (22 nd
amendment 1951)
Requirements
Must be over 35 years old
Natural born citizen
14 year resident of U.S.
Judicial Review
judicial review
Chief Justice presides
over trials of presidential
impeachment
Terms:
Judges serve for life (unless
retire)
Appointed by president
Approved by Senate
May be removed by
impeachment proceeding
Requirements:
No specific requirement in
Constitution
POSTER INSTRUCTIONS +
CHECKS & BALANCES
Judicial
of Congress
Can suggest laws and
send messages to
Congress
Congress
unconstitutional via
judicial review
Judicial
the president
Can override veto (2/3 vote)
Senate approves/rejects
certain presidential
nominations
Senate must ratify all
formal U.S. treaties
acts unconstitutional
Judges are appointed
for life = free from
executive control
Legislative
Poster
Branch info:
Main Powers
Special Powers
Terms
Requirements
Visuals
Find pictures where relevant
Be creative, make your own visuals = happy Mr. Igor = better grade (assuredly, your
Presentation
Prepare questions for your classmates
LESSON 2:
CONSTITUTION
CONTINUED
Unit 2: Pgs. 74-83
L2 HW Review Questions
Identify & Example (2 sentences)
1) violate 2) precedent
Main Idea (5 sentences)
Why is Judicial Review such an important non-Constitutional
principle of American Democracy?
How is an Amendment added to the Constitution?
Summarize (4-6 sentences)
Federalism (Extra Credit Option)
Critical Thinking (5-7 sentences)
Which Amendment do you feel is the most important?
Explain your reasoning?
by govnt
addition or change
to the U.S.
Constitution
Amendments to
the Constitution
require
supermajority: at
least 60%, more
than simple
majority (51%)
LESSON 3:
POLITICAL PARTIES
Party Systems
1) One-party system: single party controls govnt
Ex: China
U.S. Politics:
A Tale of Two Parties
Democratic Party
Liberal
Minimum wages
Progressive taxation (higher tax
Republican Party
Conservative
Pro-religion, pro-military, pro-
business
Strong foreign policy
Anti- big govnt = free market will
encourage competition and fairness
Wages determined by free market
Taxes shouldnt be increased for any
income bracket
L3 HW Review Questions
Identify & Example (2 sentences)
1) ideology 2) coalition 3) free market 4) monopoly 5) regulation
Research (5 sentences)
http://www.diffen.com/difference/Democrat_vs_Republican
Would you vote Democrat or Republican on these issues:
a) gun laws b) abortion c) gay rights
d) death penalty e) taxes f) minimum wage
Explain your reasoning
Summarize (4-6 sentences)
Compare & Contrast: Democratic vs. Republican Party
(Extra Credit Option)
Critical Thinking (5-7 sentences)
Which U.S. political party do you most identify with? Why?
DEBATE
Lesson 4
Gun Laws
2nd Amendment: right to bear arms
Right to form citizen militia
The key facts are:
The US has the highest gun ownership rate in the world - an
average of 88 per 100 people. That puts it first in the world for gun
ownership - and even the number two country, Yemen, has
significantly fewer - 54.8 per 100 people
With less than 5% of the world's population, the United States is
home to roughly 3550 per cent of the world's civilian-owned guns,
heavily skewing the global geography of firearms and any relative
comparison. Source: Small Arms Survey
Gun-related homicide in U.S.: 10,000/year
Essay Instructions
Write an argumentative essay
Analyze three controversial issues in American politics
Introduce historical context
Research: your position
Research & explain: counter-argument (their position)
Support your position with evidence, examples, quotes, statistics
Explain why you believe in your position
Explain why counter-argument is incorrect (in your opinion)
Requirements
Intro w/ thesis
3 body paragraphs w/ topic sentences
Conclusion
No new information!
Summarize key points
Very end: be personal; make a statement
decisions.html
United States v. Windsor (2013)
The Supreme Court ruled that the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act
(DOMA) is unconstitutional. In a 5 to 4 vote, the court ruled that DOMA
violated the rights of gays and lesbians. The court also ruled that the
law interferes with the states' rights to define marriage. It was the first
case ever on the issue of gay marriage for the Supreme Court. Chief
Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. voted against striking it down as did
Antonin Scalia, Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas. However,
conservative-leaning Justice Anthony M. Kennedy voted with his liberal
colleagues to overturn DOMA.
President Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) -- HR 3396 or