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U.S.

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

) Guided Reading (pgs. 20 & 21)


Highlighted (3 colors) & answered = - 2 tics
) Notes
Completed = - 1 tic

Homework
) R.S.G (pgs. 60-64)

Highlighted (3 colors) & answered

) Guided Reading (pgs. 22-23)


Highlighted (3 colors) & answered

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

The Legislative Branch (Article 1)


Main Roles & Powers

To pass legislation (laws)


Declare war
Regulate trade
Regulate money
Impeach federal official
Override presidential vetoes

(2/3 vote in each house)

Special Powers & Responsibilities

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

The Legislative Branch (continued)


Terms of Service
Senate:
Term: unlimited 6 year terms
(elected by popular vote)
Must be over 30 years old
Must be 9-year citizen of the U.S.
AND resident of the state
House of Representatives:
Term: unlimited 2 year terms

(elected by popular vote)


Must be over 25 years old
Must be 7-year citizen
Must be resident of district they
represent

Representation

Senate:
Each state has 2 senators
(x50 = 100)
House of

Representatives:
Proportional to population
Currently fixed at: 435

The Executive Branch (Article 2)


Executive = President + advisors (Cabinet) + all federal

agencies & their heads


Main Roles & Powers:
1) Chief Executive
a)
b)
c)

Enforce laws passed by Congress


Head of federal bureaucracy
Nominate judges (including Supreme Court)

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

The Executive Branch (continued)


Main Roles & Powers (continued)

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 & Requirements &


Term

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.

The Judicial Branch (Article 3)


Main Roles & Powers

Judicial Review

Stated by John Marshall in

Interpret the law


Exercise the power of

judicial review
Chief Justice presides
over trials of presidential
impeachment

1803 Marbury vs. Madison


(not in Constitution)
1)
2)
3)
4)

Determine if laws passed by


Congress are constitutional
Determine if treaties are
constitutional
Determine if President
actions are constitutional
Determine if laws passed by
states are constitutional

The Judicial Branch (continued)


Supreme Court

Hears cases of appeal

from lower federal and


state courts
Supreme court has
original jurisdiction (may
hear case first) involving
state vs. state or branch
vs. branch

Requirements & Terms

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

Checking the Legislative Branch


Executive

Judicial

Can veto legislation


Can call special sessions

of Congress
Can suggest laws and
send messages to
Congress

Can declare acts of

Congress
unconstitutional via
judicial review

Checking the Executive Branch


Legislative

Judicial

Can impeach and remove

the president
Can override veto (2/3 vote)
Senate approves/rejects
certain presidential
nominations
Senate must ratify all
formal U.S. treaties

Can declare executive

acts unconstitutional
Judges are appointed
for life = free from
executive control

Checking the Judicial Branch


Executive

Legislative

Appoints federal judges

Can impeach and

Can grant pardon or

remove federal judges


Establishes lower
federal courts

amnesty for federal


crimes

Poster Presentation Instructions


Groups (2 or 3)
Make poster plan on A4
Assign specific roles (specifically about preparing materials/pics/etc.,)

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

creativity is better than copy&pasted printouts)

Presentation
Prepare questions for your classmates

Read the Rubric carefully


Dont say I didnt tell you

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?

Judicial Review: Explained


Judicial Review: the power to determine whether

actions of legislative & executive are constitutional


Unconstitutional: any law or govnt action that is found to

violate the Constitution = highest law


Any law or act deemed illegal CANNOT be enforced or carried out

by govnt

Judicial Review is not mentioned in the Constitution


Marbury v. Madison (1803) was a landmark Supreme Court case
that set a precedent for Judicial Review

Federalism: the sharing of power between a central,

federal govnt and state govnts

Amendments to the Constitution


Amendment: an

addition or change
to the U.S.
Constitution
Amendments to
the Constitution
require
supermajority: at
least 60%, more
than simple
majority (51%)

Most Important Amendments


1-10 = Bill of Rights (Free Speech, Freedom of

Religion, Freedom of Press, Right to Assembly, Right to


Petition)
13: Abolished Slavery
14: African American citizenship
15: No citizen can be denied vote based on race or color

16: Income Tax


18: Prohibition = no production or sale of alcohol
21: Repealed Prohibition
19: Womens suffrage (right to vote)
22: Presidential terms (2x 4 years)

LESSON 3:
POLITICAL PARTIES

The Role of Political Parties


Political Party: an organization that tries to elect its

members to public office


Party members share similar ideas & views, or ideology

Party Systems
1) One-party system: single party controls govnt
Ex: China

2) Two-party system: politics dominated by two parties


Ex: United States
3) Multiparty system: several parties compete for control,

sometimes forming coalitions to create majority


Ex: Canada, Australia

U.S. Politics:
A Tale of Two Parties
Democratic Party

Liberal
Minimum wages
Progressive taxation (higher tax

rates for higher income brackets)


Govnt has role in society
Anti-discrimination laws
Pollution regulations
Anti-monopoly regulations

The Greater Good:


Equality & community responsibility

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

The Greater Good:


Individual freedoms & rights

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

Gay Rights in America


http://www.infoplease.com/gay-pride-month/supreme-court-

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

Public Law No. 104-199 -- on 21 September 2000. It defines marriage as an act


between heterosexuals and frees one state from being required to honor the
same-sex marriage conducted in another state. As of this writing, 39 states have
laws based on DOMA; 18 of those are amendments to the state constitution.

Minimum Wage Issues


In response to the Great Depression, the federal

government enacted the Federal Labor Standards Act in


1938. The act established the 40-hour workweek and the
federal minimum wage with the purpose of providing
working families with a living wage and helping to boost
local economies.
The average cost of living is increasing at a faster rate
than minimum wage.
When people earn more, they have increased amounts of
disposable income = consumer spending = economic
growth
A minimum wage increase would help those in the "near
poor" category move out of poverty permanently.

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