3 TYPES OF GOVERNMENT POWER The 3 Branches of the American Government.

3 TYPES OF GOVERNMENT

POWER The 3 Branches of the American

Government

3 FUNCTIONS

All governments may exercise power

in 3 ways.

Legislative Power:the power to deliberate

and make law

Executive PowerExecutive Power:the power to

execute the law

Judicial Power: the power to adjudicate

and tointerpret the law

3 functions in one• totalitarian dictators

• absolute monarchs

• “philosopher-kings”

• “enlightened despots

Legislative or Deliberative Power“HIGHEST IDEAL OF DEMOCRACY”

• In democracies: usually powerful, elected assemblies.– Legislature– Parliament– CONGRESS

DELEGATE, REPRESENTATIVE=A MEMBER OF A LEGISLATIVE BODY

Bundestag

Congreso de la Union

Diet or Kokkai

People's Congress or Quanguo Renmin Daibiao Dahui

Sansad

unicameral--one “house”

bicameral--two “houses”

US Congressbi-cameral

House of Representatives • Senate

State GovernmentCaliforniaCalifornia

• Executive Power – GovernorGovernor

• Legislative Power – State LegislatureState Legislature State SenateState Senate

State AssemblyState Assembly

• Judicial Power – State Supreme CourtState Supreme Court

State Court of AppealsState Court of Appeals

Superior and Municipal CourtsSuperior and Municipal Courts

Executive Power

• responsible for “executing”or carrying out laws and public policy– president– prime minister– premier

• leading the nation politically

• proposing laws to the legislature

• conducting foreign policy

• preparing budgets

• commanding armed forces

• assisted by– departments– agencies– commissions– bureaus

President Barack ObamaVice-President Joe Biden

Cabinet– Department of StateSecretary Hillary Rodham Clinton

Department of the TreasurySecretary Timothy F. Geithner

 Department of DefenseSecretary Robert M. Gates

 Department of JusticeAttorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr.

 Department of the InteriorSecretary Kenneth L. Salazar Department of AgricultureSecretary Thomas J. Vilsack

 Department of CommerceSecretary Gary F. Locke

 Department of LaborSecretary Hilda L. Solis 

– Department of Health and Human ServicesSecretary Kathleen Sebelius Department of Housing and Urban DevelopmentSecretary Shaun L.S. Donovan

 Department of TransportationSecretary Ray LaHood Department of EnergySecretary Steven Chu

 Department of EducationSecretary Arne Duncan Department of Veterans AffairsSecretary Eric K. Shinseki

 Department of Homeland SecuritySecretary Janet A. Napolitano

Judicial Power

• application and interpretation of law through a system of courts, each with one or more judges.– in democracies, clearly independent of other

parts of government– “rule of law”– juries

• US Supreme Court

• Federal Courts of Appeal

• Federal District Courts

UNITED STATES COURT SYSTEM

• Supreme Court (nine justices; nominated by the president and confirmed with the advice and consent of the Senate; appointed to serve for life)

• United States Courts of Appeal

• United States District Courts

• State and County Courts

Next steps:

• Read Ch 1.2 and complete graphic organizer

• Research and prepare a poster on your assigned country.

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