Three Branches of government. We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility,

Federalism Three Branches of government

The 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.

Answer the questions

FILL IN THE BLANKS IN THE SENTENCES BELOW1. What are the 3 branches of our government?_______________, _____________, _______________.2. The ______________ Branch of our government makes the laws.3. The ______________ Branch of our government enforces our laws.4. What are the two parts of our Congress? ____________ and _____________.5. There are _____ senators.6. The ______________ is elected by eligible United States citizens who vote and by the Electoral College system.7. ___________ and _______________ are elected by voters in their states.8. ________________ study laws to see if they are correct according to the Constitution.9. Where do the major branches of our federal government meet and work?____________________________________________________10. The_______________ is the leader of the Executive Branch of our government.

More Questions…1) How many branches of the United States government are there?

a) 0b) 1c) 2d) 3

2) Congress includes two parts. What are they?

a) Legislative and Executiveb) Supreme Court and court systemc) Senate and House of Representatives

3) The Executive branch of government is headed by whom?

a) the Presidentb) Senatorsc) Representativesd) judges

4) Congress is part of which branch of government?

a) Executiveb) Legislativec) Judicial

5) What does the Supreme Court do?

a) tell other courts what they must dob) make sure laws follow the Constitutionc) decide on the punishment for those convicted

6) How many Senators are elected from each state?

a) 0b) 1c) 2d) 3e) depends on the state's population

7) How many Representatives are there from each state?

a) 0b) 1c) 2d) 3e) depends on the state's population

Yep, Even More Questions…8) How is the President chosen?

a) people from the smallest states electionb) people from the largest states decidec) people from all fifty states electiond) the current President decides

9) What does Congress do?

a) leads the army, navy, and air forceb) passes lawsc) decides on the punishment of those convicted of crimesd) decides if laws follow the Constitution

10) What is one of the duties of the President?

a) to boss other people aroundb) to pass lawsc) to decide how people should be punishedd) to see that the laws passed by Congress are carried out

11) What is another duty of the President?

a) leads the army, navy, and air forceb) decides if laws follow the Constitutionc) passes lawsd) decides on the punishment of those convicted of crimes

12) What is another duty of the President?

a) makes the lawsb) decides if laws follow the Constitutionc) decides on the punishment of those convicted of crimesd) meets with heads of other countries

13) The Judicial branch of government involves which of the following?

a) the Presidentb) the courtsc) Congress

14) What level of government is this quiz about?

a) Localb) Statec) National

Federalism

Federalism is a political system in which at least two “separate governments “share the responsibility for governing the same people and the same territory. In effect, federalism draws lines to separate the powers of different levels of government. National / State / Local /

Ask: What is separation of powers?

Separation of Powers

The principle of separation of powers draws lines that divide the powers held by distinct branches at a single level of government. Ask: What are the three branches of the national government called? And what do they do?

Each branch has its own powers, though some powers are shared among them. The system of separation of powers is designed to reduce the risk that a single branch might act independently and abuse its power.

Checks and Balances

A system of checks and balances is a

government structure that gives each branch

some control of the actions of the others and

requires cooperation among the branches.

A system of balances minimizes the risk that one branch might completely take over the government or stray too far politically from the other branches. The system of checks and balances design has been a key factor in the Constitution's survival, assuring evolution in government rather than revolution. Due to a system of checks and balances, the legislative, executive, and judicial branches' powers overlap, and each branch exerts some power over the others.

LegislativeThe Legislative Branch (House and Senate) checks on the president;

can override a presidential veto;

can impeach and remove the president;

ratifies presidential appointments;

authorizes/appropriates funds for legislation;

checks on the judiciary;

can impeach and remove judges;

confirms federal judges.

Executive

The Executive Branch (President) checks on Congress;

proposes legislation;

vetoes legislation;

makes treaties;

checks on the judiciary;

appoints federal judges;

enforces court decisions.

Judicial

The Judicial Branch (Supreme Court and lower courts) checks on the president;

reviews executive acts;

checks on Congress;

reviews congressional laws.

Does it work?Sharing of power can cause tension and lead to conflict. The wording of the U.S. Constitution is ambiguous in some ways because many situations are not dealt with specifically.

Each branch of government has at one time or another has attempted to expand its power by reinterpreting these ambiguities, leading to conflict over power and control of policy.

Overall, separation of powers and the system of checks and balances has been both a source of tension and a basis for stability.