US Federal Government Structure

Federal Government and Branches

• Each branch of the federal government has the power to check the other two branches to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.
• The three branches of the federal government are:
  • Legislative (makes the laws)
  • Executive (enforces the laws)
  • Judicial (interprets the laws)

Comparison of Federal and State Government

• The federal government consists of Congress, the President, and the Supreme Court.
• The New York State government consists of the NYS Assembly, the Governor, and the State Supreme Court.

Electoral College

• The Electoral College is a system of electing the President.
• It was created because the judgment of the common people in electing the President was not trusted.
• It encourages candidates to campaign in states with the largest population.

Bill of Rights

• The Bill of Rights consists of the first 10 amendments to the Constitution.
• Its purpose is to protect the rights of individual people.
• The First Amendment focuses on individual liberties, including freedom of press, speech, petition, assembly, and religion.

Ratification of the Constitution

• The Bill of Rights affected the ratification of the Constitution by some states, as states that feared the strength of the central government agreed to vote for ratification.

Constitutional Terms

• Unwritten Constitution refers to traditions that started and remained but are not written in the Constitution.
• Judicial review is the power of the Supreme Court to declare a law or act unconstitutional.
• Elastic clause refers to the ability to broaden or stretch the powers of Congress.
• Amendment is a change or addition to the Constitution.
• Ratify means to officially pass or approve (a bill to a law, the Constitution, etc.).
• Census is an official count of the population by the government every ten years.

George Washington and Alexander Hamilton

• George Washington established two precedents: the Cabinet and two terms as President.
• Alexander Hamilton's plan to repay the war debt included creating a national bank, a protective tariff, and the Whiskey Tax.

Marbury v. Madison and Judicial Review

• The Marbury v. Madison case established the precedent of judicial review, allowing the Supreme Court to declare a law or act unconstitutional.

Louisiana Purchase and Lewis and Clark Expedition

• The Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the country, from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains.
• The purpose of the Lewis and Clark Expedition was to explore and map out the Louisiana Purchase, as well as to discover new plants, animals, and an all-water route, and to befriend Native Americans.

Jefferson and the Embargo Act

• Jefferson tried to buy the port of New Orleans from Napoleon to transport goods.
• The Embargo Act was passed to end all trade with Europe in hopes of avoiding further impressment issues with France and Britain.

War of 1812

• The causes of the War of 1812 included impressment, British supplying Native Americans with weapons, and the desire to gain land (Canada, Florida).
• The results of the War of 1812 included Britain recognizing US boundaries, the end of the Federalist Party, the rise of nationalism, and the growth of industry.

Monroe Doctrine and Foreign Policy

• The Monroe Doctrine warned European nations not to interfere with Americas, demonstrating US strength and control.

Andrew Jackson and Abuse of Power

• Andrew Jackson abused his presidential power through the Trail of Tears, the Spoils System, and the National Bank.
• The Spoils System involved appointing regular citizens (friends, political supporters, and family) to jobs regardless of ability or qualification.
• The Trail of Tears involved the forced relocation of Native Americans from east of the Mississippi River to reservations in Oklahoma and Kansas.

Industrial Revolution

• The Industrial Revolution was a change in manufacturing from handmade goods to machines.