Branches Study Guide PDF

Government The Legislative Branch Study Guide Vocabulary: The Legislative Branch - The branch of government that makes laws. It includes Congress, which has two parts: the House of Representatives and the Senate. House of Repre...

Government The Legislative Branch Study Guide Vocabulary: The Legislative Branch - The branch of government that makes laws. It includes Congress, which has two parts: the House of Representatives and the Senate. House of Representatives - The lower house of Congress where the number of representatives is based on a state's population. Members serve two-year terms. Senate - The upper house of Congress where each state has two senators, regardless of size. Senators serve six-year terms. Bill - A proposed law presented to Congress for approval. It must pass both the House and Senate before becoming law. Veto - The president’s power to reject a bill passed by Congress. Congress can override it with a two-thirds vote. Committee - A group of legislators who review and revise bills. Most bills are studied by committees before reaching a full vote. Legislative - Related to making laws. It describes the work done by Congress. Legislator - A person who makes laws, such as a member of Congress. Legislature - A group of elected officials with the power to make laws. In the U.S., Congress is the federal legislature. Upper House and its characteristics - The Senate, known for equal state representation and longer terms (6 years). Senators confirm appointments and approve treaties. Lower House and its characteristics - The House of Representatives, known for proportional representation and shorter terms (2 years). It handles bills related to taxes and spending. 17th Amendment - Allowed voters to directly elect senators. Before this, state legislatures chose them. Additional Powers (House and Senate) - The House can initiate tax bills and impeach officials; the Senate confirms appointments, ratifies treaties, and conducts impeachment trials. Steps of Making a Law - A bill is introduced, reviewed by committees, debated, voted on, and sent to the president for approval. Census - A count of the population every 10 years. It determines how many House representatives each state gets. Bicameral - A legislature with two chambers, like the House and Senate. This structure balances power between large and small states. Constituents - The people legislators represent. Legislators consider their opinions when making decisions. Gerrymander - Redrawing voting district lines to benefit a political party. It can affect election outcomes. Expressed Powers - Powers specifically listed in the Constitution. Examples include the power to tax and regulate trade. Implied Powers - Powers not directly stated in the Constitution but needed to carry out expressed powers. They come from the “Necessary and Proper” Clause. Impeach - To formally charge a government official with wrongdoing. The House initiates it, and the Senate conducts the trial. Filibuster - A tactic used in the Senate to delay a vote by speaking for a long time. It can be ended with a 60-vote majority. Content: The Great Compromise: An agreement during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that created a bicameral legislature. It combined the Virginia Plan (representation by population) and the New Jersey Plan (equal representation) by forming the House of Representatives (based on population) and the Senate (equal representation). Number of Congresspersons in each house: 100 in senate, and 435 in Representatives How many congresspersons represent the State of California in each House? The House has 52 members, the Senate has 2. Specific Names of Congressmen who represent you: Mark DeSaulnier - Representative How often is the Census taken? Every 10 Years. Describe the term length of members of the House as well as Senators: House of Representatives: 2-year terms. Senate: 6-year terms. Describe the role of the Speaker of the House: The Speaker leads the House of Representatives, sets the legislative agenda, and presides over debates. They are second in line for the presidency after the Vice President. Describe important legislative powers of congress: Congress can make laws, impose taxes, declare war, regulate commerce, and approve the federal budget. Describe the most important non-Legislative power of Congress: The power to impeach and remove federal officials, including the president, for misconduct. List the U.S. Presidents who have been impeached: Has any president even been removed from office? Impeached Presidents: Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump (twice). Removed from Office: No president has ever been removed from office by the Senate. Describe the U.S. Government’s Checks and balance system: The system ensures no branch becomes too powerful. The legislative branch makes laws, the executive branch enforces laws, and the judicial branch interprets laws. Each branch can limit the others (e.g., presidential veto, Congressional override, and judicial review). Describe the work of any Committee: Committees review proposed legislation, hold hearings, and make changes before a bill goes to the full House or Senate. For example, the House Ways and Means Committee deals with tax and revenue issues. Basic job of senators and representatives: Senators - Represent their entire state, propose and vote on laws, and approve treaties and appointments. Representatives - Represent their district, propose and vote on laws, and address local concerns. The most well-known task of Congress is: Making and passing laws. Describe the purpose of the Bill of rights in relation to the powers of federal government: The Bill of Rights protects individual freedoms and limits federal government power by guaranteeing rights such as free speech, due process, and protection from unreasonable searches. Who is the current Speaker of the House until the next Congress begins? Mike Johnson Describe the power Congress has in regards to government spending: Congress controls government spending through the power of the purse. It approves the federal budget, allocates funds, and oversees how money is spent. Short Answer/Written Essays: Directions: Section 4: (SHORT ANSWER) Read each of the following questions and answer them in paragraph form: 1. Describe three similarities and three main differences between the qualifications and privileges of members of the House and the Senate? __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Describe the process of a bill becoming a law. You can be creative and have the bill take any path you choose as long as it is explained thoroughly. __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________  __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ JUDICIAL BRANCH STUDY GUIDE VOCAB: Supreme Court: Anti Federalist concerns: Federal Judge: Unofficial Requirements: Textualist/Originalist: Living Constitutionalist: Original Jurisdiction: Article III: District Court: Court of Appeals: Appellate Jurisdiction: Circuit: Judicial Review: Majority Opinion: Dissenting Opinion: Current Court (Members and Leaning): 1. List the three levels of the Federal Court System: 2. What level of Court hears the majority legal disputes in the United States? 3. List the types of cases Federal Courts have jurisdiction over: 4. The lowest level of the federal court system where trials are held and lawsuits are begun is: 5. What type of Jurisdiction does the District Court have? 7. Who appoints District Court/Court of Appeals Judges? 9. What court is above the District Court in the Federal Court System? 10. What type of Jurisdiction does the U.S. court of appeals have? 11. Why did congress establish the U.S. courts of appeals? 12. What do Appeals Courts Judges do? 13. What rulings can an Appeals Court panel make? 14. What types of Cases does the Supreme Court hear? 15. Can Supreme Court rulings be appealed? 16. How can Congress avoid Supreme Court rulings? 17. How many justices make up the Supreme Court? 18. Who is the United States Chief Justice? The Executive Branch STUDY GUIDE Vocabulary: The Executive Branch: POTUS: Prime Minister vs President: Commander in Chief: Chief Legislator: Chief Diplomat: Chief of the Party: Chief Executive: Chief of State: Chief Citizen: Chief Guardian of the Economy: Executive Departments: War Powers Act: “Leader of the Free World”: Vice President: Executive Agreements: Executive Privilege: 22nd Amendment: 25th Amendment: Executive order: Pardon: Treaties: Ambassador: Cabinet: Federal Bureaucracy: Political Appointees: Content: Requirements to Become U.S. President: How often is the Presidential Election? How long is one Presidential Term? What is the Term limit for the Presidential Office? How is the number of Electoral Votes for a State Decided? How many electoral Votes are needed to win in a Presidential Election? What are the official duties of the Vice President? Describe the Presidential Succession List: Describe the President’s role as Legislative Leader: Describe the Constitutional Powers of the President: What is the State of the Union Address? What is the Executive Office of the President responsible for? What is the largest EOP agency? Describe the National Security Council: Who is the most important official in the White House Office? Main job of the Office of Management and Budget is: Main job of the National Security Council: 4 Members of the Inner Cabinet are: Short Answer/Written Essays:  Directions: Section 4: (SHORT ANSWER) Read each of the following questions and answer them in paragraph form. 1. Choose 4 of the President’s 7 roles studied in class? Describe the President’s job in each of the four roles chosen, using as many details as possible/vocabulary to enhance your score. Also include at least one specific example of the President in each of the 4 roles you chose to describe. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ___________________