Mason Gresh

Period 6
Summative
Legislative Branch- Makes the laws.
Taxation- Congress has the power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, and to
pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States.
Example: The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) http://www.irs.gov/
Naturalization- The Legislative Branch establishes a uniform Rule of Naturalization, and set up a
process for immigrants to become American citizens.
Example: U.S. Immigration services. http://www.uscitizenship.info/
Declaring War- Only Congress can declare war.
Example: Congress authorizes President Bush to declare war on Iraq.
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/on-this-day/September-October-08/On-this-Day-President-Bush-Declares--War-on-Terror-.html
Borrowing Money: Congress is permitted to go into debt to pay for government programs and
services.
Example: Bloomberg report. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-1104/u-s-deficit-decline-to-2-8-of-gdp-is-unprecedented-turn.html
Post Offices- Congress has the power to set up post offices and to build roads connecting them.
Example: Post office updates. http://www.savethepostoffice.com/
Raising Army and Navy: Congress has the authority to pay or not to pay for military actions but
cannot fund military operations more than 2 years in the future.
Example: U.S. troops deployed in Mindanao.
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/389322/news/regions/more-us-troops-deployed-inmindanao-than-iraq-group-claims
Regulating Commerce- Congress has the power to impose regulations on interstate and
international business.
Example: U.S. Department of Commerce. http://www.commerce.gov/
Coining Money: The Legislative Branch controls the minting of money and sets its value.
Example: U.S. Department of Treasury/Coin and Currency.
http://www.treasury.gov/services/Pages/coins-currency.aspx

Patents and Copy rights- Congress has the power to set up a system of copy rights and patents,
granting creative people the exclusive right to sell their creations.
Example: Recent Patents on computer science.
http://www.eurekaselect.com/676

Executive Branch- Executes the laws.

Commander in Chief- The President is the commander in chief of the military and over sees the
heads of all the civilian departments of government. He also has the power to pardon convicted
criminals.
Example: President Obama.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/president-obama
Ambassadors- The President appoints all Ambassadors.
Example: President Obama appoints Caroline Kennedy as Ambassador to Japan.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/24/caroline-kennedy-ambassadorjapan_n_3646705.html
Pardons- Has the power to pardon convicted criminals.
Example: List of President Obama pardons and commutations.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/12/19/president-obama-grants-pardonsand-commutation
Supreme Court Judges- The President can nominate Supreme Court Judges.
Example: President Obama nominates Sonia Sotomayor.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/05/26/supreme.court/
Treaties- The President has the power to negotiate treaties with foreign governments but a 2/3
vote of the senate is required for ratification.
Example: U.S. Department of state/current treaties and agreements.
http://www.state.gov/t/isn/c8944.htm
State of the Union- The President is required to report to congress on the State of the Union
which is delivered every January to a joint meeting of both houses of congress.
Example: State of the Union speech/text and video.
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/01/state-of-the-union-2014-speech-transcript-text-video102763.html

Judicial Branch- Interprets the laws.

Judicial Review- A courts authority to examine an Executive or Legislative act and to invalidate
that act if it is contrary to the constitution.
Example: The Clean Water Act.
http://www.fbm.com/US_Supreme_Court_Expands_Judicial_Review_of_Clean_Water_Act_Enf
orcement_Orders_03-22-2012/

Issues between States- Federal courts can decide disputes between different states, and
disputes between residents of different states.
Example: Supreme Court of the U.S. http://www.supremecourt.gov/
Treason- Was the one and only crime specifically defined in the constitution ad requires two
eye-witnesses to convict someone of the crime.
Example: U.S. Supporter of Al-Qaeda Is Indicted on Treason Charge.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2006/10/11/AR2006101101121.html