U.S. Constitution: the document which establishes the basic principles of the American government.

3 Branches of Government
Makes laws controlling trade between states and between the United States and other countries. Makes laws about taxes and borrowing money. Approves the making of money. Can declare war on other countries. The executive branch of Government makes sure that the laws of the United States are obeyed Courts decide arguments about the meaning of laws, how they are applied, and whether they break the rules of the Constitution.

Legislative Branch (Article I) Makes Laws Congress: Senate and House of Representatives Bicameral (two houses) Senate The Senate has 100 elected senators total; 2 senators per state. Each senator serves a 6 year term. House of Representatives The House has 435 elected representatives total; representatives are based on each state's population. Each representative serves a 2 year term and may be re-elected

Executive Branch (Article II) Carries Out and Enforces Laws President (Is chosen by the electoral college) Vice President & Cabinet (advisors to the president) President The president is the head of state, head of the U.S. government and the commander-in-chief of the U.S. military. Vice President The vice president not only supports the president, but also acts as the presiding officer of the senate. Cabinet The Cabinet members are nominated by the president and must be approved by the Senate (with at least 51 votes). They serve as advisors and heads of various departments and agencies.

Judicial Branch (Article III) Interprets Laws Supreme Court Other Federal Courts Judicial Review The judicial branch has the power to review the actions of the other 2 branches it was established in Marbury V. Madison. Supreme Court The Supreme Court is the highest court in the country. The 9 justices are nominated by the president and must be approved by the Senate (with at least 51 votes). Other Federal Courts There are lower Federal courts but they were not created by the Constitution. Congress deemed them necessary and established them using power granted from the Constitution. The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States. The Supreme Court is made up of nine Justices. One of these is the Chief Justice. They are appointed by the President and must be approved by the Senate.

Representatives must: Be at least 25 years old. Be a U.S. citizen for the past 7 years. Live in the state they represent. Senators must: Be at least 30 years old. Be a U.S. citizen for the past 9 years. Live in the state they represent.

President Must be at least 35 years old, be a natural-born U.S. citizen and have lived in the U.S. for at least 14 years. When elected, the President serves a term of four years. The most one President can serve is two terms, for a total of eight years.

Types of Powers concurrent powers expressed or enumerated powers federalism implied powers powers shared by the national, state, and/or local government the powers specifically named and assigned to the federal government or prohibited to be exercised by the states under the U.S. Constitution, also known as delegated powers a system of government in which power is divided and shared between national, state, and local government powers not written in the U.S. Constitution but are necessary and proper in order for the federal government to carry out the expressed powers powers that are not granted to the federal government that belong to (are reserved to) the states and the people

reserved powers

Landmark Supreme Court Cases: Brown v. Board of Education Bush v. Gore District of Columbia v. Heller Gideon v. Wainwright Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier In re Gault Marbury v. Madison Miranda v. Arizona Plessy v. Ferguson Tinker v. Des Moines United States v. Nixon U.S. Supreme Court case that determined that separate but equal segregation was not equal in public education U.S. Supreme Court case that determined that states cannot violate the Equal Protection Clause under the Fourteenth Amendment when undertaking election recounts. U.S. Supreme Court case that upheld that the Second Amendment protects an individuals right to possess a firearm U.S. Supreme Court case that upheld the Sixth Amendment right that all defendants must be appointed a lawyer if they cannot afford their own attorney U.S. Supreme Court case that determined that the First Amendment does not protect all types of student speech in school U.S. Supreme Court case that determined that juvenile court must comply with the Fourteenth Amendment U.S. Supreme Court case that established judicial review U.S. Supreme Court cases that upheld the Fifth Amendment protection from self-incrimination U.S. Supreme Court case that determined that separate but equal segregation was not discrimination U.S. Supreme Court case that upheld a students First Amendment right to engage in symbolic speech in school U.S. Supreme Court case that limited executive privilege

Amendments: 1st Free Speech, Assembly, Religion, Petition, Press 2nd right to bear arms 3rd no quartering of troops 4th Unwarranted search & seizure 5th rights of accused; self incrimination 6th speedy trial & right to lawyer 7th right to jury in civil trials 8th no cruel or unusual punishment 9th other rights not specifically mentioned still exist 10th Powers not delegated to federal gov. are reserved for states. Reconstruction Amendments 13th End of slavery 14th Equal treatment under law 15th African American males can vote Progressive Amendments 16th Income Tax 17th Direct election of Senators 18th Prohibition of alcohol 19th Womens suffrage 21st Repeal of Prohibition Election Reforms 22nd 2 term limit for President 24th No poll taxes 25th Succession of President & VP 26th Voting age 18 (from 21) 27th Pay raises or decreases for members of Congress

Types of Government absolute monarchy anarchy autocracy communism a form of autocracy where a person becomes the sole leader of a country by being born into a family of rulers the absence of any form of government a form of government where one person has unlimited power a form of government in which a single ruling party owns and controls all production and distribution of goods, and in which no private ownership is allowed a system of government in which political power resides with the people a form of autocracy where a military leader becomes the leader of a country often through violent means a form of government in which the power to govern lies directly in the hands of the people rather than through elected representatives a form of government headed by a king or queen who inherits the position, rules for life, and holds power that can range anywhere between limited to absolute a form of government in which a small group has total control and power a system of government in which the people elect representatives to make policies and laws for them, also known as a republic a system of government in which the people elect representatives to make policies and laws for them, also known as a representative democracy an economic system in which the government owns the primary means of production

democracy dictatorship

Communist Party a political party that believes the government should control all production and distribution of goods and working people should control their own lives and destinies Democratic Party a political party that believes that the federal government should take a more active role in people's lives, particularly those who are in need Libertarian Party a political party that believes in individual freedom and the only purpose of government is to protect this freedom political party an organization that seeks to gain political power by electing members to public office so that their political ideas can be reflected in public policies Republican Party a political party that believes that the federal government should play a small role in people's lives; they favor lower taxes and less government spending Socialist Party a political party that believes people should own and control industry through democratically controlled public agencies, cooperatives, or other collective groups

direct democracy

monarchy

oligarchy representative democracy

republic

socialism

FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES Consent of the governed: The people are the source of any and all governmental power. Limited government: Government is not all-powerful and may do only those things the people have given it the power to do. Rule of law: The government and those who govern are bound by the law, as are those who are governed. The Articles of Confederation established the first form of national government for the independent states maintained that major powers resided with individual states created weak central government (e.g., no power to tax or enforce laws); led to the writing of the Constitution of the United States of America. Preamble of the U.S. Constitution The Preamble expresses the reasons the constitution was written. Purposes of United States government To form a more perfect union To establish justice To ensure domestic tranquility To provide for the common defense To promote the general welfare To secure the blessings of liberty The Preamble begins, We the People, thereby establishing that the power of government comes from the people. Citizenship A citizen is a legal member of a state and/or country Means of obtaining citizenship By birth By naturalization: the process by which an immigrant becomes a citizen

The Declaration of Independence stated grievances against the king of Great Britain declared the colonies independence from Great Britain affirmed certain unalienable rights (life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness) established the idea that all people are equal under the law.

Enlightenment Thinkers:

Responsibilities of a Citizen A basic responsibility of citizenship is to contribute to the common good. The duties of citizenship, including obeying the laws, paying taxes, defending the nation, and serving in court.

Citizenship

Being born in the United States is also known as the law of soil. Being born to a mother who is a U.S. citizen is also known as the law of blood. Going through the naturalization process allows immigrants to become U.S. citizens. An immigrant is a person who comes to a country to live there permanently. There are also people who are considered aliens. Aliens are persons living in the U.S. who are not citizens. To become a citizen through naturalization, a person must Be 18 years old Have already been granted legal permanent residency Have continuous residency in the U.S. for five years Be of good moral character Be able to speak and read basic English Demonstrate knowledge of U.S. history and government by passing an exam Be faithful to the principles of the U.S. Constitution Have a favorable disposition toward the U.S. Take the Oath of Allegiance