Three Branches of Government Review

The Three Branches of Government

3.3, 3.7-3.9: Explain the structure and function of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the federal government.

The Executive Branch

• Outlined in Article 2 of the U.S. Constitution

• The main job is to carry out the laws

• Made up of the president, vice-president, and the president's Cabinet

• The president is elected by the citizens of the United States

• Leader of the government and all branches of the military

• Appoints (chooses) federal judges

• Can sign or veto a bill

Multiple Choice

The head of the Executive Branch is

• Vice President

• Senate

• The President

• Speaker of the House

Multiple Choice

A group of departments, the heads of which were originally meant to be the president's closest advisors, is called...

• The Cabinet

• House of Representatives

• Senate

• Congress

Multiple Choice

According to Article 2, all of the following are powers of the executive branch EXCEPT.....

• Can sign or veto bills

• Chooses federal judges

• Impeach members of other branches

• Leader of the government and all branches of the military

Judicial Branch

• Outlined in Article 3 of U.S. Constitution

• Interprets laws (Supreme Court, Federal and other courts)

• The Justices of the Supreme Court are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate

• Can overturn unconstitutional laws

Multiple Choice

Justices of the Supreme Court are nominated and confirmed by the president,

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Judicial Branch.....

• Make Laws

• Veto Laws

• Ignores Laws

• Interprets laws

Multiple Choice

What article in the U.S. Constitution is the Judicial branch outlined in? (Hint: LEJ)

• Article 1

• Article 2

• Article 3

• Article VI

Legislative Branch

• Outlined in Article 1 of the U.S. Constitution

• Confirms or rejects presidential nominations for heads of federal agencies, federal judges, and the Supreme Court

• Has the authority to declare war

• The branch includes Congress (the Senate and House of Representatives)

• Senate—There are two elected Senators per state, totaling 100 Senators

Legislative Branch cont.

• A Senate term is six years, and there is no limit to the number of terms an individual can serve.

• House of Representatives—There are 435 elected Representatives

• A Representative serves a two-year term, and there is no limit to the number of terms an individual can serve.

• Makes laws (Congress, comprised of the House of Representatives and Senate)

Multiple Choice

What is another name for the legislative branch of the United States government?

• President

• Cabinet

• Supreme Court

• Congress

Multiple Choice

What are the two parts that make up the legislative branch?

• House of Representatives and the Senate

• House of Commons and the Supreme Court

• The Congress and the Cabinet

• The Supreme Court and the Senate

Multiple Choice

How many senators does each state have?

• Depends on the population of the state

• Each state gets 5 senators

• Each state gets 2 senators

• As many as they want

Multiple Choice

What is the total number of United States Senators and House of Representatives?

• 200 each

• 435 each

• 434 Senators and 100 Representatives

• 100 Senators and 435 Representatives

Multiple Choice

The primary job of the legislative branch (congress) is to make laws according to Article 1 of the U.S. Constitution.

• True

• False

Checks and Balances

• The point of checks and balances is to make sure no one branch is too powerful by allowing each branch to limit or stop another branch

• Example: Congress in the legislative branch makes laws, but the President in the executive branch can veto (reject) those laws.

More Checks and Balances Examples

• The legislative branch makes laws, but the judicial branch can declare those laws unconstitutional.

• The President in the executive branch can veto a law, but the legislative branch can override that veto with enough votes.

• The legislative branch has the power to approve Presidential nominations, control the budget, and can impeach the President, and remove him or her from office

• The judicial branch interprets laws, but the President nominates Supreme Court justices, the court of appeals judges, and district court judges who make the evaluations.

Multiple Choice

How can the executive branch check the power of the legislative branch?

• The president can fire a member of Congress.

• The president can shut down Congress.

• The president can refuse to pay Congress.

• The president can veto a bill from becoming a law.

Multiple Choice

How can the judicial branch check the power of the legislative branch?

• By impeaching the president

• By vetoing laws

• By declaring a law unconstitutional

• All of the above

Multiple Choice

How is the executive branch checked by the other branches of government?

• The Congress can impeach the president from office.

• The Supreme Court can declare executive orders unconstitutional.

• The Congress can refuse to approve judges and other officials.

• All of the above

Multiple Choice

How can the legislative branch check the judicial branch?

• They can refuse to pay judges on the Supreme Court.

• They can impeach judges from office.

• They can veto the rulings of the Supreme Court.

• They can create laws to get around the constitution.

• The U.S. Constitution created 3 branches of government.

• This separation of powers was inspired by Montesquieu​ and Rome

Branches of Government​

​

• Legislative - Makes laws

• Executive - Enforces Laws

• Judicial - Interprets / judges laws​

Roles of the Branches

Multiple Choice

Which branch of the federal government is responsible for writing legislation?

• Legislative

• Executive

• Judicial

• Cabinet

• ​Bills maybe proposed by either chamber of Congress

• Bill need to go through several committees in both chambers and many times bills "die" in committee.

• Once bill has been approved by both chambers, it is sent to the president (executive).

• President may approve or reject the bill (veto)​

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Remember... Congress is Bicameral (two chambers)

How a Bill Becomes a Law​​

Open Ended

Explain in your own words how a bill becomes a law.

Multiple Choice

How can a bill still become a law after a presidential veto?

• 2/3 of the cabinet approves the bill

• 2/3 of the Senate approves the bill

• The bill is voted on by the people

• 2/3 of both chambers of Congress overrides the veto

There are 3 levels of government: Federal, state, and local. Laws are given different names at each level.

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Federal laws = Acts

​

State laws = Statutes

​

Local laws = ordinances ​

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​Laws enforced by executive

​Laws at Different Levels

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Multiple Choice

A bill was just recently approved by both chambers of the legislative branch. The bill was revised by committees and is ready to be approved by the governor. Which type of law is being described?

• Act

• Statute

• Ordinance

• Regulation

The President is the chief executive (leader) of the federal government.

Powers include:

• commander-in-chief

• ​Appoint government positions such as federal judges

• Grant pardons

• Negotiate treaties

• Executive order​

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Which power do you think is the most important?

Powers of the President

​

Open Ended

Which power of the president (executive branch) do you think is the most important and why?

Led by the Supreme Court, the most powerful court in the nation.

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Most important power is Judicial Review - Power to declare a law as unconstitutional.

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There are 9 Supreme Court justices. They are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Keep their job for life.​

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Judicial branch interprets the law

Judicial Branch

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Multiple Choice

The U.S. Supreme Court ended segregation in public schools in the landmark case, Brown v. Board of Education. The court determined this action was unconstitutional. Which power did the Supreme Court use?

• Judicial Summary

• Judicial Review

• Granting Pardons

• Override a veto

Time for Practice Questions!

Multiple Choice

Which action formally accuses a government official of “wrongdoing”?

• filibuster

• impeach

• override

• pardon

Multiple Choice

What powers do the Florida governor and U.S. president have in common?

• deliver State of the Union address, four-year term, commander-in-chief, grant pardons

• six-year term, grant pardons, make treaties, commander-in-chief

• grant pardons, veto, deliver State of the Union address, six-year term

• veto, grant pardons, chief executive, four-year term

Multiple Choice

Which branch does the term "cabinet" belong too

• Legislative

• Executive

• Judicial

Multiple Choice

Which branch does the word "bicameral" belong too.

• Legislative

• Executive

• Judicial

Multiple Choice

An "Act" is a law at which level of government?

• Federal

• State

• Local

• International

Multiple Choice

The term "Chief Justice" belongs to which branch of government?

• Legislative

• Executive

• Judicial

Multiple Choice

Having two chambers in a legislative branch (House of Representatives and Senate)

• Cabinet

• Dual Citizenship

• Bicameral

• Unicameral

Multiple Choice

"A Federal Judge was impeached for Bribery" Which branch of government would have accused the judge of wrongdoing?

• Legislative

• Executive

• Judicial

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