federal government review

Federalism - National, State, Local Gov't

By Mary Corrigan

Federalism - shared power

Expressed/Enumerated/Delegated - Powers listed in Constitution for federal government

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Concurrent Powers - Powers shared between Federal and State governments

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Reserved Powers - Powers specific to the states; 10th Amendment​

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The Supremacy Clause (Article VI) ensures that Federal law will always rule over State Laws

Multiple Choice

Which of the following scenarios best fits with the idea of a federalist system of government?

• Citizens must follow laws at both the state and federal level

• States have the ability to regulate certification requirements

• The President appoints ambassadors to represent the US

• The Constitution contains information on how to create Amendments

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is NOT a weakness of the Articles of Confederation that we see corrected by enumerated powers

• The federal government can create a military

• States are able to decide certification for certain jobs

• Congress is able to coin money

• Taxes are collected at the Federal and State level

Governments are groups of people that make laws and run a community. We know that state governments run states and that local governments run towns or cities.

A federal government, however, runs the entire country.

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What is the federal government?

Multiple Choice

Which government runs the country?

• local

• federal

• state

• school

The federal government has many jobs. It breaks those jobs into branches.

The federal government can print money, declare war, and trade with other countries.

What does the federal government do?

The federal government manages the military and makes programs for people to find food, shelter, and work.

The federal government collects taxes, too.

The federal government's most important job is to make, enforce, and decide if laws are fair.

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Multiple Choice

What is the federal government's most important job?

• declare war and run the military

• make, enforce, and decide if laws are fair

• print money

The federal government has three branches to help lead the United States.

The executive branch is led by the president. The president is elected by the US people every four years.

The president this year is Joe Biden.

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Who leads the federal government?

How is power divided in the US government?

• Power is divided two ways:

• Federalism: Power is divided between the Federal (national) level of government and the states' governments.

• Branches of Government: At both the Federal and state levels of government, the power to make, enforce, and interpret laws is broken up into different offices.

Where does it say that power is divided?

• Countries usually have a document that explain how the government works.

• These are called constitutions.

• The US Constitution is the supreme law of the land, meaning that everything the government does, MUST agree with what the Constitution says.

The Power to Make Laws

• One power in government is to write bills that can become laws.

• The Legislative Branch has this power, as explained in Article I of the Constitution

• It consists of Congress: The House of Representatives and the Senate.

The Power to Enforce the Laws

• Another power is to enforce the laws that have been passed.

• The Executive branch has this power, as explained in Article II of the Constitution.

• It includes the president and vice president as well as the different Cabinet departments that overseas many issues.

The Power to Interpret the Laws

• The last power that is the ability to interpret laws or explain what they mean.

• The Judicial Branch has this power, as explained in Article III of the Constitution

• It is composed of the Supreme Court.

Checks and Balances

• In order to keep the three branches from trying to grab too much power or authority, each branch can "check" or stop the others.

• Powers are "balanced" or divided evenly so that no branch can easily take more power.

Multiple Select

The three levels of government are

(3 answers)

• federal

• school

• local

• state

Fill in the Blank

The local government belongs to a ____ or town.

Multiple Choice

Which of these can a local government run?

• parks, schools, and libraries

• fairs, hospitals, and colleges

• schools, forests, and nature preserves

Multiple Choice

Which people can the local government hire to help protect the community?

• police officers, firefighters, and EMTs
• lawyers, accountants, and engineers
• plumbers, electricians, and carpenters

Fill in the Blank

The local government is led by a city council and the _____.

Multiple Choice

Which of these is NOT something the local government can do?

• make laws

• clean streets

• provide buses or subway

• print money

Fill in the Blank

The government uses _____ to pay for services.

Multiple Select

State governments can

(2 answers)

• declare war

• decide how to spend the state's money

• pass laws

• trade with other countries

Multiple Choice

What is something the state government CAN'T do?

• build roads

• pass laws

• spend money on colleges or hospitals

• trade with other countries

Fill in the Blank

______ decide if laws are fair.

Important Checks and Balances

• The president can choose to veto or reject bills passed by Congress.

• The House can impeach (charge with a crime) presidents or justices and the Senate can convict them.

• The Supreme Court can use judicial review, deciding that laws passed by Congress and signed by the President are invalid as they conflict with the Constitution.

Multiple Choice

Who leads the state government?

• The Governor
• The Chief Justice
• The Mayor
• The President

Multiple Choice

Who leads the federal government?

• The Chief Justice
• The President
• The Speaker of the House
• The Vice President

Poll

How are you feeling about your learning of the levels of government?

• 1

  I am so, so confused. I need more help!

• 2

  I'm starting to get it, but I'm still a little confused. I need to look at this again!

• 3

  I mostly have this. A quick review would be great!

• 4

  I totally have this. I could teach someone else!

Multiple Choice

What is the supreme law of the land?

• Words of the president

• Referendum passed by the people

• The US Constitution

• Laws passed by Congress

Multiple Choice

Can a law, executive order or court ruling disagree with the Constitution?

• Yes

• No

Multiple Choice

Who has the power to make laws?

• The president

• The House and the Senate

• The Supreme Court

• The People

Multiple Choice

Who is NOT part of the Executive Branch?

• President

• Vice President

• Cabinet secretaries

• Supreme Court Justice

Multiple Choice

Who has the power to review and interpret laws?

• The Supreme Court

• The House of Representatives

• The President

• The Senate

Multiple Choice

When the president vetoes a bill instead of signing it, it is an example of the __________ branch checking the _________ branch?

• executive, judicial

• legislative, executive

• judicial, legislative

• executive, legislative