Federal Government

Federal Government

Principle

A basic truth or belief

The American
government is based on
key principles that are
important to our country.

Sovereignty

Power or authority to rule

The United States is ruled
by popular sovereignty,
which means the people
choose the leaders.

Federalism

The division of powers
between state and federal
governments

Federalism in the United
States refers to the rule of
both state and federal
governments.

Match

Match the following

• A basic truth or belief

• The division of powers between state and government

• authority to rule

Principle

Federalism

sovereignty

• Principle

• Federalism

• sovereignty

What is the purpose
of government?

Both state and federal
governments make rules,
or laws, for people to
follow.

We will learn about some
of the duties of the
government.

Protect rights and
Enforce Laws

Government protects
citizens' rights to equality, to
vote, to believe as they
choose, and to have a fair
trial.

Government makes and
enforces laws

Duties of government

Government commands
the military that protects
and keeps the country
safe.

Government keeps taxes
reasonable, protects
consumers, and promotes
trade.

Provide Public
Services

Government provides
public education,
police and fire
protection, roads and
public transportation,
as well as many other
services.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following does the government do for its people?

• Make laws

• Protect rights of citizens

• Provide services

• Keep citizens safe

• All of these things are duties of the government

Three Branches of
Government

The Legislative Branch
makes the laws in
America.

Branches of
Government

The Executive branch of
government enforces the
laws in America.

Branches of
Government

The judicial branch of
government is responsible
for interpreting the laws.

Multiple Choice

How many branches or sections of government are there?

• 4

• 1

• 2

• 3

Match

Match the branch of government with its duties.

• Enforces the laws

• Interprets the laws

• Makes the laws

Executive Branch

Judicial Branch

Legislative Branch

• Executive Branch

• Judicial Branch

• Legislative Branch

Who makes up the
legislative branch of
government

Congress makes up the nation's
legislative branch. Congress includes
the Senate and the House of
Representatives. Every state elects
two people to the Senate. The number
of representatives per state is based
on each state's population. Senators
serve for six years, and members of
the House of Representatives serve
for two years.

The legislative branch makes laws.
Congress writes, discusses, and votes
on these laws.

More about the
legislative Branch

1.

Congress confirms or
rejects the
president's
nominees.

2.

Congress can
remove the president
in exceptional
circumstances.

Multiple Choice

What does the legislative branch of government do?

• Makes the laws

• Enforces the laws

• Interprets the laws

Multiple Choice

The legislative branch is made up of:

• Judges, Officials and Policemen

• The Senate and The House of Representatives

• The President and the Vice President

The Exectutive
Branch:

The executive branch includes the
president, vice president, and cabinet.
The president and vice president are
elected and serve for four years. The
president nominates and removes
cabinet members.

The executive branch enforces the
laws. After the legislative branch
passes laws, the president approves
the laws.

Executive Branch

1.The president can veto
laws passed by
Congress.

2.The president nominates
Supreme Court justices.

Multiple Choice

Who is apart of the Executive Branch of Government?

• The Senate and The House of Representatives

• The President, Vice President and the Cabinet

• Judges, Policemen and Officials

Multiple Choice

What does the executive branch of government do?

• Make the laws

• Enforce the laws

• Interpret the laws

Judicial Branch

The judicial branch includes the
Supreme Court and other federal
courts. The president nominates
Supreme Court justices, and
Congress confirms them.
Supreme Court judges serve
until they retire or pass away.

The judicial branch interprets the
laws. The Supreme Court is the
highest court in the U.S. These
judges decide if a law is
constitutional or not.

Judicial Branch

1.The Supreme Court can
overturn unconstitutional laws.

2.Supreme Court justices are
nominated by the president and
confirmed by the Senate.

Multiple Choice

What does the Judicial Branch of Government do?

• Makes the laws

• Enforces the laws

• Interprets the laws

Elected Officials

Official

A person in a public office

A government official serves Americans
by completing his or her assigned duties.

Elected

Voted For

The president is elected
by the people.

Member of a Political
Party

Most elected officials have a
political affiliation with either the
Republican or the Democrat party.

A political party is made up of
people who have somewhat similar
ideas on what needs to be done.
They work together to try to get
their candidate elected to a
government office, and once their
candidates are in office, they work
together to pass the laws they
believe are important.

The President

The president of the United States
is the head of the United States
government.

To be elected president, someone
must be at least 35 years old, a
United States resident for 14 years,
and a "natural born citizen." Once
the president is elected, he or she
serves a four-year term.

The President

The president is part of the
executive branch, which
enforces the law.

The president also chooses
officials and advisors for the
executive branch. These
people are part of the
president's cabinet.

The president is in charge of
millions of government workers
and also commands the
military.

The Vice President

The vice president rules over
the Senate. The
requirements to be a vice
president are the same as
that of the president. To be
elected vice president,
someone must be at least 35
years old, a United States
resident for 14 years, and a
"natural born citizen." Once
the vice president is elected,
he or she serves a four-year
term.

The Vice President

The vice president votes in the
Senate when there is a
tie.Another responsibility of the
vice president is to take over
the presidency if the president
dies.That is the biggest job of
the vice president. If
something happens to the
president and he or she is
unable to lead, the vice
president takes over the
responsibilities of the
president.

What is the job of a
United States
Senator?

A United States senator
represents the people who
live in his or her state.To be
elected as a senator,
someone must be at least 30
years old, a United States
citizen for at least nine years,
and live in the state he or she
will represent. A senator
serves a six-year term.

Senators are apart of the
legislative branch which
makes laws.

Senators

A senator writes and
votes on new laws which
are called bills.

Two senators are elected
for each state in the
United States.

The House of
Representatives

A member of the House of
Representatives represents the
people who live in his or her
state.

To be elected to the House of
Representatives, someone must
be at least 25 years old, a United
States citizen for the past seven
years, and live in the state he or
she will represent. A member of
the House of Representatives
serves a two-year term.

The House of
Representatives

Members of the House of
Representatives are part of the
legislative branch, which makes
the law.

A House of Representative
member writes and votes on new
laws, which are called bills.The
House of Representatives can
pass spending bills.

Members of the House of
Representatives can also
impeach officials.