Standard 12 & 13: Three Branches/Checks & Balances

Match the "check" to the correct branch who has this ability

• Judicial Branch

• The power to override a Presidential

  veto.

• Executive Branch

• The power to approve treaties with

  foreign nations.

• Legislative Branch

• The power to declare an act of Congress

  unconstitutional.

• Legislative Branch

• The power to impeach a judge on the

  federal courts.

• Legislative Branch

• The power to nominate judges to the

  federal courts.

Can rule that an act of Congress violates the U.S. Constitution

• Legislative

• Executive

• Judicial

Can refuse to approve a Presidential nomination.

• Legislative

• Executive

• Judicial

• -Congress overrides a Presidential veto.

-The Supreme Court rules that a state law is unconstitutional.

These actions are examples of the use of...

• Delegated Powers

• Checks & Balances

• The power of the President

• Popular Sovereignty

The writers of the U.S. Constitution included the requirement that all revenue bills

dealing with a public policy issue begin in the House of Representatives, primarily to

• forbid taxes on imports

• check government spending by the people's representatives

• limit the size of the executive branch

• prevent pay raises for federal judges

The U.S. Congress enacts a law concerning immigration. Several individuals believe that the law violates the U.S. Constitution.

What action can the Supreme Court take if it sides with those who thought the law was a violation of the U.S. Constitution?

• Ask the President not to enforce the law.

• Request that the U.S. Congress pass another law fixing the violation.

• Declare the law to be unconstitutional.

• Demand that the law be put on the ballot for the next election day.

Which would likely have the greatest impact on implementing a public policy?

• high school students hold a meeting after school

• Congress passes a law addressing a current issue

• an author writes a book detailing how public policy is carried out

• the President speaks with members of his political party

Which newspaper headline illustrates the operation of checks and balances?

• PRESIDENT ANDREW JOHNSON

  IMPEACHED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

• President Ronald Reagan

  Engages In Arms Reduction Talks With The Soviet Union

• PRESIDENT DWIGHT EISENHOWER

  SENDS TROOPS TO LITTLE ROCK ARKANSAS

• PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH'S

  APPROVAL RATINGS DROP DUE TO THE IRAQ WAR

"The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many mayjustly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny . ..."

Which feature of the U.S. Constitution was included to address the concern expressed by James Madison?

• Electoral College

• Bill of Rights

• separation of powers

• amendment process

"If men were angels, no government would be necessary .... In framing a govern-

ment which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this:

you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place,

oblige it to control itself."

In adopting this statement by James Madison, the framers of the Constitution showed

their belief in the idea of

• Federalism

• Checks & Balances

• Supremacy of the national government

• The Elastic Clause