checks-and-balances(1)

CHECKS&BALANCESThesystemofchecksandbalancesisapartofUSConstitution.Itguaranteesthatnopartofthegovernmentbecomestoopowerful.Howtheywork?TheConstitutiondividesthepowerofthegovernmenttheExecutivetheLegislativeTheJudicialThePresidentTheCongressTheSupremeCourttheonlybranchifgovern--mentthatcanmakefederalLaws,declarewarandputfor--eigntreatiesintoeffectives13CourtsofAppealsandtheCourtofApplesfortheArmedForcesHeadoftheGovernment;Servingforatermof4yearsandcanbeelectedtoasecondtermTheCabinetincludingtheVicePresidentandtheheadsof5executivedepartm--ents;allareappointedbythePresident100members,2fromeachstate,electedfor6-yearterm;presidedbytheVicePresidentTheSenatetheHouseofRepresentatives435members,appointedamongthestatesaccordingtotheirpopulationsleastoneforeachandatstate;electedfor2-yearterm;presidedbytheSpeaker95districtcourtsandthespecializedcourts•ChecksandBalancesareLegislativeBranch,ExecutiveBranchandJudicialBranchLEGISLATIVEBRANCH•Thelegislativebranchismadeupofelectedrepresentativesfromallthestatesandistheonlybranchthatcanmakefederallaws,levyfederaltaxes,declarewarorputforeigntreatiesintoeffect.LEGISLATIVEBRANCH•ItconsistsofaCongressthatisdividedintotwohouses:•TheHouseofRepresentativescompriseslawmakerswhoservetwo-yearterms.EachHousememberrepresentsadistrictinhisorherhomestate.Thenumberofdistrictsinastateisdeterminedbyacountofthepopulationtakenbyevery10years.•TheSenatecompriseslawmakerswhoservesix-yearterms.Eachstate,regardlessofpopulation,hastwosenators.Thetermsofthesenatorsarestaggered,sothatonlyone-thirdoftheSenateiselectedeverytwoyears.ThatassurethattherearesomeexperiencedsenatorsinCongressaftereachelection.LegislativeBranch•ThemaindutyoftheCongressistomakelaws,includingthosewhichlevytaxesthatpayfortheworkofthefederalgovernment.•Alawbeginsasaproposalcalleda“bill”.Itisread,studiedincommittees,commentedonandamendedintheSenateorHousechamberinwhichitwasintroduced.Itisthenvotedupon.Ifitpasses,itissenttotheotherhousewhereasimilarprocedureoccurs.Membersofbothhousesworktogetherin“conferencecommittees”ifthechambershavepasseddifferentversionsofthesamebill.Groupswhotrytopersuadecongressmentovoteforagainstabillareknownas“lobbies”.WhenbothhousesofCongresspassabillonwhichtheyagree,itissenttothepresidentforhissignature.Onlyafteritissigneddoesthebillbecomealaw.AbillTheSenateorHousechamberPassdifferentversionsofthesamebillLobbiesBothHouseofCongresspassabillSenttothepresidentAlawSignedEXECUTIVEBRANCH•ThechiefexecutiveoftheUnitedStatedisthepresident,who,togetherwiththevicepresident,iselectedtoafour-yearterm.Apresidentcanbeelectedtoonlytwoterms.ThevicepresidenthavetherightofsuccessiontothepresidencyandpresideofficeroftheSenate;especiallyvoteintheSenateonlyintheeventofatie.EXECUTIVEBRANCH•Thepowersofthepresidencyareformidable,butnotwithoutlimitations.•ThepresidentoftenproposeslegislationtoCongress.ThepresidentcanalsovoteanybillpassedbyCongress.(two-thirdsvoteinbothSenateandHouseofRepresentatives)•Thepresidentcaneasilyinfluencepublicopinionregardingissuesandlegislationthathedeemsvital.•Thepresidenthastheauthoritytoappointfederaljudgesasvacanciesoccur,includingmembersoftheSupremeCourt,whichissubjecttoconfirmationbytheSenate.•Thepresidenthasbroadpowerstoissueregulationsanddirectivesregardingtheworkofthefederalgovernment‘smanydepartmentsandagencies.Healsoiscommanderinchiefofthearmedforced.•Thepresidentisprimarilyresponsibleforforeignrelationswithothernations.EXECUTIVEBRANCH•Thepresident’scabinet(13department):State,Treasury,Defense,Justice,Interior,Agriculture,Commerce,Labor,HealthandHumanServices,HousingandUrbanDevelopment,Transportation,EnergyandEducation.JUDICIALBRANCHThejudicialbranchisheadedbytheSupremeCourt,whichistheonlycourtspeciallycreatedbytheConstitution.Inaddition,theCongresshasestablished11federalcourtsofappealand,belowthem,91federaldistrictcourts.Federaljudgesareappointedforlifeorvoluntaryretirement,andcanonlyberemovedfromofficethroughtheprocessofimpeachmentandtrialintheCongress.TheSupremeCourt11federalcourtsand91federaldistrictcourtsJUDICIALBRANCH•FederalcourtshavejurisdictionovercasesarisingoutoftheConstitution:lawsandtreatiesoftheUnitedStates;maritimecases;issuesinvolvingforeigncitizensorgovernments;andcasesinwhichthefederalgovernmentitselfisaparty.•TheSupremeCourttodayconsistsofachiefjusticeandeightassociatejustices.WithminorexceptionsallitscasesreachtheCourtonappealfromlowerfederalorstatecourts,mostofwhichinvolveddisputesovertheinterpretationoflawsandlegislation.•TheCourtdeterminewhethercongressionallegislationorexecutiveactionviolatestheConstitution.☉After“9.11”,AmericasetuptheDepartmentofHomelandSecurity(国土安全部)ThepresidentsuggestedtheactofsettingtheDepartmentofHomelandSecurity（总统提出设立国安部的法案）↓CongressauthorizedCongressauthorized（国会批准）↓Establish（正式成立）