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AmericanGovernment•TheConstitutionclearlystateshowthegovernmentshouldwork•ThebeginningoftheConstitutioniscalledthePreamble.•ThePreamblebegins“We,thePeople…”whichmakesitclearthatthegovernmentissetupbyandforthepeople.•TheUnitedStateshasanationalorfederalgovernment•Eachofthe50stateshasitsownstategovernment•TheConstitutiongivesthefederalgovernmentthepowertocollecttaxes,provideforthenationaldefense,regulatetradeanddisputesbetweenthestates•Thegovernmentisdividedintothreebranches:LegislativeExecutiveJudicial•Thethreeweredesignedtocreateabalanceofpowerinthegovernment•ThelegislativebranchiscalledCongressandismadeupofelectedrepresentativesfromall50states.•TheLegislativebranchhastwosections:theHouseofRepresentativesandtheSenate.•Itistheonlybranchthatcanmakefederallaws,levytaxes(createnewtaxes),declarewar,andputforeigntreatiesintoeffect•TheHouseofRepresentatives–electedlawmakerswhoservetwo-yearterms.Theyareelectedeverytwoyears.•Eachmemberrepresentsadistrictinhisorherhomestate.•Thenumberofdistrictsineachstateisdeterminedbypopulation•Everytenyearsacensus(populationcount)istaken•Thenewcensusdetermineshowmanyrepresentativescomefromeachstate.•TheHouseofRepresentativesismadeupof435seats.•Thisnumberdoesnotchangeunlessnewstatesareaddedtothecountry..•Thestateswithmorepopulationhavemoredistrictssincethisisbasedonpopulation.Thestateswithlowpopulationhavefewerdistricts.•Eachstatehasatleastonedistrict,andthereforeonerepresentative.•Whentheconstitutionwaswritten,thesmallerstatesworriedthatthelargerstateswouldbemuchmorepowerfulinWashington.•Tocalmthereworries,theSenatewasalsocreated.•Eachstatehastwosenators,nomatterhowlargeorhowsmallthestatepopulation.•AllstatesarerepresentedequallyintheSenate.•Senatorsareelectedtosix-yearterms.•ThemaindutyofCongressistomakenewlaws.•Whenalawisbeingconsidered,itiscalledabill.•BoththeHouseandtheSenatemustpassthesameversionofabill.AfterthebillispassedbyboththeHouseandSenate,itgoestothePresidentforapproval.•TheExecutivebranchismadeupofthepresidentandthevicepresident.•Thepresidentandthevicepresidentareelectedtogetherforafour-yearterm.•ThepresidentcanproposenewlawstoCongress,buthecannotmakeanylaws.•HeapprovesorvetoesthebillspassedbyCongress.•WhenheapprovesabillpassedbyCongress,itbecomeslaw.•Ifthepresidentdoesnotapproveabill,itiscalledaveto.Thebilldoesnotbecomelaw.•Congresscanover-rideavetoif2/3ofboththeSenateandtheHousedecidethebillreallyshouldbealaw.•Thepresident’sadvisorsarecalledTheCabinet.Theyaretheheadsofthe15majorfederaldepartments.•Thepresidentappointsallfederaljudges,buthisappointmentsmustbeapprovedbytheSenate.•Thepresidentnegotiatestreatieswithothercountries.TreatiesmustalsobeapprovedbytheSenate.•ThevicepresidentistheheadoftheSenate,butheusuallydoesnotvoteintheSenate.•Hevotesonlyifthereisatievote.•Heservesaspresidentifthepresidentdiesorcannotfulfillthedutiesofoffice.•TheJudicialBranchisheadedbytheSupremeCourt.•ItistheonlycourtspecificallymentionedintheConstitution•Therearefederalcourtsthroughoutthecountrythathearcasesinvolvingpeopleorcompaniesfromdifferentstates.•Federalcourtsalsosettledisputesbetweenstates•TheSupremeCourtmakesrulingsthathavebeenappealedfromlowercourts.•AllfederalcourtsusenationallawsandtheConstitutiontomakedecisions.•IfCongresspassesalawthattheSupremeCourtfeelsgoesagainsttheConstitution,thelawiscalledunconstitutionalandisnolongeralaw.•TheJudiciaryBranchdoesnotmakelaws.TheyonlyinterpretfederallawandtheConstitution.•TherearetwomainpoliticalpartiesintheUnitedStatesnow.•TheRepublicanPartyismoreconservativeandtraditional.Theyfeelsmallergovernmentisbetterforthecountry.•TheDemocraticPartyismoreliberalandprogressive.Theyfeelthatthegovernmentshoulddomoretohelppeopleintheirdailylives.Theyalsofeeltherichshouldpaymoretaxestohelpthepoor.