Government Unit 1 Lesson 2 Part 1

republic

a country whose government is controlled by the elected representatives of the population

presidential

a government headed by a president, with two houses of Congress elected by the people

Constitution

a set of laws and guidelines for the governing of a country

Congress

an elected legislative body of a country

accountability

being answerable to others

The president is elected to serve for..... years

four

parliamentary

government with a Prime Minister and two houses of Parliament elected by the people

Members of the Supreme Court are appointed for

life

House of Representatives

one of the two houses of Congress found in a Presidential government

veto

rejection of a bill passed by the legislature

Which government entity is the part of our checks and balances system that decides whether a law is within the guidelines of the Constitution?

Supreme Court

The people of America do NOT vote for

Supreme Court justices

legislature

a body of elected officials that is empowered to make laws for a country

CONGRESS

Congress is another part of the presidential government. Congress is also known as the Legislature, and consists of two houses - the Senate and the House of Representatives. The members within both houses serve for a fixed term. The Legislature has the power to pass laws and to override presidential vetoes. Let's go back to the story about the 80 miles per hour law. If the president vetoes the bill, it can be sent back to Congress. If Congress wants the 80 miles per hour law passed, they can try to get a two-thirds majority of those present to vote to approve the vetoed bill and it will become a law despite the veto. The United States has built its government on four elements: popular sovereignty, meaning that the people are the ultimate source of the government's authority representative government checks and balances federalism, an arrangement where powers are shared by different levels of government. Congress also shares control over the military with the president (which guarantees civilian control of the military). Congress has the authority to declare war and provide funding for soldiers and weapons, but the president serves as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

The two houses of Congress are the _____ and the _____.

House of representatives senates

SUPREME COURT

The Supreme Court is an integral part of our country's presidential government. It is the highest court in the land and its members are appointed by the president. The Senate, however, gives final approval for the candidates of the Supreme Court to be admitted. Once a candidate is approved, he or she will keep the appointment for life or until retirement. The Supreme Court may review certain laws of the country and decide whether they are within the guidelines set forth by the Constitution. The Supreme Court even has the right to decide whether certain actions of a high official or even the president himself are either unconstitutional or against the law. The overriding veto power of Congress and the Supreme Court's power are two ways that the government provides a system of checks and balances. n a presidential government such as America's, the people elect the president and the members of Congress. The president is elected separately from the members of Congress. His authority is fairly great under this system of government, but he must cooperate with the Congress, or he may see a lack of support for some of his plans and goals. The powers of the United States presidential government are defined in the U.S. Constitution. The president is to be accessible to the people of America by way of communication at all times; the public has the right to express their feelings and concerns to the White House.

PRESIDENTIAL SYSTEM

Within the democracies of the world, two of the most popular forms of government are the presidential and the parliamentary systems. Although there are significant differences in some parts of the overall framework, the basic foundation of accountability to the people is evident in both. A presidential system is used in different forms in different nations across the world. Obviously, the United States uses the presidential form of government. Other countries, including Mexico, France and some republics in South America use varied forms of the presidential government. Since the forms of this type of government may vary, will look specifically at the United States' system. Within America's presidential government, the president is elected to a term of four years. The president has the power to appoint high officials to federal office. Even though the Congress may pass a law, the president has certain veto powers to override the passage of the law. For example, if Congress decided that the national speed limit should be 80 miles per hour, they would vote it into a proposed law which would then go to the president's desk. If he felt that this law was wrong, he has the power to veto the bill before it becomes a law. The upper house of the U.S. Congress is called the Senate. Each state has two senators. Senators are elected to six-year terms. Every two years, one-third of the Senate's seats are up for election or reelection. A senator must be at least 30 years old, a U.S. citizen for at least nine years, and a resident of the state from which he or she is elected. The lower house of the U.S. Congress is called the House of Representatives. Population size determines the number of seats that each state receives in the House of Representatives. Members of the House of Representatives are elected every two years. A member of the House of Representatives must be at least 25 years old, a U.S. citizen for at least seven years, and a resident of the state that he or she represents.

override

to surpass a veto

If the president vetoes a bill, it can still become law if Congress overrides the president's veto with a ..... majority

two-third

power enables the president to reject a bill passed by the legislature.

veto