| A | B |
|---|
| Legislative Branch | Senate and House of Representatives |
| Senate is made up of | 100 members (2 from each state) |
| House of Representatives is made up of | 435 members (based on state population) |
| Senate & House salaries | $150,000 |
| Senate qualifications | at least 30 years old; citizen of US for 9 yrs; live in state represented |
| House of Representatives qualifications | at least 25 years old; citizen of US for 7 yrs; live in state represented |
| Senate Term | 6 years - unlimited terms |
| House of Representative Term | 2 years - unlimited terms |
| Legislative Meeting Place | Capitol Building, Washington, D.C. |
| Senate Officers | President of Senate - VP of US; President Pro Tempore; Senate Majority Leader; Senate Minority Leader |
| House of Rep. Officers | Speaker of the House - Dennis Hastert; House Majority Leader; House Minority Leader |
| Main Duty of Legislative Branch | to make laws |
| Senate Duties | pass bills; decide guilt of impeached federal officers - jury; approve presidentia appointments; approve treaties |
| House Duties | pass bills; charge federal officers in impeachment cases; select President when no candidate has a majority in Electoral College; start all revenue bills |
| Joint Senate and House Duties | raise, borrow & coin money; defense powers; control immigration; copyrights, patents; control commerce; govern Washington, D.C.; investigate Executive Branch |
| Legislative Forbidden Powers | no title of nobility |
| Illinois Senators | Dick Durbin (D); Peter Fitzgerald (R) |
| Executive Branch Main Officers | President of the U.S. (George W. Bush); VP of the US (Dick Cheney) |
| Executive Salaries | President - $400,000 plus $150,000 expenses; VP - $192,600 plus an expense allowance |
| Executive Qualifications | at least 35 years old; natural born citizen of US; live in the US for 14 consecutive years |
| Executive term of office | 4 years - may be reelected only once (2 terms total) |
| Executive assumes office | January 20th after election year |
| Main duty of Executive Branch | to enforce the laws |
| Presidential duties | control foreign affairs; domestic power; appoint many officials; grant pardons, reprieves; Commander-in-chief of the armed forces; prepare national budget; legislative leader of the party in power |
| Vice Presidential duties | preside over US Senate; any duties assigned by the President; succeed to the office of President |
| Cabinet | Federal advisors of 15 department officials - appointed by the President |
| State Department | Foreign affairs, participation in the United Nations, issuing passports and running US foreign embassies |
| Dept. of Justice | Attorney General enforces laws of US in federal courts, conducts suits in which the US is concerned, and is chief legal officer of federal government |
| Secretary of Defense | All provisions for the defense of the US are carried out in this dept, including the operation of armed forces |
| Secretary of Interior | Charged with all natural resources of the nation, scenic & historical, National Park System, Indian affairs and dams and water power |
| Secretary of Agriculture | Conducts education and research plans aimed at aiding agriculture; promotes legislation to help farmers & aid them with problems |
| Secretary of Labor | Aids wage earners; enforces labor standards and laws; runs employment bureaus; mediates strikes and suggests legislation |
| Secretary of Commerce Dept. | promotes all phases of commerce, industry and business |
| Secretary of Treasury | manages our nation's finances; responsible for coinage & printing of money; enforces laws and runs the Secret Service |
| Secretary of Health & Human Services | takes care of health matters & many programs that affect the lives of the American citizens. Social Security & Food & Drug Admin. |
| Secretary of Education | manages all federal programs in the nation and oversees education grants to the states |
| Secretary of Housing & Urban Development | seeks solutions to the many problems of urban life. Attends to the growing needs of urban living. |
| Secretary of Transportation | All methods and use of transportation come under its jurisdiction, as well as the Coast Guard |
| Secretary of Energy | establishes an energy policy for the U.S. |
| Secretary of Veterans' Affairs | takes care of all matters having to do with veterans |
| Secretary of Homeland Security | newest addition in direct response to 9-11; involves terrorism and its search for new threats ot the U.S. |
| Presidential Succession | Vice President (Dick Cheney); Speaker of the House (Dennis Hastert); President Pro Tempore (Ted Stevens); Cabinet starting with Secretary of State (Colin Powell) |
| In joint sessions of Congress | There is always one cabinet officer who is the stay behinder. |
| Highest Court in US | Supreme Court |
| Main Courts | Supreme Court; Courts of Appeals; District Courts |
| Supreme Court Salaries | Chief Justice - $192,600; Associate Justice - $184,400 |
| Number of Supreme Court Judges | 9 Total (8 Justices & 1 Chief Justice) |
| Number Court of Appeals Judges | 3 to 9 |
| Number of District Court Judges | 1 to 24 |
| Judicial Branch terms | Appointed (by president & approved by Senate) for life; may only be removed by impeachment |
| Main duty of Judicial Branch | to interpret laws and administer justice |
| Supreme Court duties | decide if laws are constitutional |
| Court of Appeals duties | hear appeals from lower courts |
| District Courts duties | ordinary trial courts |
| Supreme Court meeting place | Washington, D.C. (in its own building) |
| Court of Appeals meeting place | the various districts |
| District Courts meeting places | the various districts |
| Supreme Court qualifications | none |
| (The most important) Executive branch check on legislative | vetoing laws |
| (The most important) Legislative branch check the Executive Branch | passing laws over the veto by 2/3s vote in each house |
| (The most important) Judicial branch check on both legislative & executive | declaring laws unconstitutional |
| Executive check over judicial branch | President appoints all federal judges |
| Legislative check over executive | must approve presidential appointments; Senate must approve treaties that president makes; legislative can investigate executive |
| Legislative check over judical | must approve President's choice of judges |
| Legislative check over executive & judicial | impeachment powers over all federal officers |
| The national budget is presented by | the President. |
| Can call both houses of Congress into special session | president |
| You CANNOT find the duties of these members listed in the Constitution | the Cabinet |
| Amendment 18 | Prohibition 1919 - made it illegal to manufacture, sell, or transport intoxicating liquors in the US |
| Amendment 19 | Right of women to vote |
| Amendment 21 | 1933 - repealed prohibition |
| Amendment 24 | Anti poll tax amendment defines voting requirements |
| Amendment 25 | Establishes process of ailing president passing duties of office to VP, and filling of VP office when vacant |
| Amendment 26 | Gives 18 year olds the right to vote |
