Overview of Branches of Government

Legislative Executive Judicial

Purpose Make laws They “carry” out the They interpret these laws
laws

Structure ● Congress = President + Vice Prez + Supreme Court + Other Federal

Senate + House Cabinet Courts
of Reps ● Chief executive ● Judicial is supposed to
● 2 senators ● Chief diplomat vested in one Supreme
from each state ● Commander-in- court with all other smaller
● House based Chief courts deferring to it
on population ● Chief Legislator ● Dual Court System
○ Gerrym ● Chief of Party ○ National courts
anderin ● Chief Citizen number in the
g can ● Explicit hundreds
mess ○ Comma ○ Each state has own
you up nder in system of courts
● Congressional chief ● Regular Courts
term is two ○ Veto ○ Court appeals
years ○ Pardon ○ District courts
● Senate ○ Host ● Special Courts
qualifications Ambas ○ US Tax Court
○ 30 sadors ○ US Federal Court
years ● Implied of Claims
○ 9 years ○ Executi ● 50 states are divided into
a ve 89 districts
citizen ORder ● They look at both criminal
● Both elected by ○ Executi and civil cases
constituency, ve ○ Criminal case
body voters in Privileg ■ A court
an area e determine
○ Remov s whether
al of the
officials accused is
○ Nation guilty or
al innocent
Securit ○ Civil Courts
y ■ A court
Directiv settles a
es disagreem
●
ent
between
two parties
○ Supreme Court
■ Nine
justices
■ Chief
justice who
sits in the
middle
■ Justices
serve an
average of
16 years
■ Highest
court in
the
country
■ In DC
■ Responsibl
e for
deciding
whether
laws
violate the
Constitutio
n
■ Most cases
that come
to the
Supreme
Court are
on appeal
■ Most
appeals
are from
federal
courts
■ Parties
appeal
their cases
to the
Supreme
court, also
look at
 lower
court
decisions
■ Justices
study docs
■ Justices
vote to
review the
case
○ What happens
when a case is
selected for
review?
■ Parties
make
arguments
and hear
each side
of the case
for about
30 minutes
■ Justices
write
opinions,
the
majority
opinion
shared by
more than
half of
justices
becomes
the
opinion
■ Dissetning
or minority
opinion
are
published
and looked
at
 ■ Opinions
finished,
all justices
cast a final
vote and it
is
considered
“hands
down”
○ Appointments
■ President
appoints,
senate
confirms
■ Most fed
judges
drawn
from
attornies,
legal
scholars,
law school
profs, etc.
■ Judicial
Restirant
vs. Judicial
Activism is
how most
judges will
try and
operate,
one of the
two or a
combo

Powers ● Main work is in ● Appointment ● Supreme

committees cuz Powers ○ Interpret meaning
so many ○ Article behind laws
different 2, ○ Decides if laws
people in Section violate constitution
 congress, 2, ○ Protect civil
divide and Clause liberties
conquer 2, gives ○ Influence public
● House rules power policy
○ Conditi to prez ● Federal courts
ons on to ○ Federal Law
which a appoin ○ Bankruptcy
bill gets t ○ Treaties with
passed Ambas foreign nations
● Joint/conferenc sadors, ○ Land grant claims
e other of different states
○ When public ●
they ministe
resolve rs,
a judges
differe of the
nce suprem
betwee e court,
n and all
parties officers
● Impeachment of the
powers, United
amending the States,
constitution, as well
and basic as
electoral duties other
are expressed judges
powers ● War Powers
● Congress has ○ Preside
been given the nt
power to order
stretch their military
explicit powers, to
in order to defend
carry out against
legislative attack
duties ○ Respon
sible
for
foreign
affairs
● Institutions
that check that
power
○ The
Media
○ Congre
 ss
○ Voters

Other Important Pieces of ● The senate ● Unspoken

Information to Note currently holds rules, you need
a republican to be
majority charismatic,
● The house persuasive, and
holds a good at improv
democratic ● The president
majority needs to know
● Some common that they are
professions of the national
those in office symbol
are lawyers, ● This means
business their looks and
people, or rhetoric are (as
bankers superficial as
they are)
incredibly
important

Response Questions - Legislative Branch

1. How is the legislative branch constructed and what are the qualifications to become a member?
a. The legislative branch is made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate. For
the house you need to be at least 25 years old. For the senate you need to be at least 30
years old. House, citizen for 7 years. Senate, citizen for 9 years. In both, you must be a
resident of your respective state.
2. Whose views should members of Congress represent when voting?
a. Their constituency. The people in their districts or states that voted for them to be in the
same seat
3. Is being a member of the House or the Senate more influential?
a. Technically speaking, because there are less total seats in the Senate, your vote on
whatever legislation goes through their matters more. But in terms of legislation in
general, they deal with different things and it is hard to say who is better than the other.
4. How does the House differ from the Senate?
a. Each member is generally more specialized and part of a specific committee. In the
Senate they are much more generalized. The Senate focuses on foregin policy more and
the house focuses on policies around the budget. There is limited debate in the House
and unlimited within the Senate
5. Which of the specific given powers of Congress is the most powerful?
a. Their ability to influence the federal budget. This is one of the important things, as the
budget goes to fund a variety of programs that can either end lives or save lives. Where
they decide to allocate funds to could be a matter of life or death.
6. What’s the process of a bill becoming a law? Who is involved and who is the most influential
throughout the process?
a. People in a district propose an idea about a solution to a problem in the community, and
call the representative. This representative will then propose in a committee meeting
where they will adjust and argue over it. Once it goes through that, the house will take a
vote on the bill. If a majority in the house want it, then it will go to the Senate. The
senate will then look at and decide on it, and if it goes through there, it will go to the
desk of the president of the united states. Should the president not veto it, he or she
will sign it, and it becomes law. However, even if the president vetoes it, if gets 2/3rds
support in congress, the bill becomes law anyways. I would argue that congress is the
most influential in the whole process. And both the house and senate would be on equal
footing in this respect. I wouldn’t say one is more important in this process than the
other.