UNITED STATES

GOVERNMENT
 • LIBERTY
• INDIVIDUALS SHOULD BE FREE TO
ACT AND THINK AS THEY CHOOSE,
PROVIDED THEY DO NOT INFRINGE

CORE UNREASONABLY ON THE FREEDOM

AND WELL-BEING OF OTHERS
PRINCIPLES • SELF-GOVERNMENT
OF US • PRINCIPLE THAT THE PEOPLE ARE
GOV’T THE ULTIMATE SOURCE OF
GOVERNING AUTHORITY AND
THAT THEIR GENERAL WELFARE IS
THE ONLY LEGITIMATE PURPOSE OF
GOVERNMENT
 • EQUALITY
• ALL INDIVIDUALS HAVE MORAL WORTH,
ARE ENTITLED TO FAIR TREATMENT UNDER
THE LAW, AND SHOULD HAVE EQUAL

CORE OPPORTUNITY FOR MATERIAL GAIN AND

POLITICAL INFLUENCE
PRINCIPLES • INDIVIDUALISM
OF US • A COMMITMENT TO PERSONAL INITIATIVE,
SELF-SUFFICIENCY AND MATERIAL
GOV’T ACCUMULATION.

• UPHOLDS THE SUPERIORITY OF A PRIVATE-

ENTERPRISE ECONOMIC SYSTEM AND
INCLUDES THE IDEA OF THE INDIVIDUAL AS
THE FOUNDATION OF SOCIETY
 • DIVERSITY
• HOLDS THAT INDIVIDUAL
DIFFERENCES SHOULD BE
RESPECTED AND THAT THESE
DIFFERENCES ARE A SOURCE
CORE OF STRENGTH AND A
PRINCIPLES LEGITIMATE BASIS OF SELF-
INTEREST
OF US
GOV’T • UNITY
• THE PRINCIPLE THAT
AMERICANS ARE ONE PEOPLE
AND FORM AN INDIVISIBLE
UNION
 “THE AMERICAN CREED”

SELF-
LIBERTY EQUALITY
GOVERNMENT

INDIVIDUALISM DIVERSITY UNITY

 DEMOCRACY
• form of government in
which the people govern,
POLITICS either directly or through
elected representatives
IN THE
UNITED CONSTITUTIONALISM
STATES • set of rules that restricts the
lawful uses of power
• idea that there are limits on
the rightful power of
government over citizens
 • CAPITALISM
• THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD INTERFERE
WITH THE ECONOMY AS LITTLE AS
POSSIBLE

•
POLITICS US: “MIXED ECONOMY”
• FEDERALISM
IN THE • CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY IS
UNITED DIVIDED BETWEEN A NATIONAL

STATES
GOVERNMENT AND STATE
GOVERNMENTS: EACH IS ASSUMED
TO DERIVE ITS POWERS DIRECTLY
FROM THE PEOPLE AND THEREFORE
TO HAVE SOVEREIGNTY OVER THE
POLICY RESPONSIBILITIES ASSIGNED TO
IT
 POLITICAL PARTIES
OTHER INTEREST GROUPS
IMPORTANT
ASPECTS OF
US POLITICS MEDIA

FOREIGN POLICY
 National Government State Government
POWERS
• Print money OF THE US GOVERNMENT
• Issue licenses
• Regulate interstate • Regulate intrastate (within
(between states) and the state) businesses
international trade • Conduct elections
• Make treaties and conduct • Establish local governments
foreign policy • Ratify amendments to the
• Declare war Constitution
• Provide an army and navy • Take measures for public
• Establish post offices health and safety
• Make laws necessary and • May exert powers the
proper to carry out the these Constitution does not
powers delegate to the national
government or prohibit the
states from using
 Collect taxes

Build roads

Borrow money
OTHER POWERS Establish courts
OF NATIONAL
AND STATE Make and enforce laws
GOVERNMENTS
Charter banks and corporations

Spend money for the general

welfare
Take private property for public
purposes, with just compensation
 • THE GREAT
COMPROMISE
THE • UPPER HOUSE:
LEGISLATIVE SENATE
BRANCH • LOWER HOUSE:
HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES
 SENATE

• 100 SENATORS (TWO FROM EACH STATE)

• ELECTED BY STATES
• SIX-YEAR TERM; COULD BE RE-ELECTED
• EVERY TWO YEARS THE MEMBERS OF ONE CLASS—APPROXIMATELY ONE-THIRD OF THE
SENATORS—FACE ELECTION OR REELECTION.

• SENATE PRESIDENT – VICE PRESIDENT OF THE US GOVERNMENT (NO

VOTE UNLESS THERE IS A TIE)
• DUTIES INCLUDE THE APPROVAL OF NOMINATIONS MADE BY THE
PRESIDENT TO THE CABINET, THE SUPREME COURT, FEDERAL COURTS
AND OTHER POSTS
• RATIFIES ALL TREATIES BY A TWO-THIRDS VOTE
 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

• 435 REPRESENTATIVES (NUMBER BASED OF EACH

STATE’S POPULATION)
• ELECTED BY THEIR STATES; SERVE TWO-YEAR TERMS
• SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
• ELECTED BY THE REPRESENTATIVES
• HEAD OF THE HOUSE
QUALIFICATIONS

SENATE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES
• at least thirty years of • at least 25 years old,
age; • U. S. citizenship (at least
• U.S. citizenship (at least seven years)
nine years); and • resident in the state they
• resident in the State a represent (though not
Senator represents at the necessarily the same
time of election. district) at the time of
election
 Senate President

Speaker of the House

IDENTIFY:
President Pro-Tempore

Majority Leader(s)
Minority Leader(s)
EXECUTIVE BRANCH

• PRESIDENT
• HEAD OF STATE
• ELECTED BY THE ENTIRE COUNTRY
• SERVES A FOUR-YEAR TERM (WITH RE-ELECTION; MAXIMUM OF TWO
TERMS)
• DUTIES INCLUDE:
• APPROVES AND EXECUTION OF LAWS
• APPOINTS OR REMOVES CABINET MEMBERS AND OFFICIALS
• NEGOTIATES TREATIES
• COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES
EXECUTIVE BRANCH

• VICE PRESIDENT

• CABINET
• GIVES ADVICE TO THE PRESIDENT ABOUT IMPORTANT MATTERS
• APPOINTED
• CO-TERMINUS.
QUALIFICATIONS
must be 35 years of age

a natural born U.S.

citizen, and

a resident of the U.S. for

the previous 14 years.
IDENTIFY
The Attorney
The Secretary of The Secretary of The Secretary of
General (Justice
State the Treasury Defense
Department)

The Secretary of The Secretary of The Secretary of The Secretary of

the Interior Agriculture Commerce Labor

The Secretary of
The Secretary of The Secretary of
Housing and The Secretary of
Health and Homeland
Urban Transportation
Human Services Security
Development

The Secretary of The Secretary of The Secretary of

Education Energy Veterans' Affairs
 • SUPREME COURT:
• HIGHEST COURT IN THE LAND
• OVERSEES THE COURT SYSTEM OF THE US
• DECISIONS ARE
FINAL, AND NO OTHER
COURT CAN OVERRULE THOSE DECISIONS.

JUDICIAL • DECISIONS SET PRECEDENTS—NEW WAYS

OF INTERPRETING THE LAW.
BRANCH • COURT CASES: GIVE EXPLANATIONS AND
THE MEANING OF THE CONSTITUTION AND
LAWS PASSED BY CONGRESS

• RULES WHETHER SOMETHING IS

CONSTITUTIONAL OR
UNCONSTITUTIONAL—WHETHER OR NOT IT
IS PERMITTED UNDER THE CONSTITUTION.
 • COMPOSITION: (SUPREME
COURT)
• NINE JUSTICES, OR JUDGES:
EIGHT ASSOCIATE JUSTICES

JUDICIAL AND ONE CHIEF JUSTICE.

BRANCH • NOMINATED BY THE PRESIDENT

AND APPROVED BY THE SENATE

• NO TERM LIMITS

• LOWER COURTS
QUALIFICATIONS

• THE CONSTITUTION DOES NOT SPECIFY

QUALIFICATIONS FOR JUSTICES SUCH AS AGE,
EDUCATION, PROFESSION, OR NATIVE-BORN
CITIZENSHIP. A JUSTICE DOES NOT HAVE TO BE A
LAWYER OR A LAW SCHOOL GRADUATE, BUT ALL
JUSTICES HAVE BEEN TRAINED IN THE LAW.
IDENTIFY:

Chief Associate
Justice Justices
 A controversial mechanism of
Presidential elections that was created
by the framers of the U.S. Constitution as
a compromise for the Presidential
election process

ELECTORAL A system that allowed voters to vote for

electors, who would then cast their
COLLEGE votes for candidates

described in Article II, section 1 of the

Constitution.
ELECTORAL COLLEGE
Each state has a number of electors equal to the number of
its U.S. senators (2 in each state) plus the number of its U.S.
representatives, which varies according to the state's
population.

Currently, the Electoral College includes 538 electors, 535 for

the total number of congressional members, and three who
represent Washington, D.C., as allowed by the 23rd
Amendment.

270 required number of votes to win

 • ON THE MONDAY FOLLOWING THE SECOND
WEDNESDAY IN DECEMBER, THE ELECTORS OF
EACH STATE MEET IN THEIR RESPECTIVE STATE
CAPITALS TO OFFICIALLY CAST THEIR VOTES
FOR PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT.

• THESE VOTES ARE THEN SEALED AND SENT TO

THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, WHO ON JAN.
6 OPENS AND READS THE VOTES IN THE
ELECTORAL PRESENCE OF BOTH HOUSES OF CONGRESS.

• THE WINNER IS SWORN INTO OFFICE AT NOON

COLLEGE JAN. 20. MOST OF THE TIME, ELECTORS CAST
THEIR VOTES FOR THE CANDIDATE WHO HAS
RECEIVED THE MOST VOTES IN THAT
PARTICULAR STATE.

• HOWEVER, THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHEN

ELECTORS HAVE VOTED CONTRARY TO THE
PEOPLE'S DECISION, WHICH IS ENTIRELY LEGAL.
 • HOW ARE THE MEMBERS CHOSEN?
• THE ELECTOR IS NOMINATED BY HIS
OR HER STATE PARTY COMMITTEE
(PERHAPS TO REWARD MANY YEARS
ELECTORAL OF SERVICE TO THE PARTY ).

COLLEGE • THE ELECTOR "CAMPAIGNS" FOR A

SPOT AND THE DECISION IS MADE
DURING A VOTE HELD AT THE STATE'S
PARTY CONVENTION.
ELECTORAL COLLEGE

• WHO CANNOT BE MEMBERS OF THE ELECTORAL

COLLEGE?
• HE OR SHE CANNOT BE A REPRESENTATIVE OR SENATOR
• HE OR SHE CANNOT BE A HIGH-RANKING U.S. OFFICIAL IN A
POSITION OF "TRUST OR PROFIT"

• HE OR SHE CANNOT BE SOMEONE WHO HAS "ENGAGED IN

INSURRECTION OR REBELLION" AGAINST THE U.S.