Separation of powers To keep the government from

becoming too powerful, the founding fathers split the jobs of government between three branches of government

The jobs of the three branches of government are laid out in articles I,II,&III of the constitution

Legislative branchMade up of a bicameral congress

House of Representatives has 435 members and each state gets representatives based on population

Senate has 100 members and each state has two senators.

Makes laws Approves the budget Confirms ALL presidential

appointments Raises revenue through taxes Regulates commerce (trade within

our country and with other countries) Declares war

Headed by the president of the US Also includes the VP, the cabinet,

and the bureaucracy.

Executes the laws of the land Prepares the annual budget for

congressional approval Appoints cabinet officers, judges,

and ambassadors Administers the federal bureaucracy

All federal courts The highest federal court is the

Supreme Court Federal courts hear all cases

involving federal law and questions about interpreting the constitution

Supreme Court has the power of judicial review

To keep any one branch from getting too powerful, each branch has the ability to “check” the other branches.

Congress checks the executive branch by:Overriding the president’s vetoImpeaching and convicting the

presidentCongress checks the judicial branch

by:confirming or refusing federal judgesImpeaching federal judges

President checks the legislative branch by: Proposes legislation Prepares the annual budget for congress

(limiting their power over the economy) Calls special sessions of congress Vetoes legislation that congress has passed

President checks the judicial branch by: Appoints federal judges

The courts check the legislative branch by:Declaring laws passed by congress

unconstitutional The courts check the executive

branch by:Declaring acts of thepresident

unconstitutional

A Congressman proposes a Bill

A Committee works on the bill

The bill is debated in both houses of Congress

The bill is voted on in both houses

The bill is sent to the president for approval

Chief of State

Chief Executive

Commander-in-Chief

Chief Diplomat

Chief of Party

Chief Citizen

Ceremonial head of the government

Head of the Executive branch

Head of the armed forces

Head of American foreign policy

Leader of his political party

Representative of all people

The president can influence public policy by:Proposing legislationAppealing to the peopleApproving or vetoing legislationAppointing officials to carry out the

lawsThe president’s power has grown

since the constitution was written