Part I: Basic Government Info

Government In The United States

  1. Democracy vs. Republic
    1. Democracy = mass voting, Republic = electing those to represents us (Mayors, Senate, President)
  2. Federalism Defines
  3. Division of Power
    1. The Federal or National or Central Govt.
      1. President, Congress, Supreme Court, etc…
      2. No state may contradict the Feds
    2. State Governments (too much land, power divided)
      1. Consists of Governor, State Legislature, State Courts, etc…
    3. Local Governments
      1. Consists of Mayor, Town Council, School Board, etc…

The Three Branches of Government

  1. Separation of Powers
    1. Baron de Montesquieu
  2. Legislative Branch
    1. Congress = House of Representatives + Senate
      1. make laws
  3. Executive Branch
    1. President, Vice President & Cabinet
      1. executive orders, enforce laws (not make them!)
  4. Judicial Branch
    1. meant to Interpret the law
    2. Supreme Court
    3. Appellate Courts/Courts of Appeals
    4. District Courts

The President of the United States

  1. Qualifications
    1. have to be 35
    2. born in the US
    3. live in the US for 14 yrs. (at least)
  2. Electoral College

    1. 538 Members

      1. add members of house & senate in state (minimum 3)

        Screenshot 2025-10-31 at 11.45.11 AM.jpg

    2. selects the president

    3. 270 votes to win

    4. not changed/removed for respecting the founding fathers & smaller states had more power

  3. Powers
    1. Commander-In-Chief
      1. president is highest in military, higher than general & admirals, “their boss”, “leader”
    2. Executive Orders
      1. helps president enforce laws, close to them making laws
      2. ex. trump enforcing immigration laws (seen as unconstiutional)
    3. Pardon
      1. Court can give rulings, President can pardon them if they’re going to jail (they can’t pardon themselves)
      2. a way of checking the Judicial branches power
  4. Vice President
    1. doesn’t do very much
    2. breaks ties
    3. sometimes advises
    4. same qualifications as President
    5. once you serve 2 terms, you’re unqualified for vice presidency
    6. former, loser becomes vice president but they found this too divisive so this was abolished
  5. The Cabinet
    1. 20+ presidential advisors
    2. also in line to be president