Understanding the Constitution
Structure of Government (text pages 182-185)
The Big Idea: The U.S. Constitution balances the powers of the federal government among the legislative,
executive, and judicial branches.
Main Ideas
1. The framers of the Constitution devised the federal system.
2. The legislative branch makes the nation's laws.
3. The executive branch enforces the nation’s laws.
4. The judicial branch determines whether or not laws are constitutional.
Main Idea 1: The framers of the Constitution devised the federal system.
1. The ______________________ divides powers between _________________ and federal government.
2. Powers assigned to national government, called ______________________powers, include coining
money and regulating trade.
3. Powers kept by states, called __________________________powers, include creating local
governments and holding elections.
4. _________________________ powers, including taxing and enforcing laws, are shared by federal and
state governments.
5. The “________________________” allows Congress to stretch its delegated powers to deal with
unexpected issues.
Separation of Powers
This separation balances the branches of government and keeps any one of them from growing too powerful.
**copy the powers of each branch from the graphic organizer on page 183
Legislative
Branch
1.
Executive Branch
Judicial Branch
1.
1.
2.
2.
2.
3.
3.
4.
4.
5.
5.
6.
Main Idea 2: The legislative branch makes the nation’s laws.
1. Article I of the Constitution divides legislative branch, or Congress, into 2 Houses; the
________________________ and the __________________________.
2. House of Representatives has ____________________members; number for each state determined by
___________________; each member represents a particular district within her or his state.
3. Senate has ______________ members for each state; both represent state as a whole.
4. Leader of House of Representatives, called the _____________________________ is elected by House
members from the majority party.
5. The U.S. ____________________________ also serves as president of the Senate.
Legislative Requirements
• House of Representatives
1. Members must be _______________years old
2. Live in the state where elected
3. Have been a U.S. citizen for ____________ years
• Senate
1. Members must be ________________ years old
2. Live in the state represented
3. Have been a U.S. citizen for ____________years
Main Idea 3: The executive branch enforces the nation’s laws.
1. Article II of the Constitution lists powers of executive branch, which _______________ laws passed by
Congress.
2. Head of the executive branch is the __________________.
3. President and vice president elected every _____________years.
4. Vice president becomes president if the president dies, resigns, or is removed from office.
5. House of Representatives can ______________________ or vote to charge president with serious
crimes; the _________________ tries impeachment cases (acts as the court); Congress can remove
president from office if found guilty.
Some Presidential Powers
Veto
Executive
Orders
1. President can veto, or ______________, laws that Congress has passed.
2. Congress can __________________ veto with a two-thirds majority vote
1. President can issue executive orders, commands that have the ________________.
2. These orders carry out laws affecting the Constitution, treaties, and statutes.
Pardons
1. President may grant pardons, or freedom from ________________________.
2. Granted to persons convicted of _____________________ or facing criminal
charges
Other Executive Duties
1. The president commands the ________________________; while only _________________can
declare war, the president can call on U.S. troops in emergencies.
2. The executive branch conducts ______________________ and creates _________________.
3. ________________________ do most of the work of the executive branch; the president appoints
department heads, called secretaries, who make up the __________________.
Main Idea 4: The judicial branch determines whether or not laws are constitutional.
1. Judicial branch—system of federal courts headed by the U.S. ___________ _____________.
2. Article III of the Constitution outlines courts’ duties.
3. Federal courts can strike down a state or federal law if the court finds law _______________________.
4. Federal court judges are _________________ by the president for ______________.
5. The lower federal courts are divided into 94 districts.
6. The Courts of Appeals _____________________ from the lower courts.
The Supreme Court
1. Hears ______________ of decisions by the Court of Appeals.
2. Cases usually involve important constitutional or public-interest issues.
**disputes between states, laws passed by Congress, and Constitutional Rights
3. Has ______________ justices, led by a __________ justice.
4. Recent justices include _____________________, first African American justice, appointed in 1967;
________________________, first female justice, appointed in 1981.
Reading Check: MATCHING Read each description. On the lines below, write the letter of the term or place
that matches each description.
_____1. Article I of the Constitution explains how this branch of
government works.
_____2. This grants Congress the right to create laws to deal with new
unexpected issues.
a. appeals courts
b. concurrent powers
or
c. elastic clause
_____3. This amendment limits presidents to only two terms.
d. Thurgood Marshall
_____4. This house of Congress has 435 representatives.
e. House of Representatives
_____5. Powers shared by both state and federal governments are known as these. f. impeach
_____6. This power of the House of Representatives has been used twice—
once against President Andrew Johnson, and once against President Bill Clinton.
g. legislative
_____7. This power allows the president to cancel laws passed by Congress.
i. 22nd Amendment
_____8. He was the first African American Supreme court justice.
j. veto
_____9. Thirteen of these make up part of the judicial branch.
_____10. To serve in this office, a person must be at least 35 years old and
be a native-born citizen of the United States.
h. president