Lecture from Washington D.C. Study tour

1. The Federal Government
What is it and Why does it matter?

2. What does “government” mean to you?

3. What is government?
―Government is not reason, it is not
eloquence – it is force‖ ~ George
Washington
Only institution that has the power to…
• Take Property
• Imprison People
• Execute People

4. Our Government: A History Lesson

5. • Was this guy the first
president of the United
States of America?
• On April 30, 1789,
George Washington,
standing on the balcony
of Federal Hall on Wall
Street in New York,
took his oath of office
as the first President of
the United States.

6. Then who the heck was this guy?
• Peyton Randolph
• First President of
the Continental
Congress’ United
Colonies of America
• 9/08/1774-
10/22/1774

7. • The First Continental Congress
convened in Philadelphia on September
5, 1774. The idea of such a meeting
was advanced a year earlier by Ben
Franklin, but failed to gain much
support until after the Port of Boston
was closed in response to the Boston
Tea Party.
• Twelve of the 13 colonies sent
delegates. Which one did not?

8. First Continental Congress

10. • Some of the most prominent figures of
the era were among the 55 delegates
in attendance, including George
Washington, Samuel Adams, John
Adams (2nd president & cousin to
Samuel), Patrick Henry, Richard Henry
Lee, John Jay and John Dickinson.

11. John Adams
• Admitted to
Massachusetts Bar,
1761; Elected to
Massachusetts
Assembly, 1770;
Attended First
Continental
Congress, 1774-'76;
Signed Declaration
of Independence,

12. Samuel Adams
• If ye love wealth greater
than liberty, the
tranquility of servitude
greater than the
animating contest for
freedom, go home from
us in peace. We seek not
your counsel, nor your
arms. Crouch down
and lick the hand that
feeds you; May your
chains set lightly upon
you, and may posterity
forget that ye were our
countrymen.
•
—Samuel Adams

13. Patrick Henry
• ―Is life so dear, or
peace so sweet, as
to be purchased at
the price of chains
and slavery? Forbid
it, Almighty God! I
know not what
course others may
take; but as for me,
give me liberty or
give me death!
• March 23, 1775.

14. Richard Henry Lee
• His resolution "that
these United Colonies
are, and of right ought
to be, free and
independent States,"
approved by the
Continental Congress
July 2, 1776, was the
first official act of the
United Colonies that set
them irrevocably on the
road to independence.

15. John Jay
• First Chief Justice of
the Supreme Court
of the United States,

16. Who is this?

17. John Dickinson
• Dickinson was a
delegate to both
Continental
Congresses and
created a minor
furor by refusing to
sign the Declaration
of Independence.

18. • The United States’ Declaration of
Independence was an act of the
Second Continental Congress, adopted
on July 4, 1776, which declared that
the 13 Colonies in North America were
"Free and Independent States" and
that "all political connection between
them and the State of Great Britain, is
and ought to be totally dissolved."

19. Second Continental Congress

20. • On May 10, 1775, the members of the
Second Continental Congress met at
the State House in Philadelphia. There
were several new delegates including:
John Hancock from Massachusetts,
Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, and
Benjamin Franklin from Pennsylvania.

21. John Hancock
• In 1768 his sloop
Liberty was impounded
by customs officials at
Boston Harbor, on a
charge of running
contraband goods. A
large group of private
citizens stormed the
customs post, burned
the government boat,
and beat the officers,
causing them to seek
refuge on a ship off
shore. Soon afterward,
Hancock abetted the
Boston Tea Party.

22. • The signature of John Hancock on the
Declaration of Independence is the most
flamboyant and easily recognizable of all.

24. Thomas Jefferson
• Secretary of state
under George
Washington,
• Vice-president in the
administration of
John Adams
• President of the
United States from
1801 to 1809.

25. Benjamin Franklin
• Statesman, scientist,
inventor, publisher of
the Pennsylvania
Gazette, author of Poor
Richard's Almanac,
member of the
Continental Congress
and the Constitutional
Convention, signer of
the Declaration of
Independence, first
U.S. Postmaster
General, American
commissioner to Paris.

26. • The Declaration of Independence
4/4/1776
• The U.S. Constitution 9/17/1787
• Eleven years between the two.
• And still 2 more years before we
actually elect George Washington as
president!!

27. • The United States Constitution was
adopted on September 17, 1787, by
the Constitutional Convention and later
by conventions in each state; it has
since been amended twenty-seven
times,
• the first ten amendments being known
as the Bill of Rights.

28. • The U.S. Constitution is the world's
oldest federal constitution.
• The handwritten, or "engrossed",
original document is on display at the
National Archives and Records
Administration in Washington, D.C.

30. Three Branches of Government
• The Executive Branch
• The President
• Cabinet
• Executive Office of the President
• The Legislative Branch
• House of Representatives
• Senate
• The Judicial Branch
• Supreme Court

31. The Executive Branch

32. PRESIDENTIAL QUIZ

33. 44th President: Barack Obama

34. The Basics of the Presidency
• Can be elected for up to two terms of
four years each
• Must be a Natural Born Citizen
• 35 Years Old
• Have lived in the U.S. for 14 years

35. • Can this guy be
president?
• If we do what?

36. The Vice President
• President of the Senate
• Tie-Breaker
• Second in line for the
Presidency
• Previously the VP was
distanced because if a
disagreement came up
then the President cannot
fire the VP.

37. Vice President Joe Biden

38. Types of Presidential Power
• Power to Inform
-- State of the Union, Bully Pulpit
• Veto Power
• Appointment Power
• Power to Recommend
• Commander-in-Chief

39. The Effect of Appointment Power
on the Consumer
• President names the heads of
Regulatory Agencies.
• Then must be confirmed by the
Senate.
• Gives the President the ability to
influence regulatory policy.

40. Inherent Executive Power
“The executive power shall be vested in
a President” ~ U.S. Constitution
• Executive Orders
• Is a presidential directive that has the
force of law, though it is not enacted by
Congress.
• Armed Services EO by Truman
• Desegregation of schools EO by
Eisenhower

41. Inherent Executive Power
Executive Orders
• Carter and concern for Consumers
• 12160 - Enhancement and coordination of
federal consumer programs
• 12265 - Providing for enhancement and
coordination of Federal consumer
programs

42. Executive Privilege
• EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE refers to the
assertion made by the President or
other executive branch officials when
they refuse to give Congress, the
courts, or private parties information
or records which have been requested
or subpoenaed, or when they order
government witnesses not to testify
before Congress.

43. The President’s Cabinet
• Appointed by the President
• The Secretary of 15 major Departments
Agriculture Interior
Commerce Justice
Defense Labor
Education State
Energy Transportation
Health and Human Services Treasury
Homeland Security Veterans Affairs
Housing and Urban
Development
White House Webpage

44. The President’s Staff
The Executive Office of the President
• Council of Economic Advisers
• Council on Environmental Quality
• Office of Administration
• Office of Management and Budget
• Office of National Drug Control Policy
• Office of Science & Technology Policy
• President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory
Board
• United States Trade Representative
• White House Office
1,800 Employees

45. The President’s Staff
White House Offices
• Domestic Policy Council
• Homeland Security Council
• National Economic Council
• Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
• Office of the First Lady
• Office of National AIDS Policy
• Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board
• USA Freedom Corps
• White House Fellows Office
• White House Military Office

46. White House Consumer Advisor
• 1964 – Esther Peterson
• Personnel in the White House worked
to sustain the consumer interest
through the U.S. Office of Consumer
Affairs
• Closed in the 1990’s

47. The Bureaucracy
• What does it mean?
• Organization designed to perform a
particular set of tasks
• Red Tape
• Professional Civil Servants
• Two million employees

48. The Legislative Branch

49. The Legislative Branch: Congress
Bi-Cameral Legislature (Two-Branches)
1. House of Representatives: Lower
Chamber
2. Senate: Upper Chamber

50. The House of Representatives
• 435 Voting Members
256 Democrats
178 Republicans
1 Vacancy
• Requirements 25 years old, lived in
U.S. for 7 years and a resident of the
area that they represent
• Two-Year Term

51. Congressional Leaders:
House of Representatives
Speaker of the House • Nancy Pelosi (CA)
Majority Leader • Steny Hoyer (MD)
Majority Whip • James Clyburn (SC)
Minority Leader • John Boehner (OH)
Minority Whip • Eric Cantor (VA)

52. Your Representative
• Each District has
about 650,000
people based on the
census
• Districts are
redrawn every 10
years

53. What Does YOUR Representative
do for YOU?
• The interests of your district
• Serves on committees
• Speaks on the floor of the House
• Tries to get money back to the district
• Raises money to get re-elected
• Assist constituents with Gov’t agencies
• District Offices

54. The Senate
• Two Senators per State, Currently:
• 57 Democrats
• 2 Independents
• 40 Republicans
• One race not yet called (minnesota)

55. The Senate
• Serve Six-Year Term
• One-third of the Senate up for re-election
every two years
• Must be 30 Years Old, Citizen for 9 years,
inhabitant of the state they represent
• Sixteen Standing Committees

56. Congressional Leaders:
Senate
President of the • Joe Biden
Senate
President Pro Tem • Robert Byrd(WV)
Majority Leader • Harry Reid (NV)
Majority Whip • Richard Durbin (IL)
Minority Leader • Mitch McConnell (KY)
Minority Whip • John Kyl (AZ)

57. Congressional Power:
From the Constitution
• Declare War
• Raise and support armies
• Lay and Collect Taxes
• Ratify Treaties
• Borrow Money
• Regulate Interstate Commerce
• Coin Money
• Establish Post Offices
• Issue Patents and Copyrights

58. Let’s look at that “borrow money” a little closer…
• http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/1
0/03/us-bail.html

59. Congressional Investigation
• Agency Oversight
• Confirmation Hearings
• Investigative Hearings
• Transportation Recall Enhancement,
Accountability and Documentation Act
2000 (TREAD)

60. The Judicial Branch

61. The Supreme Court
• Nine Justices: Associates and 1 Chief
• Appointed for Life
• Appointed by the President and
Confirmed by the Senate

62. The Justices
• John Roberts, Chief • Clarence Thomas
• John Paul Stevens • Ruth Bader Ginsberg
• Antonin Scalia • Steven Breyer
• Anthony Kennedy • Samuel Alito
• David Souter

63. The Appointment Process
• President nominates someone
• Lots of Media Scrutiny
• Senate holds confirmation hearings
• Trying to understand what this person will
be like as a justice
• Senate votes: Need majority approval

64. Who is this woman?

65. The Power of the Supreme Court
• Judicial Review: The power of the
court to declare laws made by
Congress and State Legislatures null
and void if they are in violation of the
Constitution
• Base their decisions on
• The Constitution
• Precedence: Decisions in Previous Cases

66. Way of Interpreting the Constitution
• Original Intent
What the founding fathers meant when
they wrote the constitution
• Living Constitution Theory
Consider the Constitution in light of the
total history of the U.S.
• Plain Meaning of the Text
Examines laws in light of what the words
of the Constitution say

67. Other Thoughts on the Supreme Court…
• Justices appointed for life or until they
choose to retire – good or bad thing?
• In class……What makes a good Justice?

68. More thoughts on
the Federal Government

69. Separation of Powers
• Definition: A system of government in
which different institutions exercise
different components of governmental
power
• Checks and Balances: system put in
place by the founders that gives each
branch the power to block the actions
of others

70. Congressional Checks on
Presidential Power
Presidential Power Congressional Check
Make Treaties Ratify by 2/3 Senate
Appoint Judges Senate must confirm
Commander-in-Chief Congress declares war
Veto Legislation 2/3 vote to override
Execute Laws Enacted by Congress

71. Who checks Congress and the
Supreme Court?
CONGRESS
• Judicial Review!
• The Public
SUPREME COURT
• Senate when they vote on Justices

72. Federalism and Dual Sovereignty
• Big words that mean both the state and
federal government have power within their
own sphere
Federal Legislature State Legislature
Tax Tax
Regulate Interstate Regulate Intrastate
Commerce Commerce
Declare War Education
Coin Money Maintain Parks, Prisons
Manage programs (Medicaid)

73. So… Why does all this matter to me?

74. Your Day and How the Federal
Government affects it….
• Your alarm clock
• The lights in your room
• How you know what to wear
• What you eat
• Roads you drive on
• Worker protections
• What you can download on your iPod
• Mailing letters and bills
• How many telemarketers call your house
• The pillow and mattress you sleep on

75. The Uhl Model
Adopted from: Uhl, J. (1971). Consumer Education and protection:
A synergistic relationship.

76. Public Policy/Regulation
• Why do we need regulations?
• To prevent undesirable actions
• Markets may not workless than perfect
competition
• Monopolies
• Externalities
• Consumers lack information on important
matters
• Adverse consequences on health/safety
• Adverse consequences on financial well-being

77. Why is this study tour important?
• It puts us in the mix of the Uhl Model.
• We are learning about consumer
welfare by going to the place where
public policy occurs!