1. United States of America Government: What are the branches? (hint: there are three)

2. Three Branches of Government: Executive Judicial Legislative The founding fathers whom wrote the Constitution decided we should have three branches of government so that there would not be one group or one person who had too much power. What could happen if only one person or group was in charge of the USA? Has anyone been to the state capital or to Washington DC?

3. The Executive Branch: President of the United States- www.whitehouse.gov Citizens of the United States elect the President to be our leader and the Commander in Chief of the military. The President must be a born citizen and have lived in the United States for at least 14 years. He or she must be at least 35 years old. A presidential term lasts 4 years. Vice President of the United States He is the President of the Senate. Who are the President and Vice President?

4. The Judicial Branch. Supreme Court: Nine Supreme Court Justices are chosen by the President. Their power is higher than any other judge in the USA. They decide if part of the Constitution should be changed and/or if laws and other court decisions are constitutional. Unlimited term, no rules on age, citizenship or residency. Would you want that kind of power? Why is it a good thing to have a supreme court?

5. The Legislative Branch: Congress: The members are elected to make laws. They are divided into two parts. House of Representatives: Each state elects people to represent them in Congress. Those elected must live in the state he/she represents, be at least 25 years old and a citizen for the last 7 years. The larger a population the state has the more representatives it has. The house of Representatives vote on tax laws. Senate: Each state has two Senators. A senator must live in the state he/she represents, be at least 30 years old and a citizen for the last 9 years. The Senate looks at decisions the President has made and decides if they agree with the President or not. The senate has the power to impeach the President. Why do you think having representatives is good for each state? What about Senators? What would you rather be, a Senator, or a Representative.

6. Our Local Government: State Capital: Sacramento, Ca. Senator: Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein Representative for District 7. (this is where we live) George Miller

7. Resources : Federal Gov: www.usa.gov http://www.whitehouse.gov/ Local Gov: http://www.ca.gov/ http://feinstein.senate.gov/public/ http://boxer.senate.gov/ http://georgemiller.house.gov/

8. California State Content Standards: Grade: 3rd. 3.4 Students understand the role of rules and laws in our daily lives and the basic structure of the U.S. government. 4. Understand the three branches of government, with an emphasis on local government.