The document discusses the three branches of the United States government and their roles and composition. It describes the legislative branch as Congress which meets at the Capitol and consists of the Senate with 2 senators per state and the House of Representatives with 435 voting members. It outlines that the executive branch is led by the President who is appointed by the Electoral College and works with the 15 member Cabinet out of the White House. It also notes that the judicial branch's highest court is the Supreme Court, located in Washington D.C.

8. Formation 1789
Jurisdiction (Power) United States of America
Legislative branch
Legislature Congress
Meeting place Capitol
Executive branch
Leader President of the United States
Appointer Electoral College
Headquarters The White House
Main organ Cabinet ( 15 Members)
Departments 15
Judicial branch
Court
Supreme Court ( Highest Federal
Court)
Seat Washington, D.C.

9. A Constitution is a written
plan for how a government
is supposed to operate or
work.
We the People of the United States, in
Order to form a more perfect Union,
establish Justice, insure domestic
Tranquility, provide for the common
defence, promote the general Welfare,
and secure the Blessings of Liberty to
ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain
and establish this Constitution for the
United States of America.

10. United States Constitution
Created September 17, 1787
Ratified ( Approved) June 21, 1788
Location
National Archives,
Washington, D.C.
Author ( origin)
Philadelphia
Convention
Signatories ( Party) 39 of the 55 delegates
Purpose
To replace the Articles
of Confederation
(1777)

11. Parts of the Constitution
A. PREAMBLE: Introduction to the
Constitution; lists the six basic
principles for our government
B. ARTICLES: Lays out the framework
for our government
C. AMENDMENTS: Changes made to
the Constitution after the initial
ratification

12. Preamble Lists
These six principles are the ideas and
standards that our government is based on
and functions according to:
1. Popular Sovereignty
2. Limited Government
3. Separation of Powers
4. Checks and Balances
5. Judicial Review
6. Federalism
With these in mind, why did the
framers include the Preamble
in the Constitution?

13. Its first three articles entrench
the doctrine of the separation of
powers, whereby the federal
government is divided into three
branches: the legislative,
consisting of the bicameral
Congress; the executive,
consisting of the President; and
the judicial, consisting of the
Supreme Court and other
federal courts. Articles Four,
Five and Six entrench concepts
of federalism, describing the
rights and responsibilities of
state governments and of the

14. United States Bill of Rights
United States Bill of Rights
Created September 25, 1789
Ratified December 15, 1791
Location National Archives
Author(s) James Madison
James Madison
4th president of the
United States.

16. Civil War Amendments
The Civil War Amendments were passed as a
direct response to the outcome of The Civil
war. They all deal with slavery in one way or
another.
13th Amendment – Outlawed slavery and
Involuntary servitude in the United States of
America.
14th Amendment – Helped make former
slaves citizens of the U.S. and gave them all
the rights that being a citizen entails.
15th Amendment – Written to give former
slaves the right to vote, however was not
entirely successful in doing so for nearly 100
years.

17. Later amendments
The later amendments include all those passed
since the 3 civil war amendments
16th Amendment – Income Tax.
17th Amendment – Popular Election of Senators.
18th Amendment – Prohibition of Alcohol.
19th amendment – Voting rights for women.
20th Amendment – Set dates/times for end of
terms, sets conditions in case of the death of a
President-elect.
21st Amendment – Repeal of the 18th amendment
(prohibition).
22nd amendment – Set limit at two terms
maximum for a president.

18. Informal Amendments
The Constitution can be informally
changed through 5 methods
1. Basic Legislation of Congress
2. Actions of the President
3. Supreme Court Decisions
4. Activities of the Political Parties
5. Custom

25. Barack Obama , recently
nominated president of the
united states won the vote
by 2,201 votes to rival John
McCain .

30. Harry S. Truman was the
33rd President of the
United States, an American
politician of the
Democratic Party.
Note: Executive Order is
the direct power of the
Executive from the
Legislative.

32. (November 20, 1942)

34. Cabinet of the United States :
*Vice president
*15 heads of the federal
executive departments
*secretaries of states
nominated by the
president and confirmed
by the Senate .

37. Congress Consisting of two houses:
*The Senate
*The House of Representatives
*Meeting place is the Capitol in Washington, D.C.

38. 2 senators from each state
*Upper house of Congress
*100 seats
*1 term = 6 years
Republican (54 )
Democratic (44)
Independent (2)

40. *Lower house of Congress
•435 voting members
•6 non-voting members
• Elected for 2 years
Republican (247)
Democratic (188)

46. General Jurisdiction: meaning they
handle criminal and civil cases.