Articles 1-3 OverviewLegislative Branch
Article 1Main Job: to make laws
Executive Branch
Article 2Main Job: to enforce laws
Judicial Branch•Article 3•Main Job: •To interpret laws
Article 1: The Legislative BranchPowers:
1. Passes legislationMake lawsCollect taxesCoin $
2. Approves treaties3. Confirms
nominationsJudicial nominees
(judges)Executive nominees
(director of FBI, EPA, etc.)
4. Impeach Federal officials• Throw exec.
Branch out• Power over
exec.!
Article 1: The Legislative BranchBicameral Congress
SenateEqual
Representation100 Senators
(members)2 Represent each
stateMust be 30 yrs. OldServe 6 yr. termNo term limits!Richard Burr (R)Kay Hagen (D)
House of RepresentativesProportional
Representation435 RepresentativesRepresent district
District size determined by population
Must be 25 yrs. OldServe 2 yr. termDavid Price (District
4) (D)
Article 2: Executive
Branch
Powers:Nominate federal judges
Veto laws passed by Congress
Commander in Chief of military
Pardons prisoners
Recommends Legislation
Article 2: Executive BranchPresident
(Obama-D)Vice President
(Biden-D)Cabinet
Secretaries of State, Treasury, Defense, Justice, Education, etc.
Serves 4 year termLimited to 2 terms
(as of 1951)Must be:
Natural born citizen
35 yrs oldResident for 14
yrs
Article 3: Judicial Branch
Interprets the U.S. Constitution
Interprets the laws.
Deals with cases involving the Constitution federal laws,
treaties anddisputes
between states• District courts• Appeals courts• Supreme Court• Judicial Review
Article 3: Major Court Cases
Marbury V. Madison (1803): first time that the Supreme Court declared an act of Congress to be unconstitutional
Brown v. Board of Education (1954): The Court held that separate schools for black and white children could never be “equal.”
Roe v. Wade (1973): the right to privacy included the abortion decision, and that states could not ban the procedure in the first trimester.
Based on your notes, what powers do each of the branches have over other branches. Use your notes to complete the back of the page.
Checks and Balances
