The United States is a federal constitutional republic, in which the President of the United States (the head of state

and head of government), Congress, and judiciary share powers reserved to the national government, and the federal government shares sovereignty with the state governments. The government of the United States is based on a written constitution, the shortest in the world in fact. This constitution consists of a Preamble, seven Articles, and 27 Amendments. From this document, the entire federal government was created. It is a living document whose interpretation has changed over time. The amendment process is such that while not easily amended, US citizens are able to make necessary changes over time. Three Branches of Government The Constitution created three separate branches of government. Each branch has its own powers and areas of influence. At the same time, the Constitution created a system of checks and balances that ensured no one branch would reign supreme. The three branches are:

Legislative Branch - This branch consists of the Congress which is responsible for making the federal laws. Congress consists of two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives. Executive Branch - The Executive power lies with the President of the United States who is given the job of executing, enforcing, and administering the laws and government. Judicial Branch - The judicial power of the United States is vested in the Supreme Court and the federal courts. Their job is to interpret and apply US laws through cases brought before them. Another important power of the Supreme Court is that of Judicial Review whereby they can rule laws unconstitutional.

First colonies: The first colonies in North America were along the eastern coast. Settlers from Spain, France, Sweden, Holland, and England claimed land beginning in the 17th century. The struggle for control of this land would continue for more than a hundred years. By 1763, the English colonies numbered 13. They were Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.

Revolution As more and more Americans voiced their concerns over higher and higher taxes, a conflict began to build. The English response was to isolate the colonies from each other, in hopes that the American people would not pull together as a whole. One provision of some Acts against the colonies was to close the port of Boston entirely. This was serious business. Boston was one

of the largest ports in America. Closing it meant that Americans couldn't get food and other essentials from England or anywhere else, unless they paid extra for it to be transported from other ports, like New York. But the punishment of Boston backfired. The result was the Revolutionary War (1775-1783) which ended in American victory. The Articles of Confederation Ratified in 1781, the Articles of Confederation served as the first constitution of the 13 original states and officially created the United States of America. The Articles reflected the fear of the states that a central government would exercise too much power over their citizens. Indeed, the Articles specified that the states would retain their "sovereignty, freedom and independence." Most notably, the Articles of Confederation denied the U.S. Congress the power to collect taxes, regulate interstate commerce and enforce laws. As a result, the Articles allowed the individual states to retain the greatest share of governmental power. Some incidents pointed out the need for a stronger federal government eventually leading to the Constitutional Convention in 1787. The present United States Constitution replaced the Articles of Confederation on March 4, 1789. The Bill of Rights All ratified in 1791, the Bill of Rights includes the first 10 amendments to the Constitution. The Bill of Rights guarantees the basic freedoms and liberties of individuals, and the rights reserved to the states. The Founding Fathers crafted the Bill of Rights specifically to guard against the tyranny that can result when a central government is granted too much power. The U.S. Constitution The U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1788, replaced the Articles of Confederation by creating strong central government made up of three separate branches; legislative, executive and judicial. By providing for separation of powers and a system of checks and balances, the Constitution attempts to ensure that no one branch of government assumes too much power over the others. Separation of Powers: The legislative branch - the Congress - is comprised of two houses (a "bicameral" body), the House of Representatives and the Senate. Both the House and Senate must approve new laws. While the legislative branch makes the laws, the executive branch oversees the enforcement of all federal laws, and the judicial branch (the Supreme Court and lower federal courts) interpret the laws and ensure that they are constitutional. Checks and Balances: Since the functions of the branches of government overlap in some areas, each branch has the latitude to limit or "check" the power of the other branches. For example: Congress - the legislative branch - has the power to pass laws, but the president - the executive branch - has the power to veto them. The president has the power to nominate Supreme Court justices, but they must be approved by the Senate. The Supreme Court - the judicial branch - has the power to nullify laws passed by Congress - the legislative branch - by declaring them unconstitutional. Congress has the power to impeach federal officials, including the president, vice president and federal judges. The foundation for the concept of Checks and Balances was established by Founding Fathers Alexander Hamilton and James Madison in The Federalist Papers No. 51, published on February 8, 1788. What is Federalism? As practiced in the United States, federalism is a system of government dividing power and

responsibility between a centralized national government (the U.S. federal government) and the state governments. Watch: http://video.about.com/usgovinfo/Federalism.htm The House of Representatives Known as the "lower" house of Congress, the House of Representatives currently has 435 members. Each member gets one vote on all bills, amendments and other measures brought before the House. The number of representatives elected from each state is determined by the state's population through the process of "apportionment." Each state must have at least one representative. Apportionment is recalculated every ten years according to the results of the decennial U.S. census. Members of the House represent the citizens of their local congressional districts. Representatives serve two year terms, with elections held every two years. Powers reserved to the House To vote on charges of impeachment To initiate bills involving the raising of revenue, such as tax bills and bills of the annual federal budget House Leadership Speaker of the House Majority Leader Leads the majority party (the party with the majority of votes in the House) Assists the Speaker of the House in making committee appointments Schedules floor debate on bills Creates and maintains the House agenda Minority Leader Leads the opposition party (the party with the minority of votes in the House) Confers with the Majority Leader Formulates minority party response to the majority party policy and agenda How the Speaker is chosen As the highest-ranking member of the House, the Speaker is elected by a vote of the members of the House. While it is not required, the Speaker usually belongs to the majority political party. The Constitution does not require that the Speaker be an elected Member of Congress. No non-member has ever been elected Speaker. The Speaker of the House continues to serve as the elected representative from his or her congressional district, and takes part in debate and votes like all other representatives. Perhaps most clearly indicating the importance of the position, the Speaker of the House stands second only to the Vice President of the United States in the line of presidential succession. The Senate Known as the "upper" house of Congress, the Senate is currently comprised of 100 senators. Each state is allowed to elect two senators. Senators represent all citizens of their states. Senators serve 6-year terms, with one-third of the senators elected every two years. Powers reserved to the Senate

To try officials impeached by the House To confirm presidential nominations, including Supreme Court justices, federal judges, ambassadors and cabinet secretaries To ratify treaties

Senate Leadership The Vice President of the United States Serves as president (presiding chairman) of the Senate

President Pro tempore Presides over the Senate in the absence of the vice president Is selected by the majority party Majority and Minority Leaders Lead their respective party delegations Maintain the Senate agenda Majority and Minority Whips Attempt to make sure party members vote for bills supported by their party

President of the United States Where the buck really does stop, the President of the United States is ultimately responsible for all aspects of the federal government and for the government's successes or failures in fulfilling its responsibilities to the American people. Powers The Constitutional powers granted to the president are enumerated in Article II, Section 2. Serves as commander-in-chief of the US armed forces Signs bills passed by Congress into law or vetoes them Makes treaties with foreign nations (requires the approval of the Senate) Appoints Supreme Court justices, lower federal court justices, ambassadors and Cabinet secretaries with the approval of the Senate Delivers an annual State of the Union message to a joint session of Congress Oversees the enforcement of all federal laws and regulations Can grant pardons and reprieves for all federal crimes, except in cases of impeachment Presidents can issue executive orders, which have the full effect of law and are directed to federal agencies that are charged with carrying out the orders. The Vice President of the United States Prior to 1804, the presidential candidate winning the second-highest number of votes in the Electoral College was appointed vice president. Clearly, the Founding Fathers had not considered the rise of political parties in this plan. The 12th Amendment, ratified in 1804, clearly required that the president and vice president run separately for the respective offices. In modern political practice, each presidential candidate selects his or her vice presidential "running mate." Powers Presides over the Senate and may vote in order to break ties Is first in the line of presidential succession - becomes president in the event the president dies or otherwise becomes unable to serve The President's Cabinet While not specifically mentioned in the Constitution, the president's cabinet is based on Article II, Section 2, which states in part, "he [the president] may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices" The president's cabinet is composed of the heads, or "secretaries" of the 15 executive branch agencies under the direct control of the president. The secretaries are appointed by the president and must be confirmed by a simple majority vote of the Senate.The only qualification is that a department secretary cannot be a member of Congress or hold any other elected office. How long do the secretaries serve? Generally, they serve as long as the president who appointed them remains in office. Executive department secretaries answer only to the president and only the president can fire them. They are expected to resign when a new president takes office, since most incoming presidents choose to replace them, anyway.

When does the Cabinet meet? There is no official schedule for Cabinet meetings, but presidents generally try to meet with their Cabinets on a weekly basis. Besides the president and department secretaries, Cabinet meetings are usually attended by the vice president, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, and other top-level officials as determined by the president. Watch: http://video.about.com/usgovinfo/What-Is-the-Presidential-Cabinet-.htm

http://video.about.com/usgovinfo/Who-Makes-Up-the-Presidential-Cabinet-.htm
Removal from Office: Impeachment Under Article II, Section 4 of the Constitution, the president, vice president and federal judges can be removed from office through the process of impeachment. The Constitution stipulates that "Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors" represent justification for impeachment. The House of Representatives makes and votes on the charges of impeachment If adopted by the House, the Senate holds a "trial" on the charges of impeachment with the Chief Justice of the United States presiding as judge. Conviction and thus, removal from office, requires a two-thirds majority vote of the Senate. Andrew Johnson and William Jefferson Clinton have been the only two presidents impeached by the House. Both were acquitted in the Senate.