American Government 3.2 Three Branches of Government

DRILL: Judicial Review & Popular Sovereignty
Judicial Review - the power of the courts to declare a law unconstitutional
Popular Sovereignty - rule by and with the consent of the people

Objective: Students will summarize the powers, duties, and roles of the three branches of the federal government by reading excerpts from this section.

I. The Legislative Branch 
A.	Article I of the Constitution describes the powers granted Congress 
B.	Congress handles over 10,000 bills a year
II. The Executive Branch 
A.	The Founders recognized the need for a strong executive 
B.	 Article II describe the specific powers of the president.
C. The presidency has changed greatly over the years.  Presidents works duties are scheduled minute by minute.
III. The Judicial Branch 
A.	The United States has three levels of courts, federal, state, and city. 
B.	Each has its own jurisdiction.
C. The Supreme Court is the most important court in the nation. (Judicial Review).
IV. Shared Power and Conflict 
A.	The executive and legislative branches must cooperate to produce laws.
B.	But the president can veto laws and Congress can impeach the president.
C.	The Supreme Court must depend on the president to carry out its decisions.
Odds & Ends
1. The elastic clause gives Congress the right to make all laws “necessary and proper.”
2. Article II of the Constitution is important because it describes the executive branch
3. The Dardicks changed government policy in the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
4. Decisions of the Supreme Court can only be overturned by the Court itself or a Constitutional amendment.
5. The House of Representatives is often called the voice of the people
6. Expressed powers in the Constitution are what the Congress can do.
7. Seven of the enumerated powers in the Constitution deal with deal with defense.
8. New York was the first home of Congress

American Government 3.2 Three Branches of Government

1. C 			6. D
2. E 			7. C
3. A 			8. C
4. D 			9. B
5. B 			10. A	11. Lack of a strong executive had been a problem under the Articles of Confederation. Without a leader, our government lack direction.

12. Judicial review gave the Supreme Court power to decide whether acts of Congress were constitutional.	

Political Cartoon
1. The message conveyed is that the sanctity of the Constitution is always under attack. U.S. citizens frequently try to reinterpret the Constitution to meet their own needs.
2. The man is a representative of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), an organization that defends the freedoms and rights of U.S. citizens. The man represents this and all political/social groups who try to use the Constitution as a tool in fulfilling their personal agendas.
3. The man is portrayed in an unflattering light. His facial expression is mean and villainous.
4. The ghost is Ben Franklin, a major contributor to the construction of the Constitution. 
5. He is frowning to indicate his displeasure at the man’s lack of respect for the Constitution.
BCRs
6. The cartoonist indicates that he does not approve of special interest groups interpreting the Constitution, by depicting the man in such a negative light and by including a stern Ben Franklin.
7. The ACLU is portrayed as having great influence in justice selection, as, with a mere stroke of his pen, the man replaces the Senate with the ACLU as the deciding body in the selection process.

Summary: In today’s lesson we summarize the powers, duties, and roles of the three branches of the federal government.

Homework: Elastic Clause & Enumerated Powers
Elastic Clause – allows the government to stretch its powers.
Enumerated Powers – powers listed in the Constitution

Name ____________________________________________Class ___________ Date______________

American Government 3.2 Three Branches of Government

Match each item in Column A with the items in Column B. Write the correct letters in the blanks. 

Column A
_____1. voice of the people
_____2. expressed powers
_____3. seven enumerated powers
_____4. first home of Congress
_____5. elevated Supreme Court’s status
	Column B
A. deal with defense
B. judicial review
C. House
D. New York
E. Congressional powers

In the blank at the left, write the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question. 
_____6. This gives Congress the right to make all laws “necessary and proper.”
A. expressed powers 				C. judicial review
B. jurisdiction 					D. elastic clause
_____7. Article II of the Constitution is important because it
A. describes expressed powers. 		C. describes the executive branch.
B. describes enumerated powers. 		D. describes the legislative branch.
_____8. Sam and Geeta Dardick changed government policy in the passage of this bill.
A. judicial review act 				C. Americans with Disabilities Act
B. jurisdiction act 				D. federal bureaucracy bill
_____9. Jurisdiction of the federal courts does NOT include cases involving
A. treaties with foreign nations. 		C. maritime law.
B. divorce. 					D. bankruptcy.
_____10. Decisions of the Supreme Court can only be overturned by the Court or by
A. Constitutional amendment. 		C. order of the president.
B. judicial review. 				D. act of Congress.

11. Why did the Founders establish a strong executive branch in the government?

12. Why is the power of judicial review important? 

American Government 3.2 Interpreting Political Cartoons/The Constitution
The Constitution grants certain rights and responsibilities to U.S. citizens and government.
Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution allows the president to select judges for the Supreme
Court. The Attorney General and other Justice Department officials also aid in the selection process.
According to the Constitution, however, the Senate has final say in whether a judge will become a Supreme Court justice. Factors in recommending a candidate include the person’s ideology, ability, and 
reputation, the nominee’s support of the president’s agenda, as well as the candidate’s impact on the Court’s geographical and religious balance. Recently, gender and race have also become considerations.

American Government 3.2 Interpreting Political Cartoons/The Constitution …..Continued
Although the Constitution did not intend for political and social interest groups to participate in the selection process, these groups have had a profound impact on nominee selections in recent decades. Labor unions and equal and civil rights organizations have all attempted to participate in an activity reserved by the Constitution for the president and the Senate.

The cartoon on this page gives one view of the influence of interest groups. Study the cartoon and answer the questions that follow:

Analyzing the Cartoon
1. In this cartoon what message is conveyed about the sanctity of the Constitution? Explain.

2. Who and what does the speaking man symbolize? 

3. How is the man portrayed—what type of person does he seem to be? 

4. Who do you think the ghostly figure is, and why is he included in the cartoon? 

5. Why is the ghost frowning at the man holding the Constitution? 

6. (BCR) How do you think the cartoonist feels about special interest groups, such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), interpreting the Constitution? 

7. (BCR) According to the cartoon, does the ACLU wield significant influence in justice selection? How is such power portrayed? 

In your own words, summarize today’s lesson.