The Constitution

7 ARTICLES

Lazy: Legislative

Elephants: Executive

Jump: Judicial

Slowly: States

And: Amending

Sleep: Supremacy Clause

Regularly: Ratification

Separation of Powers

Balance of Power

Montesquieu, a Frenchphilosopher, wrote thatthe best way to makesure a government wouldserve the people wouldbe to separate andbalance the differentbranches (parts)of that government.

Legislative BranchMakes THE Laws

Census: population count taken every 10 years since 1790

Quorum: minimum amount of members needed to be present in order to conduct business

Congress CANNOT suspend a Writ of habeas corpus: “you may have the body” – right to be brought before a court (protect against unlawful imprisonment)

Congress CANNOT pass ex post facto laws: makes criminal acts that were legal when committed “after the fact”

House of Representatives

435 members

Senate100 members

Qualifications

25 years oldCitizen for 7 yearsInhabitant of that state

30 years oldCitizen for 9 yearsInhabitant of that state

2 years

6 years

Speaker of the House: chosen head officer

President: VP (only votes in the event of a tie)President Pro Tempore:president in the absence of the VP

Term of Office

Officers

Congress

Executive BranchENFORCES THE LAWS

QUALIFICATIONS• Natural born citizen• 35 years old• Resident for 14 years

TERM OF OFFICE4 years (2 term limit: 22nd

amendment)

Elected by:Electoral College

Advisors = Cabinet

Succession (25th amendment): VP>Speaker of the House>Pro

Tempore>Cabinet…

• A nice house!• Salary of $400,000 per

year (taxable) • Expense account of

$50,000 per year (taxable)

• Travel expenses of $100,000 per year (tax-free)

• Pension• A personal airplane - Air

Force One • A place in the country -

Camp David • A fine chef

Benefits

Judicial Branch(Interprets Laws)

QUALIFICATIONS FOR SUPREME CT

• NONE!

TERM OF OFFICE• LIFE!

Only crime mentioned in Constitution…

Treason: levying war, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid or comfort. This offence is punished with death. No person shall be convicted of treason, unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open court.

SCOTUS

Thomas Ginsberg

Chief Justice Roberts

ScaliaKennedy

Alito

Stevens Souter

Breyer

The Three Branches and Levels of Government

Legislative (Makes Laws)

Executive (Enforces Laws)

Judicial (Interprets Laws)

Federal

CongressHouse of Representatives (435)Senate (100)

PresidentVice-President/CabinetCommander-in-Chief of armed forces.

Supreme Court (9)1 Chief Justice8 Associate JusticesCircuit Courts of Appeal (13)

State New Jersey

LegislatureGeneral Assembly (80)Senate (40)

Governor: John Corzine Cabinet (22)

Supreme Court (7)1 Chief Justice6 Associate Justices

LocalEvesham Township

Town CouncilDebbie Sarcone, John McKenna, Chris Brown

Mayor: Randy BrownDeputy Mayor: Mike Schmidt

Municipal Court

Municipal Court Judge

menedezlautenberg

Corzine

                                                  

Checks and Balances

Article IV: States

• Citizens are entitled to all the privileges in each state (I.e., driving, marriage, etc)

• Extradition: cannot escape punishment by fleeing to another state; must be returned to the 1st state to stand trial

Article V: Amending the Constitution

• “living, breathing, document” that can be amended

• Amendment: addition to, deletion from or change

Article VI:Supremacy of National

Govt• The Constitution is the “Supreme Law of the

Land”

Article VII:Ratification• 9 out of 13 states needed to ratify (confirm)