The Constitution sets up the Government.

We have a democracy in America with self-government. The first words of the Constitution are “We the people…”

The Constitution explains how our government works.

The government is like a tree with branches. There

are three branches of government.

The three branches are….

Questions:

What does the Constitution do? ___________________________________

The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these words? _______________________

Name one branch or part of government. ___________________________________

The Executive BranchThe President is the top leader of our country.

He is in charge of the executive branch.

The President

• The President must be at least 35 years old. He must have been born a U.S. citizen. He must have lived in the country for at least 14 years.

• The President serves a term of four years and can be re-elected for one more term.

• The President lives in the White House. • The President is elected by the Electoral College, which is

elected by the people of each state.• We vote for the President in November.

The Executive BranchThe Vice President today is Joe Biden.The Vice President becomes President if the President cannot serve.

Questions:Who is in charge of the Executive Branch?

______________________What is the name of the President of the United

States now? ______________________We elect a President for how many years? ______In what month do we vote for President? ________If the President can no longer serve, who becomes

President? ________________________Who is the Vice President now? ________________

Read: Who lives in the White House ?

Write: The President lives in the White House.

Read: Where does the President live?

Write: The President lives in the White House.

Read: Where is the White House?

Write: The White House is in Washington, D.C.

Read: When do we vote for president?

Write: We vote for president in November.

Executive BranchThe Cabinet advises the President

The Vice President The Attorney General

The Secretaries of….. State, Education, Treasury, Homeland Security, Commerce, Transportation, the Interior, Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Labor, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Veterans Affairs

The President can either sign or veto a bill.

The President is the Commander-in-Chief of our armed forces.

There are two main political Parties.

RepublicansDemocrats

Barack Obama is a Democrat. We elect the President in November. You must be 18 years or older to vote.

Questions:What does the President’s Cabinet do?

___________________________________What are two cabinet-level positions?

___________________________________Who signs bills to become law? ____________Who vetoes bills? ________________Who is the Commander in Chief of the military?

_______________________What are the two major political parties?

____________________________What is the political party of the President now?

________________________

Read: When is Presidents’ Day?

Write: Presidents’ Day is in February.

The Legislative Branch

The legislative branch has two parts: the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Together, they are called Congress.Congress makes laws.

SenateThe Senate has 100 members, two from each

state. Each senator is elected for a term of 6 years.

Senate

Minnesota has two Senators:Amy Klobuchar Al Franken

A Senator represents all the people of the state.

Questions:Who makes federal laws? ___________________What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?

_______________________________How many U.S. Senators are there? ___________We elect a Senator for how many years? _______Who does a Senator represent? ______________Who is one of your state’s U.S. Senators now?

_____________________________

Read: How many senators do we have?

Write: We have 100 senators.

Read: Who makes the laws?

Write: Congress makes the laws.

House of RepresentativesThere are 435 Representatives. The number from each

state varies with population. Minnesota has 8. California has the most people. It has 53 representatives. A Representative is elected for a two-year term.

House of RepresentativesThe Speaker of the House is John BoehnerHe is the leader of the House. If the President andVice President cannot serve, the Speaker becomes

President.

House of RepresentativesMinnesota has eight Representatives. The

Representative from the Fifth District, Minneapolis, is Keith Ellison.

The Legislative BranchA new law must be passed by both the House

and the Senate. It is then either signed or vetoed by the President.

Questions:The U.S. House of Representatives has how many voting

members? _______________We elect a U.S. Representative for how many years?

__________________Name your U.S. Representative. ________________Why do some states have more Representatives than other

states? ____________________________What is the name of the Speaker of the House now?

___________________________If both the President and the Vice President can no longer

serve, who becomes President? ___________________________

Read: Who elects Congress?

Write: The people elect Congress.

Read: What state has the most people?

Write: California has the most people.

Read: Where does Congress meet?

Write: Congress meets in Washington, D.C.

The Judicial Branch: the Courts

The courts hear cases, explain the law, apply the law, review laws, and decide disputes.

The Judicial BranchThe U.S. Supreme Court is the highest court in

the country. It has 9 members. They are selected by the President and approved or

disapproved by the Senate. Justices serve for life.

The Judicial BranchJohn Roberts, the Chief Justice of the Supreme

Court, is the leader of the Judicial Branch.

The United States has separation of powers for good balance.

“Checks and balances” keep one branch of government from becoming too powerful.

We believe in the Rule of Law• No one is above the law, not even

the President.• Everyone must obey the law.

Questions:What does the judicial branch do?

_________________________________________What is the highest court in the United States?

___________________________How many justices are on the Supreme Court? ________Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now?

_____________________________What stops one branch of government from becoming

too powerful? ______________________________What is the “rule of law”? ____________________