Review slides

Review

Unit 5: The Federal System

On these slides, it is an overview of what we

did during the unit and the topics we’ve covered. I’ve also included a multiple choice question for each topic to help you see what kinds of question we may be asking about that topic on the test.

Overview

What we did in class: We talked about

relationships that we have in our own lives-with friends, family, girlfriends/boyfriends, students, teachers- to understand the meaning of relationship. We then took this idea to talk about civics and the relationship that the national government has with state governments.

Topic #1: Federalism

Activities in class:

School House Rock Clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLQg7G3hkGY

Practice with which powers belong to the national govt, which belong to the state govts, or both


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLQg7G3hkGY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLQg7G3hkGY

What you need to know: The U.S. Constitution created a federal system in which

the national government is supreme or has the authority over state govts (with some limits)

Powers that aren’t given to the national govt are given to state govts in the 10th Amendment in the U.S. Constitution

National and state govts are not allowed to do certain

things (national govt can’t violate your freedoms in the Bill of Rights; states cannot make treaties with other countries)


What you need to know, part deux: Primary responsibilities of each level of government

•National: Conducts foreign policy, regulates commerce, and provides for the common defense

•State: Promotes public health, safety, and welfare

Sometimes the national govt, since it is supreme over state govts, can make states do things (called federal mandates). The relationship between state govts and national govt can get AWKWARD if the national govt doesn’t give the states enough money to do what it has asked of them. These are called unfunded mandates.


Sample multiple choice:

The United States government is considered a federal system because:a. the people elect national officialsb. both national and state governments exist within the nationc. foreign policy is handled by state governmentsd. each state has equal representation in the United States Senate


The correct answer is B. Remember, the

definition of federalism is that there’s a division of power between the national and state govts, so both of those govts exist in the system.

A is true, but it doesn’t have anything to do with the question. C is false, foreign policy is handled by national govt. D is true, but it doesn’t have anything to do with the question either.


What we did in class: We took notes on what

the legislative branch looks like by describing Congress. We also learned about the qualifications to be a Senator or a member in the House of Representatives. We played “Senator or Representative?!” with my beloved laminated cards. We also learned about the powers that Congress has.

Topic #2: Legislative Branch & Congressional Powers

Activities we did in class:

Notes Senator or Representative?! In some classes, American Idol with

congressional powers In some classes, illustrations of the powers of

Congress


What you need to know:The legislative branch

Consists of the Congress, a bicameral legislature consisting of the House of Representatives (435 members, based upon populations of the states) and the Senate (100 members—two per state) **KNOW THE QUALIFICATIONS TO BE IN THE SENATE OR HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES**

Makes the laws of the nation Approves the annual budget Confirms presidential appointments Raises revenue through taxes and other levies Regulates interstate and foreign trade Declares war


What you need to know:Legislative powers

Expressed: Specifically listed in the Constitution of the United States

Implied: Not written in the Constitution; used to carry out expressed powers

The formal powers of Congress are limited by the Constitution of the United States.


Multiple choice example:

Congress does NOT have the power a. to declare laws unconstitutionalb. to regulate commerce with other countriesc. to raise money through taxesd. to declare war


The answer is A. We know from our list of

congressional powers that Congress CAN do b, c, and d. And of course, we know that it’s only the judicial branch that can declare laws to be unconstitutional.


What we did in class: We took notes on how a

bill becomes a law and watched the School House Rock video clip of the process. The video clip is awesome, and I recommend watching it over and over again to understand how the process works. It can be found at this address: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEJL2Uuv-oQ/

Topic #3: Legislative Branch & Lawmaking

What you need to know:Steps in the lawmaking process in Congress:

Introducing a bill by a Senator or Representative Working in committees Debating the bill on the floor of each house Voting on the bill in each house Sending the bill to the president to sign into law

Elected officials in Congress write laws and take action in response to problems or issues.

Individuals (normal people) and interest groups (like the National Rifle Association) help shape legislation.



Elected officials write laws for all of the following reasons EXCEPT a. to revise the Bill of Rightsb. because of information from interest groupsc. in response to issuesd. as solutions to problems


The correct answer is A. First of all, the Bill of

Rights declares our freedoms that the government can’t take away…so why would anyone want to write a bill about that? Secondly, the other 3 choices are ones that are on the “what-you-need-to-know” slide. Bills are written because solutions/responses are needed to problems and issues. Citizens and interest groups often propose bill ideas to their congressmen.


What we did in class: Ms. Mitchem wasn’t here

on this day, but Mr. Criscione gave you all your quiz on the legislative branch. He also started on the notes on the executive branch and your booklet assignment where you drew out the roles the president has.

Topic #4: Executive Branch Overview

What you need to know:The executive branch

Headed by the president of the United States, the chief executive officer of the nation

Duties: Executes the laws of the land Prepares the annual budget for congressional

action Appoints cabinet officers, ambassadors, and

federal judges Administers the federal bureaucracy


What you need to know:

The roles of the president: chief of state: Ceremonial head of the government chief executive: Head of the executive branch of government chief legislator: Proposer of the legislative agenda commander-in-chief: Head of the nation’s armed forces chief diplomat: Architect of American foreign policy chief of party: Leader of the political party that controls the

executive branch chief citizen: Representative of all of the people.

Presidential power has grown in the years since the Constitution was ratified


Multiple choice example: All of the following are part of the job of the President of the United States EXCEPTa. vetoing bills passed by Congressb. commanding the armed forcesc. sentencing criminals to jaild. appointing Supreme Court justices


The correct answer is C. All of the other

choices are things the president can or does do. Review the “what-you-need-to-know” slides if that one was a bit tricky. Also, the judicial branch is sentencing criminals, not the executive branch.


What we did in class: We watched the greatest

video clip ever made by Ms. Mitchem that went through a very thorough overview of the executive branch. Please watch it again, it’s on the blog!! We watched another video from CBS’s 60 Minutes that talked about the poor leadership in the Middle East and how that has sparked a wave of revolutions. We also took some notes about the ways that the president in the executive branch influences the lawmaking process.

Topic #5: Executive Branch & Influencing Lawmaking

What you need to know:Ways the executive branch influences policymaking

Proposing legislation in an annual speech to Congress (State of the Union Address)

Appealing directly to the people Approving or vetoing legislation Appointing officials who carry out the laws

Cabinet departments, agencies, and regulatory groups interpret and execute the laws.

Presidential power has grown in the years since the Constitution was ratified.



One way the President influences the policymaking process is bya. introducing bills on the Senate floorb. declaring bills unconstitutionalc. removing federal judgesd. giving the State of the Union Address


The correct answer is D. The State of the

Union Address is a speech the president gives once a year to Congress that is televised so that the people can also watch it. In it, the president will discuss what laws he would like to see passed over the next year. A & B are not true, and C is true but has nothing to do with policy or lawmaking.


What we did in class: We started with a brief

reading on the judicial branch and how it is independent from the other branches. In some classes, we met a special guest from the U.S. Supreme Court. Afterwards, we took notes on the structure of the court system (S-A-D) and played “quel (what) court.”

Topic #6: Organization of the Judicial Branch

What you need to know: The organization of the judicial system in the U.S.

includes 2 court systems, state and federal, that report to the U.S. Supreme Court

The organization and jurisdiction come from the Constitution of the United States and federal laws.

U.S. Supreme Court: Justices, no jury; appellate jurisdiction; limited original jurisdiction

U.S. Court of Appeals: Judges, no jury; appellate jurisdiction

U.S. District Court: Judge, with or without jury; original jurisdiction


What you need to know:Courts in the FEDERAL SYSTEM:

U.S. Supreme Court: Justices, no jury; appellate jurisdiction; limited original jurisdiction

U.S. Court of Appeals: Judges, no jury; appellate jurisdiction

U.S. District Court: Judge, with or without jury; original jurisdiction


What you need to know:The judicial branch

Consists of the federal courts, including the Supreme Court, the highest court in the land

The federal courts try cases involving federal law and questions involving interpretation of the Constitution of the United States.



Which federal court uses a jury to determine the outcome of a case?a. United States Court of Appealsb. United States Maritime Courtc. United States Supreme Courtd. United States District Court


The correct answer is D. We’ve never talked

about B, so you can cross that off immediately. C only has 9 Supreme Court justices that make the decisions, and A has 6-28 judges depending on the particular appeals court.


What we did in class: We did a short reading

and a t-chart on the differences between civil and criminal cases. This was the class that we did a mad-lib to take a closer look at civil and criminal cases.

Topic #7: Civil v. Criminal Cases


Both types of cases can go through the federal and state court systems.

In a civil case, the key word is “suing” or “lawsuit.”

In a criminal case, a CRIME (murder, robbery, other violence) has happened.



Criminal case:•In a criminal case, a court determines whether a person accused of breaking the law is guilty or not guilty of a misdemeanor or a felony.Procedure for criminal cases:•A person accused of a crime may be arrested if the police have probable cause.•The accused may be committed to jail or released on bail.•The case proceeds to an arraignment where probable cause is reviewed, an attorney may be appointed for the defendant, and a plea is entered.•A court date is set, and a trial is conducted.•A guilty verdict may be appealed.


What you need to know:Civil case:•In a civil case, a court settles a disagreement between two parties to recover damages or receive compensation.Procedure for civil cases•The plaintiff files a complaint to recover damages or receive compensation.•Cases can be heard by a judge or a jury.•Cases can be appealed.


Multiple choice example:Last summer, Maria Bennett was involved in an automobile accident on the road near her home. A driver ran into her car while she was stopped at a stop sign. She had only minor injuries, but there was a great deal of damage to her car. She has not been able to get the driver to pay for the damages and has decided to go to court to get her money.This is known as what type of case?a. criminalb. felonyc. civild. misdemeanor


Multiple choice example:The correct answer is C because Megan is suing the other person to get money to pay for her damaged car. We’ve never really talked about B or D, so you could immediately cross those off.


What we did in class: We learned about the

court case of Marbury v. Madison with an activity involving Twitter (in some classes) and note-taking. Then we played “Sustained or Overruled!”

Topic #8: Judicial Review


The U.S. Supreme Court determines the constitutionality of laws and acts of the executive branch of government. This means that the court can declare laws of Congress or the president’s actions unconstitutional. This power is called “judicial review.”•Marbury v. Madison established the principle of judicial review at the national level.•The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme law of the land.



The decision in Marbury v. Madison argues that the judiciary should serve as a. a check on the power of the militaryb. a check on the power of Congressc. an independent lawmaking bodyd. an institution that enhances the power of the President


The correct answer is B. In the court case

Marbury v. Madison, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that William Marbury was using a section of the Judiciary Act of 1789 that was unconstitutional. Thus, the justices were ruling that the act, which was a law passed by Congress, was unconstitutional. The tempting choice might be C. The judicial branch is independent from the other branches, but it does NOT make the laws.


How a Bill Becomes a Law (School House Rock): http://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEJL2Uuv-oQ 3 Ring Circus-Branches of Govt (School House Rock): http://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLQg7G3hkGY&feature=related

Executive Branch (A Ms. Mitchem Production): http://msmitchem.blogspot.com/2011/10/october-24-2011.html

Branches of Govt Rap (Smart Songs): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCB8EOY5d48

Welcome to Washington (Smart Songs): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOGE0FzBEbs&feature=related

Helpful Studying Resources

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEJL2Uuv-oQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEJL2Uuv-oQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLQg7G3hkGY&feature=related



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCB8EOY5d48

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCB8EOY5d48

Good luck studying!! Please visit me before or

after school Monday and Tuesday if you have questions!

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