Members Of Congress

To begin the process of creating a new bill someone must create the idea. Although anyone can create the idea only members of Congress can present the idea. Any bill can be presented in the House and all bills except spending bills can be presented in the Senate. After the bill is presented it is assigned to a committee, members are informed, and then the bill is either dropped or passed to the floor. The House has a limited amount of time to debate the bill. Unlike the House the Senate has unlimited amount of time to debate the bill, they can delay the bill. After it is passed in the House and Senate it goes to the opposite to be passed again. If there is any difference between the two the bill is sent to the Conference Committee. Once the

bill is passed by both the House and the Senate it is sent to the president to either be passed or vetoed. If the bill is vetoed it will be sent back to Congress. Congress may then choose to override the veto with a 2/3 majority vote.
The Executive branch is made up of the President and his cabinet. To become President the person must be have been born in the United States, lived in the U.S. for 14 years, and be over the age of 35. A person is only allowed to be president for two terms or four years. The Vice president will take over the president’s office if the need arises. The cabinet is responsible for the everyday enforcement of federal laws.
To keep the three branches of government in check the framers of the constitution set up the system of checks and balances.

To check Congress the Executive branch has the power to veto bills from congress, the vice president is the President of the Senate, the President is the commander and chief of the armed forces, the president also has the power to call congress into an emergency meeting, and can force adjournment if both houses cannot agree. To check the Judicial branch the Executive branch has the power to appoint judges and pass pardons. The Vice President and Cabinet can also declare the President is unable to do his

duties.
The President is the head of the government and commander and chief of the armed forces. The Constitution says that the president is in charge of executing and imposing laws made by Congress. Fifteen different departments, led by an appointed cabinet member, are in charge of the everyday administration of the federal government. The President also has the power to pass or veto a law. However if congress feels that the law should still be passed they may override the president’s veto by 2/3 majority vote in both houses. The Executive branch also deals with foreign nations. Because of this the president has the power to sign treaties with other diplomats, however the treaty has to be signed by 2/3 majority in congress. The President also has the authority to pardon someone; this however cannot happen if the president is impeached. If Congress feels that the President has done something unconstitutional or something that doesn’t show good character then they can hold a trial and if the president is found guilty they may impeach or remove the president.
The 25th amendment explains what is to happen if something was to happen to the president and he was unable to continue to serve. If this was to happen the vice president would take over the office of the president. If there is no vice president the president will nominate one and congress will either approve or disapprove with a majority vote. If the President feels that he is unable to continue to work as president the will present a written declaration and the vice president will immediately become the acting president. If the majority of congress and the vice president feel that the president is unable to fulfill the presidential duties they may present a written declaration to the speaker of the house or pro tempore and if approved the vice president will become the acting president.
The President relays heavily in his cabinet.

The members that make up the Cabinet are hand-picked by the President. The Cabinet was created in Article II, Section 2 of the constitution. The Cabinet members advise the President on the area that they are appointed to. The Cabinet is made up of the Vice President and fifteen department heads. If something was to happen to the President the Vice President would take over. However if something was to happen to the President and the Vice President the Cabinet members would begin to take over. The Executive Office of the President, or the EOP, also helps the president run the country. They communicate the president’s messages to the American people and try to increase trade around the world. EOP was created in 1939 by President Franklin Roosevelt to help future Presidents run the country more effectively.
The State of the Union Address is mandated in Article II of the constitution. The President gives the address once a year. The address is essentially a lengthy report to the members of congress. In the speech the President reports how the nation is doing as a whole, discusses the nation’s serious problems, and gives an outline for a legislative program. President Obama gave the last State of the Union Address in February

2013.
The President’s cabinet is made up of the Vice President and fifteen different heads of departments. The different departments consist of the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, Education, Defense, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, Transportation, Treasury, Veteran Affairs, and the Attorney General. If something was to happen to the President and Vice President then the Cabinet is arranged so that one by one they would take the place of the President.
Unlike the other two branches of government the members of the judiciary branch are not elected, they are chosen by the President and agreed upon by the senate. Also unlike the other two branches the Judges on the bench do not serve a fixed term they serve until retirement, till their death, or if Congress deems them unfit to serve. Because of this judges are able to rule without having to worry about elections and public opinion. Today there are nine Judges in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is the highest court and the only one that the constitution requires.
To keep the Legislative in check the judicial branch can declare the acts of Congress unconstitutional. To keep the Executive branch in check the judicial branch is appointed for life there for they are free from the executive branch’s control. They can also declare acts of the president unconstitutional.
According to the constitution every person has the right to a trial with a judge and jury. After a person has gone through the process of civil or criminal court they may appeal to a higher court. To appeal the person has to prove that there was a mistake in the court when the person was being charged. If the person cannot appeal to the highest court in the State then they can file a “writ of certiorari” which asks for the Supreme Court to revive the case. The Supreme Court is not required to review the law and will generally only agree to review the case if it involves a new law in which two other courts have come to different conclusions.
One of the cases that was been viewed by the Supreme Court was Dred Scott v. Sanford. In this case Dred Scott, an African American slave, was taken by his master from a state that permitted slaver to a state that did not permit slavery. While in the Free State he married and then moved back with his master. After his masters death he sued his master’s widow for his family’s freedom, saying that when he moved to the Free State he became a new man. Scott won in a lower court but lost the case in Missouri Supreme Court. The case was then brought to the Supreme Court. The courts decided that it was unconstitutional for Congress to prohibit slavery in the territories. They also ruled that a black man whose ancestors had been slaves had no standing in court. This caused greater turmoil between the African American community and the white community. Another famous case was the Miranda V. Arizona case. In this case Ernesto Miranda was arrested for kidnapping and rape. He was picked out in a line up and confessed and had a written statement. He did all of this without being told he needed a lawyer. After his trial the Supreme Court ruled that a suspect’s statement cannot be made without the police telling the person that they have a right to a lawyer. Miranda’s conviction was overturned.
An appellant court is what someone goes to after the have appealed their case. This type appears on both the state and federal level. The lower court is where many cases begin. A superior court has unlimited jurisdiction in civil and criminal cases. The Supreme Court is the supreme law of the land and handles cases that are concern a new law.