Civics_Ch2_Webquest_works_compare


 * Your government vs. Founding Fathers**

Compare how your government works to the government set up by our Founding Fathers a.k.a. the Constitution.


 * 1. Checks and balances** - the Founding Fathers wanted to make sure the other branches did not abuse their power.


 * __Legislative check over Executive and Judicial__: **Impeachment** - (__vocabulary__) process of charging an official with abuse of power requiring a trial and if found guilty the official is removed from power; according to the Constitution, an official (not just the President) can be impeached by the House of Representatives for treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors, with a majority vote and a trial in the Senate with 2/3 needed to remove from power. This allows Congress the ability to make sure that the President (or Vice President or cabinet officials) and Supreme Court judges do not abuse their power.
 * __Executive check over Legislative__: Congress has the power to make laws, but any bill (proposed law) that is passed by Congress does not become a law until it is signed by the President. This gives the President a check over the Congress. The President has the power to **veto**, (__vocabulary__) or reject a bill passed by Congress, which keeps it from becoming a law.
 * __Executive check over Judicial__: Under the U.S. Constitution, the Supreme Court justices and all other federal judges are appointed by the President. This gives the President a check on the power of the federal courts.
 * __Judicial check over Legislative and Executive__: The Supreme Court has a key check over the other 2 branches, which is called **Judicial Review**. __Vocabulary__ - This is the power of the Supreme Court to declare a law passed by Congress or an action of the President as unconstitutional. The Supreme Court case **//Marbury v. Madison//** (__vocabulary__) was the first case in which the Supreme Court used this power of judicial review by declaring a law unconstitutional.


 * 2. Elections** - requirements to vote (put in study notes) today are (1) age 18, (2) U.S. citizen (either born in the U.S. or citizen by naturalization process), and (3) must be a resident of a state or D.C. A test of knowledge is NOT a requirement to vote in the U.S. The Founding Fathers set up the **Electoral College** (__vocabulary__) to vote for the President since it is the nation's leadership position. The number of electoral votes in each state is based on the total number of representatives and senators in each state.


 * 3. Powers**
 * Central government powers include the power to tax, borrow money, regulate/control interstate **commerce**, (__vocabulary__) which means the same as trade, and can raise an army and navy (all armed forces).
 * Powers denied to the central government include not being allowed to suspend the **writ of habeas corpus**, (__vocabulary__) which means that the a person accused of a crime must be told why he/she is being held; also, the **Bill of Rights** (__vocabulary__) are the first 10 amendments to the Constitution, which limits the power of the national government; it gives citizens the freedoms of speech, religion, press, assembly, petition, and several other **civil liberties**, (__vocabulary__) or personal freedoms that all citizens have.

How close were you to the Founding Fathers with checks and balances, elections, and powers?

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