U.S.A Branches of Government | U.S GOV (2024-2025)

Question 1

What makes up the Executive Branch?

Answer 1

President (4 yr, 2 terms)

Question 2

What Branch of government is the Supreme Court?

Answer 2

Judicial

Question 3

What makes up the Legislative Branch?

Answer 3

House of Representatives and the Senate

Question 4

Why does each branch have separate rolls?

Answer 4

Prevents too much power in any one person or branch (Response to Monarchy)

Question 5

Who/what has the final authority to the decision making of launch nuclear missiles?

Answer 5

The president is the only person with the power to launch nuclear weapons.

Question 6

What does the word “pardon” mean?

Answer 6

Pardon means to forgive someone or something of a federal crime.

Question 7

What role does the President play as Chief Executive?

Answer 7

The Chief Executive has the role of the following:
- Enforcing Laws
- Appointing the National Guard (in response to riots or national disasters)
- Appoints heads of the Federal Departments (Cabinet) as long as the Senate agrees.

Question 8

What role does the President play as Chief of Legislature?

Answer 8

The Chief of Legislature has the role of the following:

-Signs bills into law (Congress writes the law)

-Veto Power -refuse to sign a bill into law (Presidential check on Congress)
(⅔ of Congress must agree to overrule the veto)

-Use influence to suggest laws

-Submits budget (Congress can ignore it -only Congress has the right to pass a budget)

State of Union Speech- (Update Congress on new information every 12 calendar months)

Executive Order Get something done-EPA (The next president can undo it)

Question 9

What is Executive Order?

Answer 9

Executive Order is to get something done during that President’s presidency (the EPA is an example of something President Richard Nixon put into place.)

Question 10

What role does the President play as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces?

Answer 10

The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces has the role of the following:

Total authority to move troops around the world

President cannot declare war (Only Congress)
(President can only send troops out of the Country for up to 90 days) (Came from Vietnam war, but was never used)

Sole person with authority to launch nuclear weapons

Question 11

What role does the President play as the Chief Diplomat?

Answer 11

The Chief Diplomat has the role of the following:

Meet foreign leader abroad-Reps the US

Legitimize new governments-

Sign treaties- (Senate ⅔ approval)

Creates Executive Agreements which goes around Congress (not the same permanence as a treaty)

Question 11

What is an Executive Agreement?

Answer 11

An Executive Agreement is an international agreement that does not have the same binding agreement as a treaty.

Question 12

What role does the President play as the Chief of State?

Answer 12

The Chief of State has the role of the following:

The President represents the Federal government in the U.S

Ceremonial duties (Honoring Heroes-pardon Thanksgiving turkey, Easter Egg hunt ect.)

Host foreign leaders in the U.S

Leader of his political party

Question 13

What does the word “filibuster” mean?

Answer 13

The word filibuster means to speak on the Senate floor to disrupt or prevent a vote

Question 14

What is a Bill?

Answer 14

A Bill is a Legislation (but not law) that is put up for vote in each house. If it passes each house it goes to the President to sign.

Question 15

What does it mean to Veto?

Answer 15

Veto is an act done by the President when the President chooses not to sign the bill into law and/or overturned by ⅔ of Congress

Question 16

What does the word “Bicameral” mean?

Answer 16

Bicameral is the word for Two Houses, representing the House of Representatives and Senate

Question 17

What does Tripartite mean?

Answer 17

Tripartite means Three Branches, representing The Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Branches.

Question 18

What does the word “Impeach” mean?

Answer 18

Impeach means to charge a federal official with a wrong doing

Question 19

What is Proportional Representation?

Answer 19

Proportional Representation is the House in relation to the states population

Question 20

What is Equal Representation?

Answer 20

Equal Representation is the word that designates the Senators from every state

Question 21

What are the requirements and benefits of being apart of The House of Representatives

Answer 21

• At least 25 year old
• U.S Citizen for at least 7 years
• Must live in the state you represent (But not the district)
• 2 Year term -no limit

Question 22

What are the rules for passing legislation in The House of Representatives?

Answer 22

To pass legislation they need 51% (Also known as simple majority)
Leader of the House-Leader of the majority party-Power to set priorities (issues and votes)

Question 23

What are the four powers of The House?

Answer 23

• Set taxes, create budgets
• Regulate tariffs (Commerce) - Tax on Imports
• Choose to impeach a Federal Official with a crime
• Pick the president in case of a tie

Question 24

What are the requirements to be apart of The Senate?

Answer 24

• 6 Year Term
• No term limit
• Minimum age of 30 years old
• U.S citizen for 9 years
• Must live in the state you represent

Question 25

What are the rules for passing legislation in The Senate?

Answer 25

Both Head of the Senate-Majority Leader and Minority Leader discuss agenda and schedule discussions (cooperation b/w parties)

• 60% majority to pass bills.

Question 26

What are the three powers of The Senate?

Answer 26

• Approve presidential nominees (Judges, Justices,
  Department heads)
• Ratify treaties
  -Conduct impeachment trials

Question 27

What is a trial court?

Answer 27

A trial court is a type of court that discusses the facts of a case.

Question 28

What is an appellate court?

Answer 28

An appellate court is a type of court, including the SCOTUS, that confirms that everything that happened in trial court went smoothly. The judge of the appellate court looks over the transcript of the original trial court or previous appellate court.

Question 29

What is the Judicial Branch?

Answer 29

The Judicial Branch is the third and final branch of government that controls all of the courts in the United States.

Question 30

What is the SCOTUS?

Answer 30

SCOTUS is the acronym for Supreme Court of the United States. The Supreme Court is the highest Federal appellate court and makes the final and official decision of a trial. Mostly only large and important trails make it to the SCOTUS.

Question 31

What is Majority Opinion?

Answer 31

Majority Opinion is the decision that 5 of 9 Justices agree on.

Question 32

What is a Dissenting Opinion?

Answer 32

A Dissenting Opinion is when the majority of justices do not agree with each other.

Question 33

What is a Precedent?

Answer 33

A Precedent is a Supreme Court decision that guides how future decisions will be made.

Question 34

How is the SCOTUS ran?

Answer 34

• 9 Justices
• Appointed by the president
• Must be confirmed (approved) by the Senate
• Appointed for Life

There must be an opening on the court for the president to nominate

Question 35

What are the powers of the Supreme Court?

Answer 35

• Highest Court (No further legal action)
• Appellate review-can include state railings (based on whether the ruling is constitutional)

Question 36

What are six possible Federal Crimes that, if you were to commit, would cause you to end up in Federal Court?

Answer 36

• Treason
• Piracy
• Counterfeiting
• Drug trafficking
• Human trafficking
• Tax evasion

Question 37

What is the image for the SCOTUS?

Answer 37