All readings are from Ben’s Guide to Government -
US Constitution – READ, COVER, JOT
1. Parts of the Constitution
The Constitution is broken up into three specific sections:
Part 1 – Preamble – the introduction to the Constitution outlining the goals of the government
Part 2 – Articles – this section outlines how the government should operate (like an instruction manual)
Part 3 – Amendments – this section contains the 27 changes that have been made to the constitution
2. The Preamble
The Preamble to the Constitution explains who created the Constitution and the basic purposes of our government. “We the People” are the first words in the Preamble. These words are very important. They show that the power to govern belongs to the people. The people established the Constitution. They used it to create a government to protect their rights and their welfare.
3. Legislative Branch
The Legislative Branch has several duties; however the main job is to create laws. The legislature is called the Congress. It is split into two parts. The first is the House of Representatives. The second is the Senate. When the Congress wants to pass a law, both the House and the Senate must agree to the exact same law. If they cannot agree, then the law cannot pass.
Powers of Congress
- Make laws
- Make laws about taxes and how that money is spent
- Approves the making of money
- Can declare war on other countries
- Raise an army
- Take emergency actions (elastic clause)
4. Senate
The Senate is made up of 100 Senators. Each state has two senators regardless of its size or population. This is known as equal representation. The people elect Senators. Senators should represent the interests of all of the people. They serve a term of six years and there is no limit to the number of terms a senator can serve.
/ Senators must:- Be at least 30 years old.
- Be a U.S. citizen for the past 9 years.
- Live in the state they represent.
5. House of Representatives
In the House of Representatives, representation is based on the number of people living in each state (total population). States like California, Florida, Texas, and New York have very large populations, and therefore have more representatives than states with small populations. There are a total of 435 representatives in the House. A Representative represents an area of the state known as a congressional district. Each state has at least one congressional district and therefore one representative in the House. Each representative serves a term of 2 years. There is no limit on the number of terms a representative can serve.
/ Representatives must:- Be at least 25 years old.
- Be a U.S. citizen for the past 7 years.
- Live in the state they represent.
Let’s Review – Complete the following outline.
A. The ______is the plan for how our government works
3 Parts
1. ______(intro., lists goals)
2. ______(the meat of the Constitution – explains our plan of government)
3. ______(additions / changes)
B. Legislative Branch
1. Structure of Congress
a. Senate
1. each term is ______years
2. ______total members
3. each state has ______senators
4. must be at least ______years old to be a Senator
c. House of Representatives
1. each term is ______years
2. ______total members
3. the number of representatives for each state is determined by the ______of that state
4. must be at least ______years old to be a Representative
2. Main job of Congress is tomake ______
**There are 3 branches of government. The Legislative Branch is one of the branches; however can you find out the names of the other two branches? Write them down below.