Siteadmin, Bureaucrats, Check users, nsAm_Govt_101RO, nsAm_Govt_101RW, nsAm_Govt_101_ta, nsJudgesRO, nsJudgesRW, nsJudges_talkRO, nsJudges_talkRW, nsTeam2RO, nsTeam2RW, nsTeam2_talkRO, nsTeam2_talkRW, oversight, Administrators
125,789
edits
Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Line 98:
Line 98: + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Line 114:
Line 130: − − == State Government == − − The federal government, based in Washington, D.C., is only one part of government in the United States. There is also state and local government, which can be more important in many cases. − − For example, the police are part of state and local government, not the federal government. There are state police officers who give tickets on the highways, and local police officers in each town. Public schools, which spend more than $500 billion (that's billion, not million) each year, are part of local government. − − An important part of this course is to know '''''which''''' government is responsible for which issue. If you saw that a bridge collapsed during a rainstorm, then whom would you call to tell them to fix it, or at least close off the road? − − == U.S. Constitution and the Executive Branch == − − Our federal (national) government, based in D.C., is a government of '''''limited powers'''''. These powers are set forth in the United States Constitution.<ref>http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/Constitution.html</ref> − − Article II of the U.S. Constitution establishes the office of the president, and the entire Executive branch under his authority.<ref>http://www.conservapedia.com/Full_Text_of_the_United_States_Constitution#Article._II.</ref> Article II is not very long and should be read by students in its entirety. It is the Article that establishes the authority for 99% of the employees who work for the federal government work in the Executive branch, including all the armed forces (the president is the "Commander-in-Chief" of the military), all the agencies headquartered in D.C. (such as the Department of Labor, Department of Education, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Justice, Department of Health and Human Services, etc.). − − The president is elected in years divisible by four (e.g., 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016). By virtue of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, which was passed by a Republican-controlled Congress shortly after World War II and ratified by at least 3/4th of the states, the office of president has a "term limit" that prevents election by the same person to more than two elected terms. The presidency is the only office in all of the federal government that has "term limits."
American Government Lecture One (view source)
Revision as of 03:37, September 6, 2012
, 03:37, September 6, 2012better
Article II of the U.S. Constitution establishes the office of president and this process for electing a president. The swing states have a total of 100 electoral votes. A total of 270 electoral college votes are needed for a presidential candidate to win the election.
Article II of the U.S. Constitution establishes the office of president and this process for electing a president. The swing states have a total of 100 electoral votes. A total of 270 electoral college votes are needed for a presidential candidate to win the election.
== U.S. Constitution and the Executive Branch ==
Our federal (national) government, based in D.C., is a government of '''''limited powers'''''. These powers are set forth in the United States Constitution.<ref>http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/Constitution.html</ref>
Article II of the U.S. Constitution establishes the office of the president, and the entire Executive branch under his authority.<ref>http://www.conservapedia.com/Full_Text_of_the_United_States_Constitution#Article._II.</ref> Article II is not very long and should be read by students in its entirety. It is Article II that establishes the authority of federal employees, 99% of whom work in the Executive branch, including all the armed forces (the president is the "Commander-in-Chief" of the military), all the agencies headquartered in D.C. (such as the Department of Labor, Department of Education, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Justice, Department of Health and Human Services, etc.).
The president is elected in years divisible by four (e.g., 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016). By virtue of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, which was passed by a Republican-controlled Congress shortly after World War II and ratified by at least 3/4th of the states to become part of the Constitution, the office of president has a "term limit" that prevents election by the same person to more than two elected terms. The presidency is the only office in all of the federal government that has "term limits."
== State Government ==
The federal government, based in Washington, D.C., is only one part of government in the United States. There is also state and local government, which can be more important in many cases.
For example, the police are part of state and local government, not the federal government. There are state police officers who give tickets on the highways, and local police officers in each town. Public schools, which spend more than $500 billion (that's billion, not million) each year, are part of local government.
An important part of this course is to know '''''which''''' government is responsible for which issue. If you saw that a bridge collapsed during a rainstorm, then whom would you call to tell them to fix it, or at least close off the road?
== The Legislative Branch ==
== The Legislative Branch ==
With the advent of the internet, there is up-to-the minute analysis of the likely outcomes in every election. One site, "RealClearPolitics", is a good source of the latest polling information.
With the advent of the internet, there is up-to-the minute analysis of the likely outcomes in every election. One site, "RealClearPolitics", is a good source of the latest polling information.
== Homework ==
== Homework ==