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'''I. Introduction'''

'''I. Introduction'''

How was your summer vacation?  Too short, I know.  Well, I love the Fall - polls say it is the most popular season.  We had a beautiful Harvest Moon a few days ago.

The most popular season of the year, Fall, is upon us.  Hope your summer vacation was good, and not too short.

When my daughter heard I would be teaching this course in American Government, she complained, “Why not teach something useful instead?  Even math would be better!”

When my daughter heard I would be teaching this course in American Government, she complained, “Why not teach something useful instead?  Even math would be better!”

You probably need a license to hunt, or own a gun.  You even need a license to cut someone else’s hair for pay.  You have to understand how government works in order to get anything done.

You probably need a license to hunt, or own a gun.  You even need a license to cut someone else’s hair for pay.  You have to understand how government works in order to get anything done.

With all its regulations, government can seem to be all-powerful.  But actually our government is limited in power. There is much that it cannot do.  It cannot seize our land, unless it pays us for it.  It typically cannot enter our homes, unless it has a warrant.

With all its regulations, government can seem to be all-powerful.  But actually our government is limited in power. There is much that it cannot do.  It cannot seize our land, unless it pays us for it.  It typically cannot enter our homes, unless it has a warrant.

We constantly see the president on television.  This gives the impression that he, too, is all-powerful.  But people pretend he has more control than he really does.  He cannot pass laws.  He cannot declare war.  He cannot remove any judges or congressmen from office.  Usually he cannot even stay in his job as president for more than two terms.

We constantly see the president on television.  This gives the impression that he, too, is all-powerful.  But people pretend he has more control than he really does.  He cannot pass laws.  He cannot declare war.  He cannot remove any judges or congressmen from office.  Usually he cannot even stay in his job as president for more than two terms.

There are also limits on what Congress and the Supreme Court can do.  Congress cannot pass laws interfering with the powers of state governments.  Congress can start wars, but cannot do much to stop them.  The Supreme Court, for its part, can only decide cases presented to it.  The Court can declare laws passed by Congress to be unconstitutional.

There are also limits on what [[Congress]] and the [[Supreme Court]] can do.  Congress cannot pass laws interfering with the powers of state governments.  Congress can start wars, but cannot do much to stop them.  The Supreme Court, for its part, can only decide cases presented to it.  The Court can declare laws passed by Congress to be unconstitutional.

   

   

How do we know what the President, Congress and the Supreme Court can and cannot do?  They are all explained in one brief document:  the United States Constitution.

How do we know what the President, Congress and the Supreme Court can and cannot do?  They are all explained in one brief document:  the United States Constitution.