Explain what is meant by a “strict division or separation of powers” under the Constitution. Outline the structure of the American Constitution.

Under the Constitution power was divided among the three brunches of the national government: legislative (the Congress), executive (the President) and judicial (the Supreme Court). Each was given its own authority to prevent abuse of power. These three brunches watch over each other. This watching over is known as the system of checks and balances. That way no single brunch becomes too powerful.

This system gives each brunch the means to restrain the other two. For example the President has the power to veto acts passed by Congress, but the Congress may override the veto by a two-thirds majority. But the Supreme Court has the power to declare acts of Congress or President to be illegal if they are in conflict with Constitution.

The structure of the Constitution

The Constitution of the US consists of the Preamble, 7 Articles and 27 Amendments.

The document begins with the Preamble. It holds in its words the hopes and dreams of the delegates to the convention, a justification for what they had done.

The Preamble is followed by 7 articles.

Article 1, 2 and 3 of the Constitution describe how the members of the three branches of the federal government are chosen, how long they shall serve and what qualifications they must have for office.

Article 4 of the Constitution outlines the relationship between states and between the federal government and the states.

Article 5 provides for making changes or amendments to the Constitution.

Article 6 establishes that the Constitution is the supreme law of the land to which all judges and federal and state officers are bound.

Article7 sets forth the manner in which the Constitution was to be adopted.

Explain the structure of the Congress – the supreme legislative body. Discuss the election of Senators and Representatives and whom they represent.

The Congress consists of 2 houses:

· The upper chamber – the Senate

· The lower chamber – the House of Representatives (HP)

The life of any Congress lasts for only 2 years. Originally every Congress would open on the 1^st Monday of December, but it has changed – only odd numbers of the year, the 3d of January. Originally the Congress was to be elected by the state legislative bodies, but the 14^th amendment gave this right to the Am. people.

Congress, the legislative branch of the federal government, is made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives. There are 100 Senators, two from each state. One third of the Senators are elected every two years for six-year terms of office. The Senators represent all of the people in a state and their interests.

The House has 435 members. They are elected every two years for two-year terms. They represent the population of "congressional districts" into which each state is divided. The number of Representatives from each state is based upon its population. For instance, California, the state with the largest population, has 45 Representatives, while Delaware has one. There is no limit to the number of terms a Senator or a Representative may serve.

Date: 2015-12-24; view: 1220