Transcript Taxpayer Responsibilities

Government
Structure
An Overview
How is the Federal
Government Structured?
3 branches
• Legislative
• Executive
• Judicial
3 branches
• Congress
• President
• Supreme Court
Good sources: Ben’s Guide and Wikipedia
Legislative Branch
Congress consists of the House of Representatives and the
Senate
House of Representative
• 435 members (up to 1 per 30,000 of the population)
• 5 non-voting members from U.S. territories
• One representative from each congressional district
• The number of representatives per state is based on the
state’s population based on the census
• 2-year term
• No term limits
• Must be 25 and a citizen for 7 years before running for
office. Must live in the state they represent.
Legislative Branch
Senate
• Two representatives from each state
• 6-year term (1/3 up for election every 2 years)
• No term limits
• Must be 30 and a citizen for 9 years before
running for office. Must live in the state they
represent.
Find your Congressmen
• State representative: House.gov
• Senators: Senate.gov
Legislative Branch
• Write legislation (laws), debate and pass legislation
• Some deal with taxes and appropriations (how money is
spent)
• Approves the making of new money
• Federal criminal laws
• Can declare war
Legislative Branch
How does it work? Source: House.gov
Both houses are equal, but generally bills are introduced
and voted on by the House first. If they successfully pass
the house, they are passed to the Senate.
There are also
• Joint resolutions between both branches
• Concurrent resolutions
• Simple resolutions
Executive Branch
• President
• Leads country (Chief of the Government) and is the
“Commander in Chief” of the military
• Must be 35, born in the U.S., and have lived in the U.S. for at
least 14 years.
• 4-year terms
• 2-terms maximum
• The President has a Cabinet to help stay up-to-date and make
decisions. More at Ben’s Guide
• Vice President: President of the Senate and becomes President if the
President can no longer do the job.
• Departments: Department heads advise the President on issues and
help carry out policies.
• Independent Agencies: Help carry out policy or provide special
services.
Executive Branch
What does the President do?
• Approves or veto's laws from Congress
• Appoints the heads of federal agencies
• Federal Reserve Chairman
• Cabinet members More at Ben’s Guide
• Appoints the Federal Justices
What does the Vice-President do?
• Prepare to be President
• President of the Senate
• Casts the deciding vote in the case of a tie
More information at: whitehouse.gov
Order of succession
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The Vice President Joseph Biden
Speaker of the House John Boehner
President pro tempore of the Senate1 Patrick Leahy
Secretary of State John Kerry
Secretary of the Treasury Jacob Lew
Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel
Attorney General Eric Holder
Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewel
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack
Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker
Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez
Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan
Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx
Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki
Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson
Judicial Branch
• 9 Supreme Court Justices
• Highest court in the country
• Lower courts can appeal to higher courts
• Selected by the current President
• Confirmed by the Senate
• Main job is to interpret the U.S. Constitution
• Can amend the Constitution
• No requirements
• Lifetime term
• Website: SupremeCourt.gov
Pennsylvania Executive Branch
Each serves a 4-year term with a 2-term limit (last 2014).
• Governor Tom Wolf
• http://www.governor.pa.gov/Pages/default.aspx#.VPyWvvzF-60
• Lieutenant Governor Michael J. Stack III
• Attorney General - Kathleen Kane
• https://www.attorneygeneral.gov/SplashPage.aspx
• Auditor General Eugene DePasquale
• http://www.paauditor.gov/
• State Treasurer Rob McCord
• http://www.patreasury.gov/
Pennsylvania Departments
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Department of Aging
Department of Agriculture
Department of Banking
Department of Conservation and
Natural Resources
Department of Environmental
Protection
Department of General Services
Department of Labor and Industry
Department of Military and Veterans
Affairs
Department of Public Welfare
Department of Revenue
Department of State
Pennsylvania State Police
Department of Community and
Economic Development
Office for Information Technology
Office of Administration
Office of the Budget
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Department of Transportation
Department of Health
Department of Education
Office of Consumer Advocate
Office of General Counsel
Insurance Department
Office of Public Liaison
Office of Victim Advocate
State Library
Department of Corrections
Pennsylvania Health Care Cost
Containment Council
Pennsylvania Lottery
Pennsylvania Emergency
Management Agency
State Parks
VisitPA.com
Pennsylvania Legislature
• General Assembly
• 50 Senators
• 203 Representatives
• Judicial Branch
• 60 judicial districts with magisterial district judges
(formerly called district justices and justices of the
peace), who preside mainly over minor criminal
offenses and small civil claims
• Judges serve 10-year terms
Local Government
When you go to vote, you will find local offices have
elected officials as well.
Some examples are:
• Tax collector
• School board members
• Coroner
• Sherriff
• Mayor
Find your representative: Legis.state.pa.us
League of Women Voters
This organization is an excellent source for election news
and information.
League of Women Voters Websites
• National: http://www.lwv.org/
• PA: http://www.palwv.org/
• Monroe: http://www.lwvmonroecountypa.com/
Review Questions
1. Who is the Pennsylvania Governor and what political party
does s/he represent? Wikipedia
2. What is the name and local contact information for your
U.S. Representative in Washington? House.gov
What are the names and local contact information for your
U.S. Senators in Washington and which political party does
each represent? Senate.gov
Who is your PA House Representative and what political
party does s/he represent? Legis.state.pa.us
Review Questions Answered
5. Which branch for the federal government includes the
President and the Vice President?
6. Which branch of the federal government is responsible for
making laws?
7. How many U.S. Senators does Pennsylvania have in
Washington?
8. How many members of the U.S. House of Representatives
are from Pennsylvania? http://house.gov/
9. What is the main job of the Judicial Branch of
government?
10. How long does a Federal Supreme Court Justice serve?
11. What is the Pennsylvania equivalent to the national
Congress?
12. How long does a Pennsylvania Judge serve?