POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS•THE CONSTITUTION

•PRESIDENT•CONGRESS•STATES

The United States

The Constitution of the United States

On which date was the Constitution ratified and signed?

How many states were originally part of the Union?

Who were these states?

Where is the composition of the House of Representatives explained?

Where is the composition of the Senate explained?

Where is the process of electing a President explained?

The Constitution of the United States

On which date was the Constitution ratified and signed?17th September 1787How many states were originally part of the Union?13Who were these states? New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode-Island and Providence

Plantations, Connecticut, New-York , New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.

Where is the composition of the House of Representatives explained?

Article 1, Section 2Where is the composition of the Senate explained?Article 1, Section 3Where is the process of electing a President explained?Article 2, Section 1

Congress

House of Representatives Who can be elected as a

Representative? How often are they

elected? Who elects them? How many

Representatives shall there be, at first and then in the future?

How will this be decided?

Who is included in the population of the United States?

Senate

• 25 yrs•Resident 7 yrs• Legal state inhabitant

House of Representatives

• 25 yrs•Resident 7 yrs• Legal state inhabitant

• 30 yrs•Resident 9 yrs• Legal state inhabitant

• 35 yrs•Resident 14 yrs• Natural born Unites States

Elections:•Will occur every 2 years•Will be elected by those qualified to vote as determined by the individual states.•The number of representatives is dependent on population – 1/30,000.•Population will be decided by a national census.• 1st one will occur in 3 yrs.• Subsequent censuses will occur

every 10yrs.• Before a the first census the

number of Representatives was determined by the Constitution.

•The population is counted as• Free persons• Indians who pay tax• Those bound in service• 3/5ths of all other persons

Congress

House of Representatives Who can be elected as a

Representative? How often are they

elected? Who elects them? How many

Representatives shall there be, at first and then in the future?

How will this be decided?

Who is included in the population of the United States?

Senate Who can be elected as a

Senator? How many Senators can

there be? Who elects the Senators? How often are they

elected? How many votes does

each Senator hold? How many Senators are

chosen at each election? What is the maximum

term for a Senator? What is the role of the

Vice President?

Senate

Elections There are 2 Senators for

every state. The Senators are elected by

the State Legislature. They are elected every 2

years. Each Senator has one vote in

the Senate. A third of the Senators are

elected at each election. A Senator serves 6 years

maximum before re-election. The Vice President is the

President of the Senate and only votes if there is a tie.

• 30 yrs•Resident 9 yrs• Legal state inhabitant

• 35 yrs•Resident 14 yrs• Natural born Unites States• 30 yrs

•Resident 9 yrs• Legal state inhabitant

The President

President is elected every 4 years, along with the Vice-President.

It is not a direct popular vote, instead electoral colleges are used. Population of each state votes for the State electors State electors cast 2 votes How many state electors are there? ‘Faithless electors’

What happens if a majority of state electors’ votes is not obtained or there is a tie? For the President For the Vice-President

How is an Amendment made? By the end of our study period (1861), there were 12 Amendments to the Constitution. The 13th abolished slavery in the United States.

The first 10 Amendments were brought about together in The Bill of Rights (see on the right).

How is an Amendment made?

There are 2 methods to propose an Amendment. In Congress By a State proposed National Convention

How is it then passed? State ratification

Where is this in the Constitution?

How is a law passed?

Proposal is made

House debate/amend

Passes to the other House

Congress can override veto

Considered by a committee

Final vote, if approved

Submitted to the President

Pocket veto