Branches of Power Answer Key

Branches of government potential answer key Study guide Directions: Please respond with much detail in your writing (Note: You do not need complete sentences) to the following questions concerning the concepts and terms for our test on Tuesday Sept. 12th.. These are some samples of what you will see on your quiz. We will review in class, but you want to be sure to look over your notes and are very familiar with them prior to your quiz. You may use your interactive notebook on the quiz; the quiz questions will be asking you to apply your knowledge of the concepts. Please use your notes that we took on the branches, the checks and balances graphic organizer (triangle), and the checks and balances scenarios which are in your composition book. Legislative branch (job and powers) What is the main job of the legislative branch? To make laws Why would there be two parts of Congress (the House of Representatives and the Senate)? To split power between Congress (so no one part has all control over laws that are made) In what ways does Congress interact with other nations of the world? What is an inference you could make regarding this? Makes treaties, can declare war. An inference might be that Congress has the potential to make many allies across the world, but also enemies because of their actions. Executive branch (job and powers) What is the main job of the executive branch? To execute or enforce the laws Why is there a need to have laws that are executed? A law must be enforced to hold people accountable to that law; otherwise people may not follow it. What would be two advantages and two disadvantages to a President having term limits (how long they can serve as President)? Advantages- a. No one person can gain much power from being in that position for life b. New ideas are brought in by successors to that office. Disadvantages: a. Someone with good ideas only has a short time to implement them What is an inference we can make concerning the fact that the President has the power to veto a potential law that Congress wants to pass? This is a great power so the President probably does not use it very often but reserves it for very important laws. Why would the President make treaties with other nations of the world? They want to gain potential allies with them and to build friendships. It also may establish good trade with that country. Judicial branch (job and powers) What is the main job of the judicial branch? To interpret the laws What is one advantage and one disadvantage to allowing the judicial branch to serve in their position for life? Advantage: They don’t have to worry about people voting them out because of an unpopular decision so hopefully they will make the right choices. Disadvantage: This does seem like an opportunity to have power for life- perhaps an excess of power? Why might someone consider the power of judicial review to be the most powerful action that any branch of government has? This could be considered the final say over whether a law really becomes a law and is put into place by the government. They can strike down a potential law if they see that it goes against the Constitution. Checks and balances of government In your own words, what are checks and balances and why do we have them in government? They are controls that each branch has over the other to make sure one branch does not gain all power. Give an example of an action that the executive branch might take and a check that the legislative branch would have over that action. Executive branch- conducts a bribe; legislative branch- brings charges against them to impeach Give an example of an action that the legislative branch might take and a check that the judicial branch would have over that action. Legislative branch- makes a law that takes away the freedom of speech; judicial branch- declares the law unconstitutional with their power of judicial review