United States of America:

a comprehensive summary of the star-spangled nation

 History

 Pre-Columbian era
 1. Native American occupation
 2. Vinland
 Colonial era
 1. The British colonies
 2. The Seven Years War
 3. Effects on the indigenous people
 The United States Government

 A federal republic composed of 50 states.

 Like the Philippines, the USA follows the trias
politica model:
 1. Executive
 2. Legislative
 3. Judicial
 A system built on checks and balances
Why is the USA, a federal
republic?
 History

 The American Revolution

 1. “No taxation without representation.”
 2. The Boston Massacre and the Tea Party
 3. The Continental Congress
 4. Victory at Saratoga
 5. Freedom
 The Executive Branch

 Headed by the President, and their Vice

President
 Under them are the Cabinet, different agencies,
commissions and departments.
 Carries out and enforces the laws presented by
the legislative branch
 Similar in nature to the Philippine executive
system.
 The Executive Branch

 Executive Office of the President

 Executive Departments
 - main agencies of the federal government
 Sub-Agencies and Bureaus
 - subsidiary organizations within the executive
departments
 Boards, Commissions, and Committees
 - smaller organizations that are president or Congress-
made that focus on more specific tasks
 The Executive Branch

 The Executive Departments

 1. Department of Agriculture
 2. Department of Commerce
 3. Department of Defense
 4. Department of Education
 5. Department of Energy
 6. Department of Health and Human Services
 7. Department of Homeland Security
 8. Department of Housing and Urban Development
 The Executive Branch

 The Executive Departments

 9. Department of Justice
 10. Department of Labor
 11. Department of State
 12. Department of the Interior
 13. Department of the Treasury
 14. Department of Veterans Affairs
 15. Department of Transportation
 The Legislative Branch

 Similarly to the Philippines, the US adopts a

bicameral system of legislation:
 1. The House of Representatives (435 members, one per
congressional district)
 2. The Senate (two per state for a total of 100 senators)
 The Constitution grants the Congress the sole
authority to enact legislation and declare war,
and the right to confirm or reject the
appointments made by the President, along
with investigative powers.
 The Legislative Branch

 The House of Representatives

 - elected once every two years, must be at least 25 years
of age, and a resident of the state they represent
 - their powers include the initiation of revenue bills,
impeach federal officials, and elect the president in the
case of a tie in the electoral college
 The Legislative Branch

 The Senate
 - Senators have six year terms, with their elections
staggered in such a way that a third of the senate are up
for reelection once every two years. They must be 30
years of age and have been US citizens for at least nine
years. They must also be residents of the state they
represent.
 - Their powers, like the House of Representatives, is to
confirm the appointments made by the president, and
more exclusively, to ratify treaties, with the caveat that the
House must also approve of treaties that involve foreign
trade. They are also responsible for impeachment trials.
 The Legislative Branch

 The Legislative Process

 1. The introduction of a bill to Congress
 2. Referral to appropriate committee for review
 3. Subcommittee approval or amendment
 4. Full committee approval or amendment
 5. Bill is presented to the House floor, and is amended,
approved or rejected after a structured debate.
 6. Process is repeated for the other chamber.
 7. The final bill is presented to the President for approval or
rejection
 The Judicial Branch

 The branch of government responsible for the

interpretation of laws and legislation. They are
also responsible for upholding the legal integrity
of the Constitution
 Comprised of the Supreme Court, for the
highest level, and other federal courts for
smaller sects of jurisdiction
 The Judicial Branch

 The Supreme Court

 - the highest level of the judicial branch
 - composed of a chief justice, and eight associate justices
for a total of nine members, all of which are appointed and
serve for life
 - there must be a minimum of six justices to decide a case
 - in the event of a tie, the decision of the lower court stands
The Judicial Branch