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1: The judicial branch interprets the nation's laws and the Constitution, and it also settles disputes between states. The Supreme Court heads the judicial branch. Congress has used its power to create other federal courts under this Court. The Supreme Court has nine judges, or justices. The Court's leader is the chief justice. Justices are appointed by the president and approved by the Senate. They serve for life, or until they choose to retire or are impeached.

2: The judicial branch has some important powers. It decides whether a national or state law conflicts with the Constitution. Such a law is called unconstitutional. Because the Constitution is the basic law of our country, the judicial branch can declare that laws are unconstitutional or not.

It also has the power to review and comment on treaties. If it finds that a treaty violates the Constitution, then the treaty is not put into effect. By using its powers, the judicial branch protects the Constitution and the rights of Americans. If the actions of the other branches conflict with the Constitution, the judicial branch acts to declare those acts to be unconstitutional.

3: The judicial branch settles disputes that come up under the laws. That is, the courts settle disagreements about what a law means or how it applies to a particular situation.

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6 BOIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIWER  IM DONE WITHE THISARROWM STUFF! >:(

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6 BOIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIWER  IM DONE WITHE THISARROWM STUFF! >:(

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1: The men who wrote the Constitution wanted a strong and lasting government. To achieve this goal, they designed a system of checks and balances. The Constitution gives each branch of government the power to check, or limit, certain actions of the other branches.

2: It also balances each branch's powers with the powers of the other branches.  If the president and congess agree on a law that conflicts with the Constitution, the law is challenged in court, and the judicial branch decides whether it is unconstitutional. The court's power is a check on the power of the other two branches. How are the powers of the different branches balanced? Suppose the president wants one thing and Congress wants another. Congress cannot make laws without the president's review, and the president needs Congress to pass the laws he or she wants. Their powers balance each other. Likewise, while the courts can declare laws unconstitutional, federal judges are appointed by the president with the approval of the Senate.

3: Another example of checks and balances is impeachment. Suppose members of the executive or judicial branch misuse their power. Congress can impeach them, try them, and remove them from office if they are found guilty.

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1: In May 1787, 55 delegates met in Philadelphia. Their plan was to improve the Articles of Confederation, but they decided to write an entirely new document instead. Today, their meeting is known as the Constitutional Convention. The delegates, some of the best-known leaders in the nation, came from all the states except Rhode Island. As a group, they were better educated and richer than most Americans. All were white men. Many were lawyers, but there were also doctors, merchants, farmers, and former soldiers.

Several delegates played key roles. As president of the convention, George Washington kept the debates respectful. Benjamin Franklin, then 81, calmed heated tempers, while James Madison of Virginia designed a plan for a strong national government. Gouverneur (his first name) Morris of Pennsylvania wrote much of the final draft of the Constitution. The men worked hard during that hot summer. Some, like Madison, wanted a strong central government. Others feared losing freedoms if the government had too much power.
2: In the end, the delegates agreed to a federal system. This meant that power was divided between state governments and a strong national government. They separated the power of the national government into three parts, or branches. The legislative branch would make the laws. The executive branch would carry them out. The judicial branch would settle disputes over the meaning of the laws.

3: On September 17, 1787, after four months of hard work, most of the delegates signed the Constitution, and in June of 1788, 9 of the 13 states had approved it. The United States had a new government.

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the first psrt, <------- WHATEVER HE SAID!

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the first psrt, <------- WHATEVER HE SAID!

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1. After declaring independence from Great Britain, the Second Continental Congress approved a document called the Articles of Confederation. The Articles created a weak government called the Confederation Congress. This Congress managed the war against Great Britain. It also worked to solve common problems. The Congress could declare war and pass laws, but laws had to be approved by at least 9 of the 13 states. The new government had no president and no court to settle disputes between states.

2: Many former soldiers and poor farmers lost their homes because they could not pay their bills. Some of them were jailed. One farmer complained, “The great [rich] men are going to get all we have, and I think it is time for us to rise and put a stop to it.” In Massachusetts, a former soldier named Daniel Shays agreed. He and hundreds of other men took part in an armed revolt, attempting to stop the state courts from taking people's property. Their fight against the government became known as Shays' Rebellion. This violence made the leaders of the nation worried and the leaders created a stronger govnerment.

3: Once the American Revolution ended, the Confederation Congress had a hard time solving the new country's problems. Most of the powers were held by the states. Each state still issued its own money, and the Congress had no power to collect taxes or even to force the states to give it funds.

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1: The president's power is limited. One exact power Congress gives is the power to either sign or veto the bills passed by Congress. However, Congress can overrule the president's veto by a two-thirds vote of both houses.   Another power is the power to grant pardons, or a release from punishment, to people who have been found guilty of crimes against the nation. But the president cannot give pardons in cases of impeachment.

2: As commander in chief, the president is in charge of the nation's armed forces, such as the army and navy, but only Congress can declare war.

3: The president can call Congress together for a special session, or meeting. This power is a useful tool when a president believes that there is a national emergency.

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1:  Congress is made up of two houses, the Senate and the House of Representatives. Congress also makes laws but to make them, they have to sign a bill.

2: The Constitution also gives Congress ways to remove people in the other branches who abuse their powers. The House can impeach the president, judges, and other officials like the governer.

3: Every state elects two members, called senators, to the Senate. In the House, the number of representatives depends on the number of people who live in a state. States with more people have more representatives in the House.

4: The legislative branch has many other powers. The Senate approves or rejects the people the president chooses to fill key jobs. The Senate must approve the president's choices for ambassadors, or people who represent the United States in foreign countries. The Senate must approve the president's choice of federal judges. It also approves members of the president's cabinet.