The Judicial Branch

Barack Obama cites GOP ‘game playing’

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0910/42308.html

       

     The article gives information about President Obama accusing republicans of prolonging nominations of  judicial judges. The senators in the article don't think that the election of the judicial judges are important as of now, but I feel that they should carry out the election just as they have all of the other years that have passes.President Obama also feels that the elections should take place.
          The article also gives information on the experiences of being in the judicial branch. The judicial branch, in my opinion isn't as important as the executive branch and neither is the legislative branch. I believe that these two branches are proving my statement because it seems as if they are pushing their election days back without any reasoning.From the looks of the article, Obama doesn't seem to care that strongly on whether or not the elections take place right now because as the president he can take control over the dates in which they happen.
          Once again, I believe that the elections should take place as if they normally would  without the senate pushing back the dates because the time between now and the elections is just creating suspense for no reason, unless they have something prepared that we don't know about!!!!

The Executive Branch

 http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0810/41429.html
   
       In my opinion, the President of the United States has the sole responsibility of making the country a better place to live. He does this by making and enforcing laws.  He also had the responsibility of vetoing bills that have made it pass congress. When the president vetoes a bill, it means that he is rejecting  the bill to prevent it from being passed into law. Besides a bill being passes from the presidents approval, a bill can also be passed if it goes untouched for a certain amount of time. He also meets with leaders from other countries to discuss treaties, which then has to gain the senates' approval to become legal. This is an example of how our limited government is formed; by using authorities fro other sections to check on other authorities so that no one has total power over the country. The president is also head of the United States Military.The presidents plans to help our U.S. soldiers out of Iraq.Even though he plans to bring people home, he also plans to keep a large number of troops there to help protect against counter terrorism and to help protect the citizens. The purpose for which we are fighting the war in Iraq is to create a democracy. The President's homeland security and counter terrorism adviser, John Brennan says that “we recognize that there’s still more progress that needs to be made inside of Iraq to ensure that security is going to prevail throughout the country and is going to be enduring for many, many years to come". This quote assures me that the President is serious about helping our soldiers out of Iraq.
         This article relates to the executive branch because the executive branch is the president and the president controls the united states army. I believe that the president is doing a good job because by taking the troops out of Iraq, he is giving relief to the the familys' of the soldiers and to the soldiers themselves.

Congress & The Constitution

This document was very thorough about the explanation of congress. It tells how bills and their are ideas are not limited and can start from any where in congress,  it gave information about how bills in congress can be brought up in one of four different forms. These documents are the bill, the simple resolution, the joint resolution, and the concurrent resolution. The document also gave information about how a bill automatically becomes law when the bill isn't viewed or decided on by the president, that is, after it passes through congress.

The document was extremely detailed about how things are debated upon in congress and shows how extremely difficult a meeting within congress with there being so many ways of going about the handling of a bill. Presenting a bill also creates frustration because if you truly believe in your bill, and it gets vetoed it can either make you want to resign as a member of congress or it can encourage you to work harder.

Constitutional Connection : Article 1, Section 1- United States Constitution
"All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United
States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives."

source  : http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_cong_documents&docid=f:hd049.110.pdf

Congrees Gives Money Back To America

This political cartoon shows congress giving money back to America. This cartoon perfectly exhibits how Congress has the power to America's money. They have the right to give money to whom ever they choose.This, for me, is a good thing because there is a chance that they'll give me some money!! Then again it's a bad thing because everyone in congress can't be trusted.
This is an example of Article I, Section 8. "To borrow money on the credit of the United States". Congress is basically giving money back to whoever they want.

Congress's Beginning

When the American revolutiton ended in 1781, problems occured throughout the states. The states had this crazy theory that government had too much power, but come to realize, it was actually true. The Articles of Confederation decided that the states weren't going to get all of the power in the controlling of government. The Articles created brought about the legislative body and named it Congress, in which each state had only one vote. The Articles say that Congress could only control state commerce, levy taxes, maintain an army or print money. Congress now deals with problems within the individual states. Congress is divided into into two individual  houses. One is the House of Representatives and the other is Senate. Both parties are in the same "house", but their jobs are very different.
The House has 435 members. Even though they have so many members, they are the lowest rank group in the legislative branch. Their sole duties as representatives are to create bills, that has to pass the vote with the house to even be considered a bill, they have the sole duties to also start revenue bills, and they have the sole power to impeach. The Senate has only 100 member, but yet they are known as the top group in the legislative branch. Their sole duties as senators is to try the house. Their other sole duties enforcing the bills, whether or not they have passed, declaring war, they have to pass treaties with foreign countries, and also must approve or deny presidential nominations, such as Supreme Court Justices.

The Tenth Amendment

Reserved Powers

http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/constitution/amendment10/

Constitutional Connection

"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." (http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/constitution/amendment10/)

Analysis of the Connection

Based on my understanding, the tenth amendment is the right to establish laws that the government ahsn't alteady astalitblished in your own city, as long as those rules don't conflict with the ones that have already been made. This meaning it gives little power to the people if ther is room.

This picture is some what of a conntradictory of what I am explaining. In this picture the government is telling people that they do have all the power, which sort of angers the citizen of the united states.

The Fifth Amendment

Rights of a Person

http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/constitution/amendment05/

Constitutional Connection


"No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation."  (http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/constitution/amendment05/)


Analysis of the Connection

According to my understanding, this law prevents people in the United States from being charged with tedious crimes such as J-Walking. For those who don't know, J-Walking is when you cross the street without obeying the traffic signs or crossing in the middle of the street.

Double jeopardy was a movie that clearly explains how double jeopardy works. These two couple were married, but the husband became bored with his marriage. He didn't want to tell his mate, so he took her on a cruise and faked his death. Since they were the only two on the cruise and the husband couldn't be fund, the wife did time for the "murder". In jail she learned that she in the state she was in, she couldn't be charged with the same crime twice. When she was released on parole, she learned that her husband was still alive. She then tracked him down and killed revenge, but thanks to double jeopardy, she couldn't be charged with the crime.

This picture illustrates a lawyer in a criminal over a petty case, but since the criminal pleaded the fifth the lawyer had no way to show off the evidence that he had because there was no argument. Still, the lawyer assumed that the defendants silence was proof of how guilty he was.