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The US Government
William Jefferson Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton was born on August 19, 1946, in Hope,
Arkansas. His father, William J. Blythe III was killed in an automobile
collision just two months before William's birth. At age four, William
Jefferson Blythe IV was legally adopted by his mothers second husband,
Roger Clinton, making him William Jefferson Clinton.
At age 22 William received a Bachelor's degree from Georgetown
University. Just five years later, he received his law degree from Yale.
Soon after graduating from Yale, he became a law professor at the
University of Arkansas. He did not stay in one place for long though, and
in 1978 he became the Attorney General of Arkansas. From this political
position, he moved higher up in the ranks and in 1978 won the election for
the gubernatorial seat of Arkansas. In the 1980 elections, however,
William (Bill) was defeated by Republican Frank White. As the youngest
governor of Arkansas in 40 years, Bill then became the youngest ex-governor
in United States history. During the interim, Clinton was hired by the law
firm Wright, Lindsey and Jennings. In the 1982 elections, Mr. Clinton went
after the position of governor with renewed vigor and defeated incumbent
Republican Frank White. During the campaigning for the election a Time
magazine article stated: "If Clinton does win, it could seem like less a
comeback than a canny mid-course correction in the path of a young, bright
political star."
Clinton went on to win the next two gubernatorial elections in the
state of Arkansas. In 1988 he had the possibility of a Democratic Party
presidential nomination, but he refused to run. Finally, in 1991, Clinton
announced that he was going to run for President of the United States.
In the 1992 election, Bill Clinton ran against Republican incumbent
George Herbert Walker Bush and independent Ross H. Perot. During the
campaign, Bill met with some difficulty when the media discovered that he
had dodged the Vietnam draft, been unfaithful to his spouse, and smoked
marijuana while attending Oxford. Bill placated the liberal-biased media
by saying that he didn't believe in the war, and he "didn't inhale."
Opposition mounted when reporters discovered that Clinton and his wife,
Hillary Rodham, whom he married in 1975, had made some questionable
dealings over a piece of real estate referred to commonly as Whitewater.
Despite the seemingly insurmountable odds, Clinton won the election,
with 46% of voting Americans supporting him.
Antonin Scalia, Supreme Court Justice
Antonin Scalia was born March 11, 1936 in an Italian majority
section of Trenton, New Jersey. His father, Eugene Scalia was a literary
scholar and a professor of Romance Languages at Brooklyn College. His
mother was an elementary school teacher.
Scalia attended Xavier High School, a Catholic Military academy.
He graduated, first in his class, in 1953. One of his good friends once
said: "He was brilliant, way above everybody else." He later majored in
History at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., where he again
graduated first in his class. Soon after leaving Georgetown, he enrolled in
Harvard Law School, where he was known around the campus as an effective
debater.
From Harvard he earned an LL. B. Degree and in 1960 joined the
Cleveland based law firm Jones, Day, Cockly and Reavis. He was one of the
most straightforward conservatives on the staff and there too earned a
reputation as a debater.
Later, President Richard Nixon appointed Scalia to the position of
Part-time General Counsel in Executive Office of Telecom Policy. He was
confirmed by Congress under the Gerald Ford administration for the position
of Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Justice Department's office
of legal counsel. At that time his job was mostly to give advice to the
President and the Attorney General.
In 1977 he became a Professor at the University of Chicago Law
School. Antonin Scalia is now an associate justice of the United States
Supreme Court. He took his oath in 1986 and is the first Italian-American
Supreme Court Justice. He was part of President Ronald Reagan's effort to
make the judiciary system more conservative.
Mr. Scalia is very outspoken against racially based affirmative
action programs and the "Constitutional Right" to abortion. His views are
closely related to those of the Reagan administration. Scalia is a very
intelligent individual, has an elegant writing style, and has personal
charm that makes him an influential member on the Supreme Court.
Legislative Department
The Legislative Department consists mostly of the House and the
Senate, the two parts of Congress. The Senate has 100 members or two per
state. The House of Representatives has one representative per 30,000
people in the state, currently 435, not including the one from Washington,
D.C., who is not allowed to vote. This is called the "great compromise"
because when the laws were first being written the larger states wanted to
have a system like the House of Representatives, and the smaller states
wanted an equal voice and liked the Senate system better. Finally, in a
compromise they decided to have both.
Facts on the House of Representatives: ú House of Representative members
are elected to a 2 year term. ú The minimum age to become a member is 25
years. ú In order to become a member, you must have been a citizen of the
United States for 7 years. ú Members must be a resident of the state they
are elected by. ú The House of Representatives has the `power of
impeachment.'
This means that the House can vote to put the president of the United
States on trial before the Senate. The only president to have ever been
impeached was Andrew Johnson in 1867. When the Senate finally voted,
however, he missed being removed from office by one vote.
Facts on the Senate: ú Senators are elected to six year terms. ú The
minimum age for a senator is 30 years. ú You must have been a citizen of
the United States for 9 years. ú The Senate tries cases of impeachment.
Powers Granted to Congress The congress shall have the power 1. To lay
and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises, to pay the debts and
provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States;
but all duties, imposts, and excises shall be uniform throughout the United
States; 2. To borrow money on the credit of the United States; 3. To
regulate commerce with foreign nations and among several states; 4. To
establish a uniform rule of naturalization, and uniform laws on the subject
of bankruptcies throughout the United States; 5. To coin money, regulate
the value thereof, and of foreign coin, and fix the standard of weights and
measures; 6. To provide for the punishment of counterfeiting the securities
and current coin of the United States; 7. To establish post offices and
post roads; 8. To promote the progress of science and useful arts by
securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive rights to
their respective writings and discoveries; 9. To constitute tribunals
inferior to the Supreme Court; 10. To define and punish piracies and
felonies committed on the high seas and offenses against the law of
nations; 11. To declare war and make rules concerning captures on land and
water. 12. To raise and support armies, but no appropriation of money for
that use shall be for a longer term than two years; 13. To provide and
maintain a navy; 14. To make rules for the government and regulation of the
land and naval forces; 15. To provide for calling forth the militia to
execute the laws of the Union, suppress the insurrections, and repel
invasions; 16. To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the
militia, and for governing such part of them as may be employed in the
service of the United States, reserving to the states, respectively, the
appointment of the officers, and the authority of training the militia
according to
the discipline prescribed by Congress.
Ronald Wilson Reagan
Ronald W. Reagan was born February 6, 1911, in Tampico, Illinois. He
attended Eureka College and graduated in 1932 with a Bachelor of Arts
degree in economics. He was also popular on his high school football team
and played in college.
Soon after graduating from college, Reagan began working as a radio
sports announcer. His big break, however, was in 1937 when he became a
contract actor for Warner Brothers starring in such movies as Knute Rockne-
All American, King's Row, and probably his most famous, Bedtime for Bonzo.
During WWII Reagan patriotically served his country (unlike some
other presidents) as a captain in the army. It was soon after this that he
became active in Democratic politics, supporting Harry S. Truman for
president in 1948 and Douglas over Nixon in the California senatorial race
in 1950. In 1952, Ronald Reagan married actress Nancy Davis, a contract
actress for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. They had two children.
Between the years of 1954 and 1962 Reagan was the host of a
television program called General Electric Theater. In the early 1950's,
Reagan wised up and became more conservative, this time supporting Dwight D.
Eisenhower in 1952 and Richard Nixon in 1960. In 1962, Mr. Reagan switched
his voter registration to Republican, and was elected governor of
California in 1966 and 1970.
He was not able to do everything that he had hoped as governor,
because for six of the eight years there was a democratic majority in the
state legislature. However, he did find time to cut welfare and start the
Medi-Cal program to pay medical bills for the poor. Reagan increased
income taxes to avoid a projected deficit but later gave rebates when the
state government had a surplus. Reagan also lowered the high property taxes
of California.
In 1976, Ronald Reagan challenged Gerald R. Ford for the Republican
nomination but lost by a small margin. He was not a quitter, however, and
in 1980 he chased after the nomination again and easily beat George Bush
whom he later chose for his vice president.
During the Reagan Administration, Reagan brought conservatives to
power both in the Republican Party and in the nation. Reagan's economic
program, sometimes called Reaganomics, was a tax and spending cuts budget
which stimulated economic growth between 1982 and 1987.
The Constitution of the United States of America
The constitution of the United States is the framework of the
government. On it all laws are based, and if there is a conflict, the law
will be determined unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. An amendment to
the constitution is when a change is made to the constitution. In this
section of my Government Booklet, some of the most important amendments
will be discussed.
Amendment 1
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech,
or of the press; or the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to
petition the government for a redress of grievances.
The first amendment is probably the most famous amendment, because
it gives citizens of the United States their basic rights and privileges.
However, these rights do have limits, and once you go past the limit, you
are breaking the law.
Amendment 2
A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state,
the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
Ask any member of the NRA what the second amendment is, and 9 times
out of ten, he will be able to quote it for you. With the laws going more
and more to the left, it is my guess that this right will be infringed
within the next ten years.
Amendment 4
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and
effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated;
and no warrants shall issue but upon probable cause, supported by oath or
affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the
persons or things to be seized.
This amendment is basically saying that the government, police,
etc., cannot come into your house without a warrant and `just cause' for
wanting to search the area.
Amendment 8
Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor
cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
This amendment is one of the ones for people accused of a crime.
In essence, they are not to have bail unreasonably high, fines unreasonably
high, or tortured. Many people say that the death penalty is cruel and
unusual punishment, but they are wrong.
Amendment 13
Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for a
crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within
the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction. Congress
shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
This amendment totally abolishes any slavery within the legal
jurisdiction of the United States.
Amendment 19
The right of the citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied
or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex. The
Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate
legislation.
This amendment, made in 1920, gives women the right to vote.
Previously, women had almost no rights, and voting was a privilege that
they were not allowed to have.
Amendment 21
The Eighteenth Article of amendment to the Constitution of the United
States is hereby repealed. The transportation or importation into any
state, territory, or possession of the United States for delivery or use
therein of intoxicating liquors, in violation of the laws thereof, is
hereby prohibited.
This amendment repealed, or took back the eighteenth amendment
which made alcohol illegal.
Amendment 22
No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice,
and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President,
for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected
President shall be elected to the office of President more than once.
This amendment makes it so that a president can only serve for two
terms in his lifetime. This keeps the United States from ever having a
dictatorship.
Amendment 26
The right of citizens of the United States, who are 18 years of age or
older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any
state on account of age. The Congress shall have the power to enforce this
article by appropriate legislation.
This amendment, made in 1971, lowers the voting age from 21 to 18.
The Executive Branch
The executive branch of the government is led by the president,
currently Bill Clinton. His main duties are to:
A) Enforce laws. It is the in the oath of office of the president to
`uphold the laws and constitution of the United States.'
B) Act as Commander in chief of the armed forces. The president has this
title because he is the `head honcho' in the military. The buck stops
there. The president can ask congress for the right to go to war as
did Franklin Delano Roosevelt after the bombing of Pearl Harbor on
December 7, 1941. Congress voted yes and the United States entered
WWII.
C) Appoint key officials in the government. Among the many that the
president appoints are Supreme Court Justices, the surgeon general, and the
attorney general.
D) Recommend laws to congress. The president can introduce a bill to
congress. The Senate and the House will vote on the bill. If both approve
it, it goes back to the president for him to sign. Once he has signed it,
it is a law. Either part of Congress may introduce a bill as well. If
it passes through both the House and the Senate, it goes to the
president for him to sign. If he disagrees with the bill, he may choose
to veto it. Veto is a combination of the words vote no. When the
president vetoes a bill, it goes back to Congress for them to review it.
In order to check the president's power and pass the bill into law, there
must be a two-thirds majority when the ballots are cast.
The president also has the power to grant a reprieve or pardon to
any convicted criminal or even someone who has not been charged yet. This
is illustrated by Gerald Ford's pardon of Richard Nixon before he was to be
charged for any involvement of his in the Watergate scandal. The pardon
was granted to keep the United States from being embarrassed at having one
of their presidents on trial. On the upside, Nixon was respected globally
for his efforts to open and establish relations with China.
The president of the United states has a four year term. He may
serve up to two terms in his lifetime. The salary for the president is
$200,000 per year. The president must also be a natural born citizen and
must have lived in the United States for 14 years before running.
Jack Metcalf
Jack Metcalf, a Washington State senator, attended the University
of Washington between 1944 and 1948. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree
from Pacific Lutheran University in 1951 and then later in 1965-66 went
back to the University of Washington. He also patriotically served his
country in the armed forces between 1946 and 1947.
Metcalf, a teacher and bed & breakfast owner, has a wife, Norma,
and four children.
Metcalf has a colorful background as a good Republican public
servant. His political career began in 1958 when he received the
Republican nomination for one of the Washington House of Representatives
positions. Between the years of 1961 and 1965, Jack Metcalf served his
state in the Washington House of Representatives. In 1964, however, he was
defeated for re-election. Never a quitter, though, Metcalf ran for a
Washington State senator position, and won. He served as a senator between
1967 and 1975. In 1968 and 74, Metcalf, now a seasoned politician,
received the Republican nomination for the Senate. He served in the
Washington Senate from 1981 to 1993. He was the Republican nominee for the
United States House of Representatives in 1992.
At the age of 67, he took his House of Representatives oath, and
was the oldest member of the "Class of `94." In his 1992 campaign for the
Congressional seat against Democratic challenger Al Swift, he promised to
limit his terms to six years in Congress. He has described himself as a
"guy willing to take some kamikaze runs." Metcalf has stated a call for
the restoration of the gold standard, and criticizes the Federal Reserve
System.
In 1994, it did not look like Metcalf was indeed going to again win
the Republican nomination. He had to survive direct attacks from
Republican rival Senator Tom Erwin in the primaries. He won the nomination,
however, but it looked bleak for Metcalf against State Senator Harriet
Spanel. However, most of her financial backing came from unions,
environmentalists, and women's groups. 1994 was the wrong year to be a
liberal. Although Spanel had the better funding, she was hurt by her
support of the assault weapons ban and the Brady Bill. Metcalf opposed
both. Another thing that helped Metcalf was his total opposition to
abortion, which made him popular among conservatives. Spanel won support
from San Juan County, but Metcalf won the rest of the counties in the
district.
Review
There are three branches of the United States Government. The
legislative, judicial, and the executive. Ideally, no one is more powerful
than the other two. They are all equal. They all have certain powers as
well as certain checks on powers. Congress is the main body of the
legislative branch, and is composed of two parts: the Senate and the House
of Representatives. The judicial branch consists of all of the courts in
the United States, but is headed by the Supreme Court. The president is
the leader of the Executive branch. In order to become a president, one
must be at least 35 years of age and a natural born citizen living in the
United States for 14 years. The term of office for a president is 4 years.
The term of office for the Unites States House of Representative
members is 2 years, while Senators enjoy 6 years in a term. In order to
be in the House, you must be at least 25 years of age, for Senators the
minimum age is 30. There are 100 members of the Senate, two for every
state. The House of Representatives, however, has 435 members, plus one
from Washington D.C., but he/she is not allowed to vote.
In order for a bill to become law, it must pass the Senate, House
of Representatives, and the President must sign it. If the president vetoes
a bill, it is kicked back into Congress, where it may undergo revision, or
simply be voted upon again. If Congress votes and both halves get a 2/3
majority, the bill is passed into law without the president being able to
do anything about it.
Some of the president's jobs are to be the Commander in Chief of
the Armed Forces, to enforces laws, and to grant pardons to criminals.
Congress sets and collects taxes, has the power to borrow money, declares
war, provides for an army and a navy, creates lesser courts, and coins
money.
Bibliography
Blough, Glen O. The Young People's Book of Science. United States of
America, McGraw-Hill, c1968, pp. 1-436.
Claiborne, Robert. Word Mysteries & Histories. Boston, Houghton Mifflin
Company, c1986. pp. 2-308.
"Congress." The New American Desk Encyclopedia. Volume 1, page 302.
United States of America, Penguin Books Incorporated, 1989.
Markoff, John. Cyberpunk. New York, Simon & Schuster, c 1991, pp. 1-366
"Webster's New World Dictionary Second College Edition," United States of
America, The World Publishing Company, c1970. pp. 156, 224, 332, 627, 633.
Wood, Leonard C. America, its People and its Values. United States of
America, Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, c1979
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