eMacromall.com - Governments

Donald Trump, the 45th president of the United States, is the first US president who has never held elected office. He was 70 years, 6 months and 6 days old at the time of his inauguration, the oldest first-term President-elect to take office on January 20, 2017.

Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States, was a movie actor before he was president, he was 74 years, 11 months and 14 days old, the oldest second-term President-elect to take office on January 20, 1985.

Jimmy Carter, the 39th president, was a peanut farmer before he was president; Andrew Johnson, the 17th president, was a tailor; Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president, once worked chopping rails for fences; and William Henry Harrison, the 9th president, was commissioned as an ensign in the U.S. Army at the age 18.

As of 9/2015 there were 21,995,000 employed by federal, state and local government in the United States; by contrast, there were only 12,329,000 employed in the manufacturing sector. Of the 5,092,000 who worked for state governments in August, 2,446,300 (or 48 percent) worked in education. Of the 14,165,000 who worked for local governments, 7,852,500 (or 55.4 percent) worked in education.

As of 12/2014 the federal government employed 2,711,000 people (excluding non-civilian military), the fewest people since 1966

As of 3/2014 the federal government employed 2,700,468 people (excluding non-civilian military) with the total March payroll of $16,995,501,047.00, of which 2,475,780 people were full-time employees and 224,688 people worked part-time.

The Federal government and state governments are not allowed to: (1) grant titles of nobility, (2) permit slavery (13th Amendment), (3) deny citizens the right to vote due to race, color, or previous servitude (15th Amendment), and (4) deny citizens the right to vote because of gender (19th Amendment)

The Federal government is not allowed to: (1) violate the Bill of Rights, (2) impose export taxes among states, (3) use money from the Treasury without the passage and approval of an appropriations bill, and (4) change state boundaries.

The State governments are not allowed to: (1) enter into treaties with other countries, (2) print money, (2) make laws for tax imports or exports, (3) impair obligations of contracts, and (4) suspend a person's rights without due process.

Members of Congress don't need postage stamps for their official mail.

The youngest people working in Congress are pages; these high school juniors carry legislative documents between Congress members, help answer phones and deliver phone messages to members of Congress.

The Republican Party has been known as the G.O.P., or Grand Old Party, since around 1880.

As of 12/2015 in the House, there are 44 African Americans, 34 Hispanics, 10 Asian Americans and 2 Native Americans. The Senate has 2 African Americans, 3 Hispanics and 1 Asian American.

The gun industry and National Riffle Association used their financial powers that were able to successfully force the United States Congress to pass a 1996 law that has prohibited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to do research on gun violence and another 2003 law that has forbidden the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to release summary data from millions of crime-gun trace until Obama changed these policies by executive order in January 2013.

According Heritage Foundation Study, while 5,586 people were killed in terrorist attacks against the U.S. during the period of 1969 and 2009, about 30,000 people were killed by guns in the U.S. every year between 1986 and 2010. (Guns kill more people, why does terrorism get all the attention?)

National Rifle Association (NRA) is one of the main funding election resources for numerous congressional members. In 2003 Congress passed the Tiagrt Amendment, which prohibits law enforcement from publicly releasing data showing where criminals brought their firearms. The ATF has successfully tried to limit the power of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The agency has fewer agents today than it did about 40 years ago, and the Justice Department has been unable to get an ATF director confirmed in 6 years. The agency currently only has an interim acting director.

Today there are at least 270 million guns in the U.S. and 60,000 retail gun dealers. During the past 18 years, there were 156 million people applied to buy guns, only 1 million applications were denied. In 2010 alone, U.S. companies manufactured more than 5 million guns and imported 3 million more. Of the 12,664 homicides in 2011, 8,583 were committed with a gun.

United States military casualties of major wars: American Revolutionary War (1775–1783): 25,000; American Civil War (1861–1865): 625,000; War of 1812 (1812–1815): 15,000; Mexican–American War (1846–1848): 13,283; World War I (1917–1918): 116,516; World War II (1941–1945): 405,399; Korean War (1950–1953): 36,516 ; Vietnam War (1955–1975): 58,209; and War on Terror, Afghanistan and Iraq Wars, (2001–present): 6,717.

The U.S. dropped more bombs on Laos in the 1960s and 1970s than on Germany and Japan combined during World War II.

On 7 December (8 December in Asian time zones), 1941, Japan attacked British and American holdings with near-simultaneous offensives against Southeast Asia and the Central Pacific. These included an attack on the American fleet at Pearl Harbor, landings in Thailand and Malaya and the battle of Hong Kong.

World War II fatality statistics vary, with estimates of total dead ranging from 50 million to more than 80 million. World War II dead totals for the U.S. was estimated 418,000, including around 406,000 millitary deaths and estimated 12,000 civilian deaths.

The Transportation Security Administration employs about 62,000 people, of whom 47,000 are airport screeners.

A scandal in the mid-1980s involved secret arms sales to Iran in exchange for release of American hostages held by Iran's allies in Lebanon, was nearly destroyed the Reagan presidency. Money from the arms sales was then diverted to rebels, known as the contras, fighting the Marxist Sandinista regime in Nicaragua.

In the U.S. Congress is responsible for counting Electoral College ballots. If no presidential candidate gets 270 votes, the House of Representatives elects the President from the 3 Presidential candidates who received the most Electoral votes. The Senate would elect the Vice President from the 2 Vice Presidential candidates with the most Electoral votes.

The Medal of Honor, which is awarded by the President of the United States in the name of Congress, is the highest honor in recognition of conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty since 1861. As of today, there were 3,459 recipients of this Medal of Honor award.

The capital of the United States government was moved to many cities before it was permanently settled in Washington DC in 1890. They are

Philadelphia:1774-76, 1777, 1778-83
Baltimore: 1776-77
Lancaster: 1777
York: 1777-78
Princeton: 1783
Annapolis: 1783-84
Trenton: 1784
New York: 1785-89.

Filibustering is when a senator give a a long speech in an effort to delay any measure, motion, or amendment before the Senate.

The Chief Justice of the United States and the Associate Justices are appointed for life (during good behavior) by the President of the United States, "by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate,"

The Secretary of State, on behalf of the President, may accord recognition of a government without the consent of Congress.

How a Bill Becomes a Law: a member of Congress introduces a bill; committees review and vote on the bill, the Senate and the House debate and vote on the bill, and the President signs the bill—or not.

In the U.S., the legislative branch introduces and votes on a bill. The bill then goes to the executive branch, where the President decides whether the bill is good for the country. If so, he/she signs the bill, and it becomes a law. If the President does not believe the bill is good, he/she does not sign it. This is called a veto. But the legislative, with enough votes, can override the executive branch's veto, and the bill becomes a law. Once a law is in place, the people of the country can test it through the court system, which is under the control of the judicial branch. If someone believes a law is unfair, a lawsuit can be filed.

On the Supreme Court there are nine justices, or judges: eight associate justices and one chief justice. The judges are nominated by the President and approved by the Senate. They have no term limits. The Supreme Court is the highest court in the land. Its decisions are final, and no other court can overrule those decisions. Decisions of the Supreme Court set precedents—new ways of interpreting the law.

The legislative branch is made up of the two houses of Congress—the Senate and the House of Representatives. The most important duty of the legislative branch is to make laws. Laws are written, discussed and voted on in Congress.

The President is the head of the executive branch, which makes laws official. The President is elected by the entire country and serves a four-year term. The President approves and carries out laws passed by the legislative branch. He appoints or removes cabinet members and officials. He negotiates treaties, and acts as head of state and commander in chief of the armed forces.

The judicial branch oversees the court system of the U.S. Through court cases, the judicial branch explains the meaning of the Constitution and laws passed by Congress. The Supreme Court is the head of the judicial branch. Unlike a criminal court, the Supreme Court rules whether something is constitutional or unconstitutional—whether or not it is permitted under the Constitution.

In 1787 leaders of the states gathered to write the U.S. Constitution, which provides principles how the new nation would be governed. In order to prevent the government from abusing its power, the Constitution set three separate branches of government: the executive, the legislative and the judicial.

The Constitution has 4,543 words, including the signatures; and takes about half an hour to read. The Declaration of Independence has 1,458 words, with the signatures, but is slower reading, as it takes about ten minutes; the first known use of the formal term "United States of America" was in the Declaration of Independence. The Farewell Address has 7,641 words and it takes about forty-five minutes to read.

The amendments proposed by the first Congress were sent out as "Articles in addition to, and Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America," and the term "article" is used in self-application in all the amendments since the Twelfth, except the Seventeenth, which uses the term "amendment.".

George Washington, was chosen unanimously

to preside over the Constitutional Convention in 1787.

George Washington, did not sign the Declaration of Independence because he had been appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army more than a year before and was at the time with the army in New York City.

James Madison, James Madison, of Virginia, was called the "Father of the Constitution" because in point of erudition and actual contributions to the formation of the Constitution he was preeminent.

Benjamin Franklin, of Pennsylvania, then 81; and Jonathan Dayton, of New Jersey, 26; were the oldest and youngest members of the Constitutional Convention.

Thomas Jefferson was not a member of the Constitutional Convention because he was American Minister to France at the time.

Fifty six delegates representing 13 States attended the Constitutional Convention in 1787 to draft the U.S. Constitution. In the Convention itself they were referred to as "deputies." Only thirty-nine signed. Fourteen deputies had departed for their homes, and three--Randolph and Mason, of Virginia, and Gerry, of Massachusetts--refused to sign. One of the signatures is that of an absent deputy, John Dickinson, of Delaware, added at his request by George Read, who also was from Delaware.

Jacob Shallus who, at the time, was assistant clerk of the Pennsylvania State Assembly, was the penman who, after the text of the Constitution had been agreed on, engrossed it prior to the signing. His office was in the same building in which the Convention was held.

There are 5 methods of electing the President of the United States were considered by the Constitutional Convention. These were by the Congress; by the people; by State legislatures; by State executives; and by electors.

Treason against the United States consists in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving the latter aid and comfort. No person can be convicted of treason except upon the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act or on confession in open court.

In the U.S., the President, who is elected by the entire country and serves a four-year term, is the head of the executive branch, which makes laws official. The President appoints or removes cabinet members and high level officials.

Both parties in the Senate and the House of Representatives elect leaders. The leader of the party that controls the house is called the majority leader. The other party leader is called the minority leader. The Senate approves nominations made by the President to the Cabinet, the Supreme Court, federal courts and other posts. The Senate must ratify all treaties by a two-thirds vote.

In the U.S., Senate there are 100 senators (two from each state) elected by their states and serve six-year terms. The U.S. Vice President is considered the head of the Senate, but does not vote in the Senate unless there is a tie.

The Senate approves nominations made by the President to the Cabinet, the Supreme Court, federal courts and other important posts.

In the U.S., House of Representatives there are 435 representatives elected by their states and serve two-year terms. The number of representatives each state gets is based on its population. The Speaker of the House, elected by the representatives, is considered the head of the House.

If the U.S. President does not believe the bill is good for the country, he does not sign it; this is called a veto. However, with enough votes the legislative branch (U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives) can override the President's veto, and the bill becomes a law.

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