Study Notes: Comparative Constitutions and Government Powers

Comparison of the United States and Florida Constitutions

• Introductory Phrasing: Both the United States Constitution and the Florida Constitution begin with the exact phrase "be the people."
• Page Length and Structural Articles:     * The US Constitution consists of only $1$ page.     * The Florida Constitution consists of $80$ pages.     * The US Constitution is organized into $7$ articles.     * The Florida Constitution is organized into $12$ articles.
• Rights and Individual Protections:     * The United States Constitution contains a Bill of Rights.     * The Florida Constitution contains a section known as the "Florida declaration of rights."
• Nature and Amendment of the Documents:     * Both documents are written as "living documents" designed to be changed over time.     * The Florida Constitution has many more amendments than the US Constitution.
• Scopes of Power and Governance:     * Supremacy Clause: The US Constitution includes a supremacy clause which establishes that the federal government or the constitution itself is the highest law of the land.     * Florida Constitution Specifics: The Florida Constitution specifically addresses state-level and day-to-day issues including:         * Public education.         * Motor vehicles.         * Elections.         * Daily issues affecting the state's residents.

Key Media and Political Influence Terms

• Propaganda: A method used to persuade people, specifically by utilizing emotions.
• Bias: Defined as the act of favoring one side of an issue or argument over another.
• Interest Groups: Refers to people who attempt to influence government officials.
• Media as a Watchdog: The media functions in the role of a watchdog to monitor government actions.
• Symbolism: This occurs when propaganda transforms an image, a person, or a product to make it look like something different.

Powers and Responsibilities of the Legislative Branch

• Financial and Monetary Powers:     * The power to coin money.     * The power to print money.     * The power to borrow money.     * Regulating the money allocated to the military.
• Laws and Regulation:     * Establishing naturalization laws.     * Managing the "laws for comrades."     * Regulating trade between different states.
• War Authority:     * The power to declare war.

The Executive Branch: Roles and Powers of the President

• Leadership Roles:     * Serving as the head of the executive branch.     * Acting as the military chief of the military.
• Legislative and Judicial Checks:     * The power to veto bills.     * The power to appoint federal judges.
• Legal and Diplomatic Authorities:     * The power to pardon criminals.     * The power to issue executive orders.     * Treaty Making: The President can make treaties, provided the Senate approves them by a $\frac{2}{3}$ (two-third) majority.