Resolution resolved: The United States federal government should substantially curtail its domestic surveillance. Violations

THE

“The” implies there is only one – as in the USFG.

Cambridge Dictionaries Online, 2007.

The - used to refer to things or people when only one exists at any one time:

the specifies

Random House 6 (Unabridged Dictionary, http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/the)

The (used, esp. before a noun, with a specifying or particularizing effect, as opposed to the indefinite or generalizing force of the indefinite article a or an): the book you gave me; Come into the house.

Indicates a proper noun

Random House 6 (Unabridged Dictionary, http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/the)

(used to mark a proper noun, natural phenomenon, ship, building, time, point of the compass, branch of endeavor, or field of study as something well-known or unique): the sun; the Alps; the Queen Elizabeth; the past; the West.

‘The’ means all parts.

Merriam-Webster's Online Collegiate Dictionary, 5

http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary

the 4 -- used as a function word before a noun or a substantivized adjective to indicate reference to a group as a whole

“The” indicates generic class

Encarta 9 (World English Dictionary, “The”, http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/DictionaryResults.aspx?refid=1861719495)

2. indicating generic class: used to refer to a person or thing considered generically or universally

Exercise is good for the heart.
She played the violin.
The dog is a loyal pet.

‘The’ depends on context

Words and Phrases ‘8 “The” v41B

Cal.App. 1 Dist. 1932. Meaning of "the" depends on context and purpose of statute in which it is found.—Craig v. Boyes, 11 P.2d 673, 123 Cal. App. 592.—Statut 199.

The is limiting

Words and Phrases ‘8 “The” v41B

Colo. 1969. In construing statute, definite article "the" particularizes the subject which it precedes and is word of limitation as opposed to indefinite or generalizing force of "a" or "an".— Brooks v. Zabka, 450 P.2d 653, 168 Colo. 265.— Statut 199.

Words and Phrases ‘8 “The” v41B

Colo. 1957. Word "the" is a word of limitation. It is a word used before nouns with a specifying or particularizing effect, apposed to the indefinite or generalizing force of "a" or "an".—People v. En-low, 310 P.2d 539, 135 Colo. 249.

‘The’ is restrictive

Words and Phrases ‘8 “The” v41B
Pa. 1988. Fact that legislature, in drafting pension statutes, in one instance used phrase "in service" and hi another used phrase "in the service" connotes distinction in phrases themselves; "the" by its very nature restricts the word "service," to a particular "service," and thus, "in the service" permits benefits to be paid to fireman who suffers injuries while member of a department, while "in service" permits benefits to be paid to a member of a department who suffers injuries whiie performing his duties. 53 P.S. §§ 771, 39321.—Chirico v. Board of Sup'rs for Newtown Tp„ 544 A.2d 1313, 518 Pa. 572.—Mun Corp 200(5).

UNITED STATES FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

USFG is the government established in the constitution

US Legal 13 "Legal Terms, Definitions, and Dictionary" http://definitions.uslegal.com/u/united-states-federal-government/

The United States Federal Government is established by the US Constitution. The Federal Government shares sovereignty over the United Sates with the individual governments of the States of US. The Federal government has three branches: i) the legislature, which is the US Congress, ii) Executive, comprised of the President and Vice president of the US and iii) Judiciary. The US Constitution prescribes a system of separation of powers and ‘checks and balances’ for the smooth functioning of all the three branches of the Federal Government. The US Constitution limits the powers of the Federal Government to the powers assigned to it; all powers not expressly assigned to the Federal Government are reserved to the States or to the people.
Columbia Encyclopedia '9 http://education.yahoo.com/reference/encyclopedia/entry/US

The government of the United States is that of a federal republic set up by the Constitution of the United States, adopted by the Constitutional Convention of 1787. There is a division of powers between the federal government and the state governments. The federal government consists of three branches: the executive, the legislative, and the judicial. The executive power is vested in the President and, in the event of the President's incapacity, the Vice President. (For a chronological list of all the presidents and vice presidents of the United States, including their terms in office and political parties, see the table entitled Presidents of the United States.) The executive conducts the administrative business of the nation with the aid of a cabinet composed of the Attorney General and the Secretaries of the Departments of State; Treasury; Defense; Interior; Agriculture; Commerce; Labor; Health and Human Services; Education; Housing and Urban Development; Transportation; Energy; and Veterans' Affairs.

The Congress of the United States, the legislative branch, is bicameral and consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The judicial branch is formed by the federal courts and headed by the U.S. Supreme Court. The members of the Congress are elected by universal suffrage (see election) as are the members of the electoral college, which formally chooses the President and the Vice President

Oxford 11 Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary 2011 http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/federal-government

federal government

(in the US) the system of government as defined in the Constitution which is based on the separation of powers among three branches: the executive, the legislative and the judicial. This system provides a series of checks and balances because each branch is able to limit the power of the others. The executive branch consists of the President and Vice-President, based in the White House in Washington, DC, and government departments and agencies. The President can approve or stop laws proposed by Congress, appoints senior officials, such as heads of government departments and federal judges, and is also Commander-in-Chief of the military forces. There are 15 government departments, the heads of which make up the Cabinet which meets regularly to discuss current affairs and advise the President. The legislative branch is the Congress which is made up of the two houses, the Senate and the House of Representatives which both meet in the Capitol Building in Washington, DC. The main job of Congress is to make laws, but its other responsibilities include establishing federal courts, setting taxes and, if necessary, declaring war. The President and members of Congress are chosen in separate elections. The Senate has 100 members, two from each state, both of whom represent the whole state and are elected for six years. The House of Representatives has 435 members, who are elected every two years. The number of members from each state depends on the population of the state, with larger states divided into districts, each with one representative. The judicial branch of government has three levels: the Supreme Court, 13 courts of appeal and many federal district courts. The Supreme Court has nine members, called justices who are chosen by the President and headed by the Chief Justice. The Supreme Court has the power to influence the law through a process called judicial review.

USFG is the three branches

USA.gov 13 "USA.gov is the U.S. government's official web portal" http://www.usa.gov/Agencies/federal.shtml

U.S. Federal Government - The three branches of U.S. government—legislative, judicial, and executive—carry out governmental power and functions.
Omnilexica 13 http://www.omnilexica.com/?q=federal+government#definition

1. Federal Government a.k.a. Federal government of the United States: The Government of the United States of America is the federal government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that comprise the United States of America, as well as one capitol district, and several other territories. The federal government is composed of three distinct branches: legislative, executive and judicial, which powers are vested by the U.S. Constitution in the Congress, President, and Supreme Court, respectively; the powers and responsibilities are further defined by acts of Congress, including the creation of executive departments and subordinate courts.

also known as United States government, US Government, United States: Federal Government, US Federal government, United States Federal Government, United States, U.S. government, American Government, the United States's government, managing organization for the United States

USFG also includes agencies

Blacks Law 90 Blacks Law Dictionary, 1990 p. 695 "government"

In the United States, government consists of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches in addition to administrative agencies. In a broader sense, includes the federal government and all its agencies and bureaus, state and county governments, and city and tow nship governments.

USFG is the national government

Oran's 2K Oran's Dictionary of the Law 2K Daniel Oran and Mark Toski, eds ebook p. 193

Federal

1.A federal union is two or more states uniting into one strong central government with many powers left to the states.

2. The U.S. federal government is the national, as opposed to state, government. 3. For the various federal agencies that are not listed here or by name, look under their initials at the start of the letter.

Investor Words 13 InvestorWords.com http://www.investorwords.com/1895/Federal.html

federal - Pertaining to the national government of a country.
Hill 1 Kathleen Thompson Hill and Gerald N. Hill, The Facts on File Dictionary of American Politics p 103

Federal – pertaining to a national, central government created by a unified group of states.
Collin '98 P.H. Collin, ed, Dictionary of Government and Politics, 2^nd edition, 1998 p 128 "government"'

Federal government = central government of a federal state.

Federal indicates central government, distinct from the states

Thomson 7 Alex Thomson, A Glossary of US Politics and Government 2007 p 72

federal government The term used to refer to the central, national government of the United States, based primarily in Washington DC. The federal government differs from the fifty state governments in that it has a national jurisdiction, and it governs in separate policy areas from those of the states.
Random House 13 Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/federal

fed·er·al [fed-er-uhl] Show IPA adjective

1.pertaining to or of the nature of a union of states under a central government distinct from the individual governments of the separate states, as in federal government; federal system .

2.of, pertaining to, or noting such a central government: federal offices.
Oxford 13 Oxford Dictionaries 2013 http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/federal

Definition of federal adjective

1having or relating to a system of government in which several states form a unity but remain independent in internal affairs:a federal Europe

2relating to or denoting the central government as distinguished from the separate units constituting a federation:the health ministry has sole federal responsibility for health care

(Federal) US historical of the Northern states in the Civil War.

WordNet 12 Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/federal

Adj. 1.federal – national federal - national; especially in reference to the government of the United States as distinct from that of its member units; "the Federal Bureau of Investigation"; "federal courts"; "the federal highway program"; "federal property"

national - concerned with or applicable to or belonging to an entire nation or country; "the national government"; "national elections"; "of national concern"; "the national highway system"; "national forests"

2.federal - of or relating to the central government of a federation federal - of or relating to the central government of a federation; "a federal district is one set aside as the seat of the national government"

Central government makes decisions in foreign affairs

Longman 13 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 2013 http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/federal

fed‧e‧ral

1 a federal country or system of government consists of a group of states which control their own affairs, but which are also controlled by a single national government which makes decisions on foreign affairs, defence etc:

2 relating to the central government of a country such as the US, rather than the government of one of its states:

federal law

federal taxes

United States is the country that geographically occupies the 50 states it encompasses.

The American Heritage Dictionary, bartleby.com/61/, 2000 2K

United States of America... A country of central and northwest North America with coastlines on the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It includes the noncontiguous states of Alaska and Hawaii and various island territories in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. The area now occupied by the contiguous 48 states was originally inhabited by numerous Native American peoples and was colonized beginning in the 16th century by Spain, France, the Netherlands, and England. Great Britain eventually controlled most of the Atlantic coast and, after the French and Indian Wars (1754–1763), the Northwest Territory and Canada.

"United States" means the territory over which the sovereign nation of the "United States" exercises sovereign power

Ballentine's 95 (Legal Dictionary and Thesaurus, p. 689)

United States - the territory over which this sovereign nation called the “United States” exercises sovereign power

United States is one nation

Words and Phrases Second Series, 1914, Updated 1964, Volume 4, 1905, pg. 1074.

The “United States” are for many important purposes a single nation, and in all commercial regulations we are one and the same people.

Territories are the United States

Title 5 US Code -EXPCITE- TITLE 5 PART III Subpart F CHAPTER 71 SUBCHAPTER I -HEAD- Sec. 7103. Definitions; application, “The US Code defines the term "United States"” http://freedom-school.com/code-defines-united-states.pdf

(18) 'United States' means the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, and any territory or possession of the United States.

US is only the states and DC

Legal Information Institute 12 http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/7701

USC › Title 26 › Subtitle F › Chapter 79 › § 770 26 USC § 7701 – Definitions (9) United States

The term “United States” when used in a geographical sense includes only the States and the District of Columbia.

“United States” is the USA

Encarta 7 (Dictionary Online, “United States”, http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/DictionaryResults.aspx?refid=1861708119)

U·nit·ed States [ y ntəd stáyts ] country in central North America, consisting of 50 states.
Languages: English.
Currency: dollar.
Capital: Washington, D.C..
Population: 290,342,550 (2001).
Area: 9,629,047 sq km (3,717,796 sq mi.) 
Official name  United States of America