This document provides an overview of civics topics including citizenship, American values and diversity, and different forms of government. It discusses how citizenship can be obtained by birth or naturalization. Key American values like freedom and equality are shared through important institutions. Different types of democracies and authoritarian systems are compared. People form governments to provide order, security, and accomplish common goals through functions like public services and policymaking.

2. Chapter Introduction
Section 1: The Diversity of
Americans
Section 2: Who Are
America’s
Citizens?
Section 3: Government and
the People
Visual Summary

3. Our Declaration of
Independence proclaims that
“all men are created equal.” This
does not mean that everyone is
born with the same wealth,
intelligence, strength, or
ambition. Each one of us has a
unique combination of qualities
and characteristics. The words
of the Declaration mean that all
people should have equal rights,
which is the cornerstone of the
democratic ideal.

4. Section 1:
The Diversity of Americans
As American citizens, we
make a commitment to the
nation and to the values
and principles that are part
of United States
democracy. In addition to the
common values and civic
unity, the United States
benefits from its rich diversity.

5. Section 2: Who Are
America’s Citizens?
Citizens possess certain
rights. With citizenship,
there are also certain
responsibilities expected of
all Americans. In the United
States, there are two ways to
become a citizen: by birth
and by a process called
naturalization.

6. Section 3:
Government and the
People
People form governments
to establish order, provide
security, and accomplish
common goals. Democratic
governments perform
necessary functions so
citizens can live together
peacefully.

7. Guide to Reading
Big Idea
As American citizens, we make a
commitment to the nation and to the
values and principles that are part of
United States democracy.

8. Guide to Reading
Content Vocabulary
• civics • popular
sovereignty
• citizenship
• institution
• citizen
• service
economy
• value

9. Guide to Reading
Academic Vocabulary
• diverse
• ethnic
• principle

10. What is Civics?
Civics is the study of the rights and
duties of citizens.

11. What is Civics? (cont.)
• Civics is the study of the rights and duties
of citizens.
• Changes in citizenship requirements

12. What is Civics? (cont.)
• Rights and duties of citizens:
– Owe loyalty to the government
– Entitled to protection from the
government
• Citizens as part of a country

13. A Changing Society
American society has undergone many
changes in the past, and these changes
continue today.

14. A Changing Society (cont.)
• The United States is a nation of
immigrants.
• Immigration from Europe:
– Early immigration
– After American independence
– From southern and eastern
Europe
U.S. Foreign-Born Population, 1850–2005

15. A Changing Society (cont.)
• Changes in immigration patterns:
– Latin America
– Asia
• African immigrants brought by force

16. A Changing Society (cont.)
• Ethnic diversity:
– Whites of European descent
– African Americans
– Asians and Pacific Islanders
– Native Americans
– Latinos
United States Immigration, 2004

17. A Changing Society (cont.)
• Religious diversity:
– Christians
– Jews
– Muslims
– Buddhists
– Other religious groups

18. A Changing Society (cont.)
• Population growth and change today:
– Birthrate
– Service Economy
– Increasing population in the South and
West

19. A Changing Society (cont.)
– Rising age of citizens
– Increasing levels of education
– Growing Latino population

20. American Values and Institutions
Americans share key values, and these
values are reflected in the important
institutions of American life.

21. American Values and Institutions (cont.)
• Values are broad ideas about what is
good or desirable that are shared by
people in a society.

22. American Values and Institutions (cont.)
• Basic American values
• Values uniting Americans:
– The country’s founding documents
– The English language as a source of
unity
– Belief in popular sovereignty

23. American Values and Institutions (cont.)
• Role of major American institutions:
– The family
– Religious institutions
– Educational institutions
– Social institutions
– Governmental institutions

24. Guide to Reading
Big Idea
Citizens possess certain rights. With
citizenship, Americans also have
certain responsibilities.

25. Guide to Reading
Content Vocabulary
• naturalization • immigrant
• alien • deport
Academic Vocabulary
• deny • priority
• obtain

26. Path to Citizenship
In the United States, there are two ways
to become a citizen: by birth and by a
process called naturalization.

27. Path to Citizenship (cont.)
• There are two ways to become an
American citizen:
– Birth
– Naturalization
• D
u
a
l
c
it
i

28. Path to Citizenship (cont.)
• The naturalization process for aliens:
– Declaration of Intention
– Living in the United States
– Interview and citizenship exam
– Oath of allegiance
• Native Americans as citizens

29. Path to Citizenship (cont.)
• Denying and losing citizenship:
– Improperly obtained citizenship
– Expatriation
– Federal crimes involving extreme
disloyalty

30. Aliens in America
Even though the United States controls
the admission of aliens to this country,
each year millions of people enter
America illegally.

31. Aliens in America (cont.)
• There are restrictions on the number of
immigrants who can enter the United
States.
• Immigration Act of 1990

32. Aliens in America (cont.)
• Aliens living in the United States illegally:
– Temporary visitors
– Crossing borders
– Foreigners with expired legal permits
– Many fear being deported

33. Aliens in America (cont.)
• The United States Border Patrol:
• Different categories of legal aliens:
– Resident aliens
– Nonresident aliens
– Refugees
• Rights of aliens

34. Guide to Reading
Big Idea
People form governments to
establish order, provide security, and
accomplish common goals.

35. Guide to Reading
Content Vocabulary
• government • republic
• public policy • monarchy
• budget • majority rule
• democracy • authoritarian
• direct • totalitarian
democracy
• representative
democracy

36. Guide to Reading
Academic Vocabulary
• community
• enforce
• constrain

37. The Need for Government
The different levels of government
provide many different services.

38. The Need for Government (cont.)
• Government is the ruling authority for a
community, or society.
• Functions of government:
– Keep order
– Provide security
Functions of Government

39. The Need for Government (cont.)
– Provide services
– Guide the community
• Formulate public policy
• Plan and budget
Functions of Government

40. The Need for Government (cont.)
• Levels of government:
– National
– State and local

41. Types of Government
The people are the ultimate rulers of
democratic countries, while in
totalitarian states, a single person or
small group holds all the power.

42. Types of Government (cont.)
• Democratic government
• Types of democracy:
– Direct democracy
– Representative democracy or republic
– Constitutional monarchy

43. Types of Government (cont.)
• Principles of democracy:
– Rule of law
– Limited government
– Consent of the governed
Principles of American Democracy

44. Types of Government (cont.)
– Individual rights
– Representative government
– Majority rule
Principles of American Democracy

45. Types of Government (cont.)
• Authoritarian government
– Absolute monarchy
– Dictatorship
– Totalitarianism
Comparing Democratic and Authoritarian Systems

46. The American People
• Because of its heritage, the
United States is often called “a
nation of immigrants.”
• Until the mid-1900s, most
immigrants came from Europe.
• Latin America now accounts for
the largest share of immigrants to
the United States.
• The United States is a diverse
nation, reflecting the values of
many groups.

47. American Values and Institutions
• Values are ideas about
what is good or desirable
that are shared by people
in a society.
• Our basic values include
freedom, equality,
opportunity, justice, and tolerance.
• Every society has institutions that help it transmit its
values.
• Important American institutions are the family,
religious, educational, social, and governmental
institutions.

48. Citizenship
• According to the U.S. Constitution, people can
become American citizens by birth and through
naturalization.
• Millions of illegal aliens live in the United States.
Legal aliens have entered the country lawfully.

49. Government
• People need governments to
make and enforce laws and
to help us meet our needs.
The purposes of government
include the following:
• Providing order and security
• Providing public services
• Guiding the community

50. Government
• Although all governments carry out the same basic
functions, there are differences in the ways
governments can be organized.
• The main types of government are democratic
government and authoritarian government.
• In a democracy, the supreme political authority rests
with the people.

60. civics
the study of the rights and duties of
citizens

61. citizenship
rights and duties of members of a
state

62. citizens
community members who owe loyalty
to the government and are entitled to
protection from it

63. service economy
where the majority of people earn
their living by providing a service
rather than manufacturing a product

64. value
the general principles of beliefs
people use to make judgments and
decisions

65. popular sovereignty
the notion that power lies with the
people

66. institution
sets of ideas that people have about
relationships, obligations, roles and
functions of society

67. diverse
differing from one another

68. ethnic
relating to races or groups of people
who share common traits and
customs

69. principle
a rule of conduct or belief

70. naturalization
a legal process to obtain citizenship

71. alien
a noncitizen

72. immigrant
a person who moves permanently to
a new country

73. deport
to send an alien or immigrant back to
his or her own country

74. deny
refusal to grant, agree, or believe

75. obtain
to gain or acquire

76. priority
something that is given more
attention or importance

77. government
the ruling authority for a community

78. public policy
the course of action the government
takes in response to an issue or
problem

79. budget
a plan for making and spending
money

80. democracy
a government in which citizens hold
the power to rule

81. direct democracy
a form of democracy in which the
people vote firsthand

82. representative democracy
a government in which citizens
choose a smaller group to govern on
their behalf

83. republic
a representative democracy where
citizens choose their lawmakers

84. monarchy
a government with a hereditary,
single leader

85. majority rule
political principle providing that a
majority of the members of a
community has the power to make
laws binding upon all the people

86. authoritarian
a government in which one leader or
group of people holds absolute power

87. totalitarian
a system in which government control
extends to almost all aspects of
people’s lives

88. community
a group of people who share the
same interests and concerns

89. enforce
to carry out by force or ensure
compliance

90. constrain
to force, limit, or hold back