This document provides an overview of government, civics, and politics. It defines different forms of government including republics, democracies, and authoritarian or totalitarian regimes. It notes that the US has a republican form of government with three branches: the legislature, executive, and judicial branches. The document also discusses the concepts of civics, which involves the rights and duties of citizens, and politics, which involves the distribution of power and resources in a society.

1. Government, Civics, and
Politics

2. Focus
Civics
Government
Brief on Politics

3. Government
• How does it affect you?
• What kind do we have?
• How can you be involved?

4. Government
• Its an authority figure
• Protects your freedoms
• Constitution!
• Many different forms

5. Government
• America = Republic
• Representatives are to represent
your interests
• Democracy is Popular Sovereignty
• Greek from “Demos” and
“Kratien”

6. Government
• Authoritarian:
Dictatorship: Syria
Monarchy: Saudi Arabia
• Totalitarian: Total Control
Soviet Union

7. Government
• Theocracy:
Sovereignty in a higher power,
religion

8. Government
• Our Government allowed to
govern
• Citizens choose how to live
• Different beliefs allow for
different “Parties”

9. Government
• U.S.A. has three branches of
Government
1. Legislature/Congress
2.Executive
3. Judicial

10. Government
• Congress= Makes and Passes
Laws
– Rules for a society
• Executive = President
implements Law
• Judicial= Supreme Court rules if
Law follow Constitution

11. Civics
• Member of Political Community
• Public Good
• Obligations for Personal Liberty
• Very Low Participation
• Must know what is going on!

12. Civics
• The rights and duties
• Examples:
Voting
Jury Duty
Town Meetings
Peace Corps
Obey Laws
Help Needy

13. Civics
• Why is this Important?
Success of Democracy
Uphold Constitution
Students become part of the
Community

14. Politics
• “Who gets what, when and
how”
• Power
• Using Scarce Resources
• To Compromise

15. Politics
• More than Democrats and
Republicans
• Goes from Left to Right
• Again, power struggle to get
Resources

16. Resources
• Barbour, Christine, and Gerald C.
Wright. Keeping the Republic: Power and
Citizenship in American Politics. N.p.: n.p., n.d.
Print.