The document discusses why civics is important to study, including understanding one's rights and responsibilities, the role of government, the economic system, and international relations. It then provides information on civic life, the American political system's foundation in the Constitution, the levels and functions of government in America, and the principles of American democracy like rule of law and consent of the governed.

1. WHY STUDY CIVICS?

2. WHY STUDY CIVICS?
To know the following:
Your rights and responsibilities
The role of government in everyday lives
Our economic system and decisions you
make and others that effect your life
 What is our relationship to other nations
and world affairs

3. WHAT IS CIVIC LIFE?
 Politics
 Government
 The political process
 What government institutions are in our daily lives
 The processes by which groups with different interests and
opinions reach and enforce decisions

4. WHAT IS THE FOUNDATION OF THE AMERICAN POLITICAL
SYSTEM?
 The Constitution
 Explains how power is shared among the different branches of
government and on the federal and state level

5. Government of
the People, by
the People, for
the People
UNIT ONE-
FOUNDATIONS OF
AMERICAN
CITIZENSHIP

6. WHAT IS GOVERNMENT IN
AMERICA?
Government is the ruling authority
in a community
Citizens agree to follow a set of
rules and accept government
authority
Three levels of government in
America:
Federal
State
Local

7. FUNCTIONS OF GOVERNMENT
Provide services, protection that individuals could
not supply independently
A. Keeping order and providing security- laws prevent and
settle conflicts, armed forces defend citizens against
outside forces
B. Providing public services- services aimed at keeping
public healthy and safe
C. Guiding the community- formation of public policy to
achieve community goals
D. To collect and spend money
E. Communication and cooperation with other countries

8. TYPES OF GOVERNMENT
Dictatorship- government control by small
group or one person
Democracy- all citizens participate, share
in governing and being governed
Direct democracy- all citizens participated, had
right and responsibility, and had equal voice
Began in ancient Greece 2500 yrs. ago
 Not practical in US because of large, diverse
population

9. DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT
 US has a representative democracy- citizens
choose smaller group to represent them, make
laws, govern
 Citizens source of government authority
 U.S. oldest representative democracy in the world

10. FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF AMERICAN
DEMOCRACY
A. Rule of Law- All people are bound by law
B. Limited Government- Can only do what people
give it power to do
C. Consent to be Governed- citizens are source
of power
D. Individual Rights- protected by government
E. Representative Government- people elect
leaders to govern, make laws
F. Free, fair competitive elections
i. Candidates have right to freely express opinion in public
ii. One person one vote
iii. Legal requirements to vote kept to a minimum
iv. Majority Rule

11. AMERICAN DIVERSITY
AND CITIZENSHIP

12. US great ethnic, religious diversity
American culture is a blend of many influences
Until mid 1900’s most immigrants from Europe
Latin Americans, Asians account for most newcomers
African slavery was immigration by force
 American population grew because of immigration and
natural growth
 Migration- Population moved from rural areas to
cities beginning in late 1800’s (manufacturing
jobs)
 Manufacturing is being replaced by service economy
(jobs that provide a “service” for others)
 American population is aging
 Hispanics fastest growing ethnic group
 By 2050 Hispanics will make up a majority of the
population
NATION OF IMMIGRANTS

13. Millions enter America only
675,000 accepted
5-6 million illegal aliens live in
U.S.
Many come for economic
opportunity
Do not have full political rights,
can’t hold government jobs
Can have public services
(school, health care), own
property and hold jobs
ALIENS IN AMERICA

14.  Two way to become a citizen- birth, naturalization
Birth
• born in U.S.
• parents are citizens
• born on U.S. soil (exception: children of foreign diplomats)
Naturalization
Aliens come to U.S. for work, school, etc. eventually leave
Immigrants come to U.S. to settle
Steps to become a citizen
1. Sign statement to become citizen
2. Live in U.S. for at least 5 years
3. At least 18 and then file paperwork, apply for citizenship
4. Interview and citizenship exam
5. Sworn in as citizen
 Children become citizens also
WHO ARE AMERICA’S CITIZENS?

15. A. Lost for criminal
behavior
B. Stripped by
government
C. Voluntarily give it up
Once you lose it you
can’t regain it
PRIVILEGES OF CITIZENSHIP

16. WHAT UNIFIES US AS AMERICANS?
Bound by common civic and political heritage
Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Bill of
Rights (documents)
Ideas of liberty, popular sovereignty, equal justice
under the law, majority rule (ideals)
English language creates unity

17. CHAPTER 2-ROOTS OF
AMERICAN DEMOCRACY

18. INFLUENCES FROM ENGLISH
GOVERNMENT
 Influenced by English
government, settlers brought
history of limited government
English Traditions
 1215 Magna Carta- placed
limits on kings power, right to
jury trial, equality under law
 Advisors to king eventually
became Parliament (a
representative, lawmaking
body)
 1689 English Bill of Rights

19. 1) Parliament supreme power
2) Monarch had to summon Parliament
regularly
3) Parliament had power over money
4) Monarch could not interfere with Parliament
5) Guaranteed trial by jury
6) Principle of habeas corpus- person could not
be held in jail unless charged with specific
crime
ENGLISH BILL OF RIGHTS

20. OTHER ENGLISH TRADITIONS
Common Law
No written laws in early England
Custom had force of law
System based on custom- common law
Precedent
Courts decisions became basis of laws
Judges decided cases, used precedent (ruling from an
earlier case that was similar) to make consistent ruling

21. Equity Law- system of rules to
resolve disputes on fairness
Statutory Law- based on laws made
by legislative bodies
OTHER ENGLISH TRADITIONS

22. BRINGING ENGLISH HERITAGE TO
AMERICA
Representative Government
 1600’s, 1700’s English settlers
bring political traditions to
colonies
 Charters- gave colonists right to
est. governments, guaranteed
colonists rights of Englishmen
 1619 House of Burgesses 1st
representative assembly in
America
 1620- Mayflower Compact set
up government with majority
rule, established direct
democracy in America

23.  Town Meetings
 Tradition of direct democracy
 Citizens held meeting to discuss problems and issues
 Fundamental Orders of Connecticut
 Americas first written constitution
 Called for an assembly of elected leaders to make laws, called for
the election of judges and governor
BRINGING ENGLISH HERITAGE TO
AMERICA

24. Philosophical Influences
 Locke’s idea of natural rights- life, liberty, property
 The idea of the social contract
 Agreement among the people of a society to give up some of their
freedom in exchange to have their natural rights protected by a
government
 Separation of Powers
 government was divided into three branches so one group or person
could not have too much power
 Ideas of the Enlightenment
 Human reason and universal laws (i.e. natural rights) applied to
human government and society
BRINGING ENGLISH HERITAGE TO
AMERICA

25. BIRTH OF A DEMOCRATIC NATION
Colonial Resistance to Rebellion
 Separated from Great Britain by an
ocean, American developed tradition
of self government
 By 1733 all 13 colonies had own
government
Governor, legislature
 Colonies began to make more of their
own decisions w/o help from Britain
 Mid 1750’s British policies change,
took a more active role in lives of
American colonists

26. BIRTH OF A DEMOCRATIC NATION
 After French & Indian War, Britain
places taxes on colonies to pay for war
 Stamp Act
 “No taxation without representation!”
 Colonies boycotted, led to beginning of
end to British rule
 Declaratory Act (1766) British could
make all decisions for colonies
 Townshend Acts (1767) Glass, tea,
lead, paper
 Colonists boycott
 Tea Act of 1773 led to Boston Tea
Party
 1773 Coercive or Intolerable Acts-
restricted legal rights, allowed British
soldiers to search homes

27. Movement Toward Independence
Colonists band together against Intolerable
Acts
First Continental Congress
1774, 12 colonies sent delegates to Philadelphia
establish political body to represent American
interests and challenge British control
Sent a document to King George III
demanding rights of colonists be restored,
extend boycott
BIRTH OF A DEMOCRATIC NATION

28. BIRTH OF A DEMOCRATIC NATION
 King George responded with force
 War begins in Mass.
 Colonists question British loyalty
 People talk about independence
 1775 Second Continental Congress
 Common Sense by Thomas Paine
published, provided rationale for
independence
 January 1776 called for complete
independence

29. Congress appoints committee to write a document
to announce the colonists independence
Thomas Jefferson main writer
Declaration of Independence –
A. rights of individuals
B. purpose of gov’t to protect people’s rights
C. Gov’t based on people’s consent
D. People entitled to overthrow gov’t
E. Abuses of King George III
 July 4, 1776 approved by Continental Congress
1782 Americans defeat British
BIRTH OF A DEMOCRATIC NATION

30. INSPIRATION FOR IDEAS OF DECLARATION OF
INDEPENDENCE
Inspired by Enlightenment ideas,
questioned traditional roles of
government and society
John Locke
1. People had natural rights- life,
liberty, property
2. Gov’t has obligation to people
3. Best government is limited
4. Idea of popular sovereignty- freely
elected government

31.  States started to prepare new constitutions to replace their
colonial charters
 All states established similar governments
Most had a bicameral legislatures
Like Parliament
 Membership of the houses selected differently
 All states had a governor
 Elected by legislature or citizens
 Job was to carry out laws
 Judges and courts
 To interpret laws
 Most had a Bill of Rights
 Guaranteed basic freedoms and protections
THE NATION’S FIRST GOVERNMENTS

32.  Loosely unified under the Articles of Confederation,
first constitution of the US
Why?
States could not do everything individually, needed
a national government
Established a system of cooperation among the
independent states
How it was set up
 Unicameral legislature, one vote per state
Congress controlled the army, dealt with foreign
countries – all with limited power
Congress could ask states for money, but could not
enforce anything
 States afraid to give Congress the power to enforce
laws or tax
THE NATION’S FIRST GOVERNMENT

33. Lack of ability to raise money
 Congress had no power to collect
taxes.
 no power to regulate trade
 no power to enforce its laws
Lack of Central Power
 No single leader or group directed
government policy.
 No national court system existed.
Rules Too Rigid
 Congress could not pass laws
without the approval of 9 states.
 The Articles could not be changed
without the agreement of all 13
states.
WEAKNESSES OF ARTICLES

34. 1781 all 13 states had ratified the A of C
US able to work through these weaknesses
and win the Revolutionary War
After the war U.S. had a large debt
Borrowed money to fund war
States had a large debt
States taxed goods from other states and
countries to raise money
States taxed citizens
Congress could do nothing about this
THE NATION’S FIRST GOVERNMENTS

35. 1786 & 1787 – riots broke out b/c
people afraid for their safety and
property
Shays Rebellion
Farmer in debt due to heavy taxes
Courts wanted to take farm
Felt state should not be able to take or tax his
farm
Led an armed uprising of farmers
Quick rebellion; yet noticed by the country
Demonstrated weakness of articles, no
federal or central power to deal with
crisis
1787 – delegates sent again to
Philadelphia to revise the A of C
THE NATION’S FIRST GOVERNMENTS