American Government Interactive Notebook

Mrs. Barrentine

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Vocabulary

1. Citizen – a member of a community who owes loyalty to a community and a government. They deserve to have their rights protected.

2. Citizenship – the rights, responsibilities, and duties of a citizen.3. Civics – the study of the rights, responsibilities, and duties of

citizens.4. Naturalization – the legal process to gain citizenship to a country.5. Responsibility – things a citizen should do of their own free will.6. Duty – things a person is required to do as a citizen of a country.

*ISN – Use vocabulary strip

Greece

Democracy began in ancient Greece. Athens had a direct democracy – votes and decisions came directly from citizens, not representatives. Most government officials were chosen via a lottery system, meaning that every male citizen had the chance to participate in government, regardless of their status or popularity. Only men who had military training were considered citizens.

Rome

In ancient Rome, citizens (only men who were not enslaved) had the right to vote, own property, defend themselves in court, and have a fair trial, among other rights. The children of Roman citizens automatically became Roman citizens

United States

Citizenship in the United States has changed dramatically over time. Originally, citizenship was reserved for white men. Over time, African Americans and Native Americans were given citizenship and voting rights were expanded. Today, citizenship in the United States is not based on gender, religion, wealth, or race.

Naturalization ProcessApplication: Potential applicants must send in an application to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services department. Before the application is seriously considered, the applicant must meet five requirements: 1. Must be 18 or over 2. Must be a permanent resident for at least 5 years (or be a

permanent resident for 3 years and be the spouse of a U.S. citizen)3. Must be of good moral character 4. Must have an understanding of U.S. civics 5. Must be able to read, write, and speak English

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Naturalization Process

Citizenship Exam: Applicants for naturalization must take and pass an exam that tests their ability to read, write, and speak English while answering a number of questions about U.S. history and government.Ceremony: If applicants pass the exam, they proceed to a ceremony where they take an oath to be loyal to the United States.

**Use the internet and write down the oath taken during the naturalization ceremony.

Losing Citizenship

Expatriation: When a person swears loyalty to another country. In doing so, they give up their U.S. citizenship.Denaturalization: This applies to citizens who went through the naturalization process. If the U.S. government discovers that a naturalized citizen lied during the application process, their citizenship can be revoked and they can be deported to their home country.Conviction: Citizens convicted of certain crimes can lose their U.S. citizenship. These crimes include treason, taking part in a rebellion, or trying to overthrow the government.

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Duties of Citizenship1. Obey the law: Laws are created to keep citizens safe and to keep order in society.

By obeying laws, citizens contribute to the peace, safety, and order of their community.

2. Pay taxes: Citizens pay taxes to support government projects that directly benefit citizens. Taxes are used to pay for road repairs, government workers (officials, police officers, firefighters, teachers, etc.), schools, and more!

3. Defend the nation: Citizens have a duty to protect their country. Some citizens volunteer to serve in the U.S Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. These citizens protect citizens at home and abroad.

4. Serve in court: Citizens have the duty to serve as jurors in the court system. Jurors have the responsibility of listening to court cases and making informed decisions.

5. Attend school: States provide free education to students, typically aged between 7 and 16. Attending schools prepare students for future workplace environments and teaches them how to collaborate with others and solve problems.*ISN - Activity

Responsibilities of CitizensBe informed and vote: Citizens (over the age of 18) are not required to vote, however, their vote determines the decisions made in government. Every citizen has the responsibility to learn about issues and candidates and make informed decisions at the ballot box.Respect the property of others: Respecting the property and rights of others is another responsibility of citizenship. Everyone has a right to own property and expect others to respect that right. This creates a peaceful society.Participate in your community and government : People can contribute to their community and government through volunteer work. Helping others makes a society run smoothly. Citizens have the responsibility to help out when and where they can.Respect different opinions: Citizens have the responsibility to listen to the opinions of others and respect those viewpoints – even if they don’t agree with them. Guide the people: Governments have the responsibility to solve problems within communities. The people look to governments to guide them in their decision-making. Through the government’s actions and public policies, they affect the economy, laws, public confidence, international relations, and more.*ISN - Activity

The Purpose of Government

Keep order: The government passes laws that protect the people and keep society running smoothly. Government officials work together with police officers and safety officials to deter crime and enforce laws. In addition, the court system provides individuals with fair trials.Provide security: The U.S. government has established the armed forces to protect their people at home and abroad. The military works with other countries around the world to ensure the safety of U.S. citizens.Provide services: Governments provide services to their people that help them in their day-to-day lives. Services can include schools, libraries, road repairs, and hospitals.

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Levels of Government

National Government: (federal government) The national government is the highest government in the country. Legislators work together to pass laws that affect the entire country. Only the national government has the right to declare war, maintain an army and navy, coin money, establish federal courts, regulate trade between the U.S. and other countries, and establish and maintain a postal system.State Government: Each state has their own government. State governments can create their own laws but those laws can’t contradict laws created by the federal government. States have the power to make decisions about schools, public roads, local governments, and marriage laws, among other things.Local Government: Local governments are found in towns and cities across the United States. Local governments maintain local schools, police departments, fire departments, road repairs, libraries, and work to protect the rights of their citizens.

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Types of Government

Democracy: The power to rule comes from the people.Monarchy: A king or queen rules the country. The power to rule is

typically passed down through families. Theocracy: A government that is run by a religious leader who

focuses on a god or higher power as the ultimate authority.Oligarchy: A small group of people (usually very wealthy) share all the

government power.Dictatorship: One person has total control over people’s lives.Anarchy: A type of government with no central leader at all.

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The ConstitutionSection 2

Constitution Vocabulary

Constitution: A written plan for government.Confederation: A group of individuals or state governments that

make decisions together.Federalism: a form of government in which power is divided between

smaller (state) governments and a national government.Articles: main parts of the ConstitutionAmendment: Any change made to the ConstitutionRatify: To confirm a decision (make an amendment to the

Constitution official)

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The Articles of Confederation

Strengths• Created a legislature that

controlled the army & had power to develop foreign relations• Congress passed 2 laws: The

Ordinance of 1785 – divided land into 6 sq miles (36 sections) & the Northwest Ordinance – established governments in the NW Territory.

Weaknesses• Congress had no power to

collect taxes, enforce laws or regulate trade.• No national court system or

single leader to rule government.• All 13 states had to approve laws

and changes to Constitution.

Plans & Compromises• The Virginia Plan: The federal government would have 2 houses in Congress & 1

central leader. The number of representatives each state had was dependent on the state’s population. (Favored larger states with bigger populations)• The New Jersey Plan: There would be only 1 house in Congress. Each state would

have only 1 vote. (Smaller states loved this plan)• The Great Compromise: Congress compromised on the VA & NJ Plans. Congress

would consist of 2 houses – the Senate & House of Representatives. In the Senate, each state would have 2 representatives regardless of population. In the House, representatives would depend on population of each state.• Three-Fifths Compromise – After agreeing to the Great Compromise, a final

decision remained – how should a state’s population be counted? Larger states wanted enslaved persons to count towards their total population. Smaller states (with less enslaved persons), did not agree because they wouldn’t have as many representatives in Congress. After much debate, the delegates agreed to a compromise: every five enslaved persons would count the equivalent of three freed persons.

Federalist

Federalist – Favored the ConstitutionThey believed that the federal government should have supreme power over the states and that the Constitution itself would create a form of government called federalism.

Federalism – Where power is divided between the states and national government.

Main leaders were: Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison. These men, and those people that agreed with them, believed that the nation needed a strong federal government to unite the states and protect the rights of the people.

Anti-Federalist

Anti-Federalist – Opposed the Constitution.They were afraid that a strong national government could potentially grow too powerful and attack the rights of the people. The anti-federalists believed that states should have more power.

They were led by Patrick Henry, George Clinton, and George Mason.

These men and other anti-federalists also wanted to add a bill of rights to the Constitution to protect the rights of the people.

Parts of the Constitution

• The Preamble – States six purposes of government: “form a more perfect union”, “establish justice”, “insure domestic tranquility”, and “provide for the common defense”, “promote the general welfare”, and “secure the blessings of liberty”.• The Articles – The articles make up the main part of the

Constitution. The describe how government is set up.• The Amendments – There are currently 27 amendments. They

are additions to the Constitution that were made over time.

The Articles

• Article I – Describes the powers of the legislative branch.• Article II – Describes the powers of the executive branch.• Article III – Describes the powers of the judicial branch.• Article IV – Describes the relationships among the states and between

states and the national government.• Article V – Describes the conditions and process of changing the

Constitution by adding amendments.• Article VI – States that the Constitution is the supreme law of the land.

No state can pass a law that conflicts with the Constitution.• Article VII – Describes the process of ratifying the Constitution.

The Amendments

• Amendment I – Freedom of speech, the press, assembly, and religion• Amendment II – Citizens have the right to bear arms• Amendment III – The government cannot use the property of private

citizens without their consent.• Amendment IV – Citizens are protected from unreasonable search

and seizure• Amendment V – Serious federal criminal charges must be started by a

grand jury, citizens can’t be tried for the same crime twice, and have the right against self-incrimination.

The Amendments

• Amendment VI – Citizens have the right to a jury trial, and a speedy public trial. They also have the right to be informed of criminal charges, hear witnesses on both sides of a case, and to have an attorney.• Amendment VII – Citizens have the right to a trial by jury in civil cases.• Amendment VIII – Bail should not be set so high that it would be

impossible to pay.• Amendment IX – Individuals have other rights than those that are listed

in the Constitution.• Amendment X – The federal government only has the powers given to it

by the Constitution. All other powers are left to the states.

The Amendments

• Amendment XI – The federal courts can’t hear a case involving a state being sued by an individual.• Amendment XII – The Electoral College is to use separate ballots during

presidential elections.• Amendment XIII – Slavery is abolished in the United States.• Amendment XIV – Protects the rights of citizenship, including life,

liberty, and property.• Amendment XV – A person can’t be denied the right to vote based on

race.• Amendment XVI – Congress has the power to collect income tax.

The Amendments

• Amendment XVII – Two senators shall be elected by the people to serve for six years.• Amendment XVIII – Prohibited the production, sale, and transportation of

alcoholic beverages. This amendment was repealed by the 21st amendment.• Amendment XIX – Women have the right to vote.• Amendment XX – The starting date for a new term in Congress was changed.

If President is unable to fulfill duties, the VP will take over.• Amendment XXI – Repealed Amendment 18 – Alcohol became legal and

regulated by the States.• Amendment XXII – Presidents can serve a maximum of 2 elected terms.

The Amendments

• Amendment XXIII – Granted citizens in the District of Columbia the ability to vote for President.• Amendment XXIV – Citizens shall not pay a tax in order to vote.• Amendment XXV – If a President can’t fulfill their duties, the VP will

become President. If there is no VP, the President may appoint a new one that’s approved by Congress• Amendment XXVI – Citizens may vote at the age of 18.• Amendment XXVII – Members of Congress can’t give themselves

raises. Any raise will take place in the next term.

Comparing Documents

Articles of Confederation• Power mostly resided in the

hands of states. There was one house legislature in which each state had equal representation.

Constitution• Central power was reserved for

the national government. Some powers were reserved for states alone. Congress had the power to regulate trade and tax the people. The Constitution created a two house legislature - The House of Representatives and the Senate.

Comparing Both Documents – Articles of Confederation & Constitution•In both documents, Congress had the power to declare war, make laws, coin money, borrow money, and make treaties.

Principles of Government

• Popular Sovereignty• Limited Government• Checks and Balances• Separation of Powers• Rule of Law

Popular Sovereignty

• The idea that power lies with the people. The Constitution includes many ideas that protect the rights of the people and give them power in government. In elections, for example, the people are given the freedom to choose their leaders and representatives.

Limited Government

• The idea that government can only do what the people allow it to do. The Constitution limits the power of government by reserving some power to the states and creating a system of checks and balances.

Checks and Balances

• Using the system of checks and balances, each branch is able to restrain the powers of other branches of government to ensure that one branch does not grow more powerful than the others.

Separation of Powers

• The division of power between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. Each branch has its own responsibilities. Through the use of checks and balances helps prevent one branch from becoming too powerful.

Rule of Law

• The idea that the law applies to everyone, including officials in government. This idea ensures that no one is above the law and works to prevent the abuse of power and status.

Types of Power

• Enumerated Powers – powers reserved for the national government• Regulate trade between the US and foreign countries• Declare war• Coin money• Create and maintain an army and navy

• Concurrent Powers – powers shared between the national government and the states• Enforce laws• Create a court system• Borrow money• Collect taxes

Types of Power - Continued

• Reserved Powers – powers reserved for the states• Conduct elections• Create local governments• Regulate state trade• Set up schools• Make rules for marriage