WHAT DOES THE GOVERNMENT DO FOR YOU? Chapter 1. WHAT IS CIVICS? GOVERNMENT FOR THE PEOPLE, BY THE...
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Transcript of WHAT DOES THE GOVERNMENT DO FOR YOU? Chapter 1. WHAT IS CIVICS? GOVERNMENT FOR THE PEOPLE, BY THE...
WHAT IS CIVICS?GOVERNMENT FOR THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE
The study of the rights and duties of citizens
What is a citizen? Community members who owe loyalty to the
government and are entitled to protection from it
WHY DO WE NEED GOVERNMENT??
According to Thomas Hobbes, an English philosopher in the 1600’s, life
without government would be “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short”
A free-for-all!
GOVERNMENT
The ruling authority for a community. They have the power to make and enforce laws and
decisions for the people.
WHAT ARE THE FUNCTIONS OF GOVERNMENT? Keeping order and providing securityArmed forcesTraffic laws and regulations
Providing public servicesMail deliverySchools
WHAT ARE THE FUNCTIONS OF GOVERNMENT? Guiding the communityDone by public policyA course of government action to achieve community goalsExample – improving national security
Building relationships with foreign countries and establishing a budget are also a part of foreign policy
WHAT ARE THE THREE LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT? Federal (national)
State
Local (cities and counties)
DEMOCRACY
All citizens share in governing and being governed (people have the power to rule by selecting leaders)
Direct Democracy: citizens meet to debate government matters and vote firsthand
Not very practical today – large countries with large populations
Representative Democracy: citizens choose a smaller group to represent them, make laws, and govern on their behalf
United States is the oldest representative democracy in the world
WHAT ARE THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY? Consent of the governed•Citizens are the source of the government’s power
Representative government•People elect government leaders to make laws and govern on their behalf
“One person, one vote”•Everyone’s vote carries the same weight
WHAT ARE THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES CONT’D Majority rule•Whenever there is a difference of opinion, we abide by what most people want
Individual rights•Protection and respect for the rights of those in the minority
Rule of law•All people, including those who govern, are bound by the law
Limited government•Government can do only those things the people have given it the power to do