Module 3: Social Studies, Section 1

The most common forms of government are:

democracy, monarchy, dictatorship, and communism.

democracy

the people can elect their leaders and decide how their country is governed.

monarchy

a single person (usually a king or queen) controls the government.

dictatorship

a single person or group holds absolute power over the government, often without the people's consent.

communism

the government owns and controls all property and resources.

American Government

Other documents, governments, and cultures worldwide influenced the American government and the documents that established it.

The principles of democracy were born in:

Athens, Greece, in the 5th century B.C.E. and are said to be the foundation of Western Civilization.

Colonial American Government

the King of England appointed governors of the colonies. The Legislature was elected but must have been property-owning males. Legislatures regulated the governor's salary and used that as leverage for colonial needs and wants. 

Declaration of Independence

was to state the colonists' grievances against the British monarchy, which forced the colonies to separate from the British Empire. ends by calling on the world's nations to recognize the 13 colonies as free and independent states with the full power to levy war, conclude peace, and contract alliances.

Popular Sovereignty

places the people at the center of power rather than a monarch.

The Framers

Enlightenment thinkers. Did not establish a democracy and were wary of extending political rights to most Americans. They believed they were ill-informed, too easily manipulated, and would serve their own interests over the nation's interests. 

Republicanism

Framers did not establish a democracy. Instead, they established a Republic. A republic is a government that allows for majority rule while protecting the rights of the minority. The people hold the power and elect leaders to represent them and act in their interest. The leader's job is to represent all the people, not just those who voted for them. 

In the nation's early years, voting was deeply partisan, propelled by

self-interested voters and corrupt elected officials. 

Members of the House of Representatives

The most susceptible to public pressure and the whims of voters. are up for election every two years

_____of the Senate is up for election every two years; this protects them from popular pressure more than members of the House.

⅓

Until ______, Senators were appointed by state legislatures. The people now elect them. 

1913

The President is chosen by the __________, which is chosen by state legislatures. 

Electoral College

________and ________ are appointed and not elected. They also serve lifelong terms. 

Federal judges ; justices

constitutional federal republic.

When teaching government structure and process, you will teach students that the United States is a:

The Framers created a separation of powers, which aimed to limit a majority concentrating power to the detriment of others. The American system of government has _____ and _______ separation of powers. 

vertical and horizontal

Vertically

the federal government can restrain the states, and the states can slow federal overreach. 

Horizontally

the legislative, executive, and judicial branches are separated. 

civics

Through government institutions and political processes, our society maintains order. The study of this order is called

The Bill of Rights

is the first ten amendments to the Constitution. was added to ensure the states ratified the Constitution.

The Constitutional amendments guarantee:

the fundamental rights of a U.S. citizen while also recognizing that the Constitution does not cover every fundamental right. 

There are three categories these rights from the Bill of Rights fall into:

1. Protections of Freedom of Expression

2. Protections from the Federal Government’s Police Powers

3. Protections Limiting Federal Power of the States and People

First Amendment

has four protections: freedom of religion, speech, and press, and the right to assemble and petition the government peacefully. 

Second Amendment

protects the right of individuals to possess weapons. while maintaining the federal government's power over militias and standing armies. 

Third Amendment

protects American citizens from housing soldiers in private residences during peacetime without consent. It does allow for quartering troops during the war.

Fourth Amendment

limits the government’s ability to detain or search a person or their property without proper cause. It also requires warrants to be issued to conduct these searches.

Fifth Amendment

protects individuals from:

• Double Jeopardy: being tried twice for the same crime

• Self-Incrimination: refusing to testify against themselves (“plead the Fifth.”)

Requires a grand jury to determine if sufficient evidence is available before bringing serious criminal charges. This differs from the petit jury that listens to evidence at criminal trials. 

Due Process requires that judicial system rules be followed and the rights of the individual protected before losing freedom or property due to a crime. 

Sixth Amendment

details the specific rules and procedures that must be followed to ensure due process.

Rights protected in the _______Amendment include:

• Right to a speedy trial

• Right to a public trial

• Right to an impartial jury

• Right to a jury from the state and district where the crime was committed

• Right to be informed of accusations

• Right to confront accusatory witnesses

• Right to subpoena witnesses

• Right to receive legal counsel at trial

Seventh Amendment

asserts the right to a jury in civil cases.

Eighth Amendment

protects individuals from excessive bail, fines, and cruel and unusual punishment.

Ninth Amendment

asserts that citizens have rights not specifically listed in the Constitution. 

Tenth Amendment

The Tenth Amendment reserves powers not outlined in the Constitution to the states.

The rule of law

is an important part of democratic society and upholds the idea that everyone should be treated fairly, equally, and consistently under the law. People in society should follow laws rather than the ideas of other people.

The three branches of government are:

legislative, executive, and judicial.

three government levels:

local, state, and federal.

Executive

	Roles	What They Do
________	President Vice President Cabinet Members Employees of the various government departments Governor Mayor	Enforcing laws Relations with other nations Sign laws Manage day-to-day ops of the nation Manage the city, state, or federal departments (depending on what level of government) Nominate heads of agencies, federal judges, and Supreme Court justices,

Legislative

State or federal members of Congress (House of Representatives & the Senate) Employees of the Council or Congress (Roles)

Drafts laws Confirms or rejects presidential nominations Declare war Most powerful branch (What they do)

Judicial

Judges Justices Clerks Employees for the courts (Roles)

Interpret the law Check if laws are constitutional Apply the law to civilian and criminal cases Can reverse laws if they aren’t constitutional (What they do)

bi-cameral legislature

which means we have two houses in our legislature, also known as Congress.

the most powerful branch of the federal government:

Congress

Congress is charged with:

writing federal rules, policies, and laws.

Executive Branch

is tasked with enforcing all the rules, laws, and policies of the Constitution and the laws passed by Congress. also runs the day-to-day operations of the entire federal government.

The Judicial Branch

is tasked with interpreting the law, including the Constitution, to ensure that rules, laws, and policies do not violate the Constitution or violate the rights of citizens. comprises district and circuit courts and the Supreme Court. 

Checks & Balances

was put in place to prohibit one branch of government from concentrating too much power. This was done by creating shared powers across the branches of government. 

Federalism

Constitutional Convention wanted to create a more unified nation.divides power between national and state governments. The federal government controls national issues: defense, taxation, international and interstate trade, etc. State governments are in charge of local issues: public education, police powers, local infrastructure, licensing, and the state economy.  

Local government is made up of individuals who:

govern over a singular municipality, usually a city or town. The local government is tasked with ensuring that local tax revenue is collected and that tax money is spent on the infrastructure for the town or city, like recreation centers, libraries, trash collection, and police and fire departments. 

There are a few ways to change the Constitution:

Congress can vote and make an amendment to the Constitution, or the Supreme Court can rule that an existing law violates a right that existed previously in the Constitution.

The 18th Amendment

prohibits the making or selling of alcohol

21st Amendment

reversing alcohol prohibition

Civic Responsibilities

These responsibilities include voting, jury duty, and holding public office. Individuals are not forced to vote but rather choose to participate in the voting process. When voting, these individuals cast their wishes on the choice of elected officials to represent them. 

Voting

is low in America and lags substantially behind most other democracies. Only 60.2% of voters participated in the 2016 election. 

Jury Duty

Many Americans view jury duty as a duty rather than a right. Serving on a jury is an opportunity to become part of the government and enforce and interpret the law.

Effective Leadership in Government

The United States government is a constitutional republic, where our officials are elected, and rules are recorded in the Constitution. As a teacher, highlight past and present local, state, and national government leaders. Draw correlations between leadership qualities and highlight contributions.

Responsible Citizenship

• obeys rules and laws

• cares for others

• participates in democratic processes

• stays informed on important issues. 

Community service and volunteering is an important component of citizenship. Build upon a student’s immediate location (school, home, neighborhood) to foster a service-minded citizen.

International Relationships

How countries interact and relate to each other. This can include diplomatic relationships, trade agreements, traditions and values exchanges, and military alliances, among other things.  Definition)

Countries that share a border may have a different relationship than countries that are separated by an ocean. Countries with strong economic ties may have a more cooperative relationship than those with little economic interaction. Example)

Foreign Policy

The actions and strategies that a country takes about other countries. Foreign policy can include issues related to diplomacy, national security, human rights, and economic trade. Definition)

For example, a country may form alliances with other countries for mutual defense or impose economic sanctions on a country to pressure it to change its behavior. Example)