CIVICS EXAM #1
CIVICS
- An individuals role in contributing to the achieving its goals.
1. vote
2. provide jobs, work, pay taxes
3. contact officials,petition, protest
4. follow laws
5. run for office
6. jury duty
7. volunteer, civic engagement, donate
GOVERNMENT
- organizational structure adopted to make and enforce laws, establish physical and economic security, and ensure justice
- 3 branches
1. executive - enforce laws; president
2. legislative - make laws; congress
3. judicial - interpret laws; US supreme court
Three levels of gov
POLITICS
- Attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors around which government and civic participation is organized
- What they believe that they should doing
- current events are included in this
- dominant political ideologies
1. liberal
2. conservative
3. moderate
Understanding the fundamentals of how our government is structured and its functions.
Ownership - govt of the people, by the people, for the people
proactive and knowledgeable voting
knowing the limitations of our government
Bill of Rights
1. freedom of religion, speech, press assembly , and petition
2. right to keep and bear arms
3. no quatering soldiers
4. freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures
5. grand jury, double jeopardy, self discrimination, due process
6. right to a speedy and public trial
7. right of trial by jury in civil cases
8. freedom from excessive fines, cruel and unusual punishments
9. nonenumerated rights retained by
10. powers reserved to the states.
WHAT IS A GOVERNMENT
DEFINITION
an institution through which leaders exercise power to make and enforce laws, affecting the people under its control.
PURPOSE
Provide leadership
- crimes, taxes and natural resources
Provide civil order and public safety
- contain conflict
Provide public services
- schools, road etc
Provide national security
Provide economic security and assistance
- protect our businesses, regulate and stimulate, and aid
NATION VS STATE VS NATION STATE
1. Nation
any sizable group of people who are United by
- race
- language
- customs
- traditions
- religion
2. State = country
A political community that occupies a definite territory and has an organized government.
3. Nation States
A country whose population possesses a substantial amount of cultural homogeneity and unity.
ORIGINS OF GOV'T
Force Theory - Governments emerged when people needed to cooperate to survive but could become organized only when one or more people TOOK control
Evolution Theory - governments evolved from the family. Heads of ancient families served as the authority over the group.
Divine RIght Theory - The idea that certain people are chosen by a god or gods to rule.
Social Contract Theory - The people have the natural right and the governments serves to protect these rights.
SOCIAL CONTRACT THEORY
PEOPLE GIVE UP SOME INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM FOR PROTECTION AND PEACE
THOMAS HOBBES
- Without government all is chaos
- People turn over those rights to a government for protection and order.
JOHN LOCKE
- People have natural rights
- Social Contract made between people and government to preserve those rights.
Economic Systems:
1. Capitalism: An economic system in which the government does not interfere with buyers, sellers, and the free market.
Pros:
- The best products for the best price, innovation is often rewarded.
Cons:
- lacks equality of opportunity, external costs are ignored.
2. Socialism: An economic system in which the government owns the means of production and distribution of products and wages.
DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM
Pros:
- more equal society
- reduction of poverty
- regulates excesses of free market, externalities, monopoly, and monopsony.
- universally health care improves living standards and labour productivity
- promotes common good and social welfare rather than selfish aims.
- more equal society increases social cohesion
- can promote protection of environment.
Cons:
- higher tax reduces incentives to invest and work
- entrepreneurs may prefer to move to tax havens abroad
- welfare state can create disincentives to work
- government failure in regulation and ownership of industry
- excess labour market regulation can lead to less employment and structural employment.
- Powerful unions cause antagonism between workers and owners.
3. Mixed Economy: A system in which the government regulates privately owned businesses.
Virginia Plan - Bicameral
Representation - population based due to them having the highest population
Role of the national government - can legislate for states and veto state law
New Jersey Plan -Legislature is unicameral
Representation is based on state (each state equally represented)
Connectitut
- dispute settled bu cpmmectocit de;ehatopm
the connecticut compromise was also known as the great compromise
Congress is composed of 2 houses
- smaller senate based pn equality
larger house of reps based on population
made possible the support of a strong central government
Constitution Compromise
3/5s compromise - slavery and population.
every give slaves would count as three free [persons when calculating population for taxation and for representation
federalists
-james madison and hamilton
they want to ratify the constitution
they want a strong national government
anti-feds
- thomas jefferson and patrick henry
they want the bill of rights
strong state government
1. preamble
2. articles (7)
3. amendments
-1-10 B of R (27 total)
Principles of Democracy
The leaders want to convey the idea that they are a democracy or republic to emphasize that people in that nation supports it, but in reality the government is a dictatorship.
Citizen Participation
Effective citizen participation builds a strong democracy
Examples: becoming informed, debating issues, voting in elections, attending community meetings, being members of private voluntary organizations, serving in the military, paying taxes, serving on a jury, running for office, and even protesting
Regular Free and Fair Elections
Citizens participation in choosing their elected officials should not have any obstacles from expressing their will
Examples: regardless of their race, gender, ethnicity, and level of wealth
Everyone should have the right to vote.
Accepting the Results of Elections
ignoring or rejecting election results that has been dealt with free and fair because an individual strongly believes that their candidate should have won the election, then it violates democratic principles.
The Rule of Law
In democracy, no one is above the law.
Everyone must obey the law, and be held accountable for anything they violate because the laws are equally, fairly, and consistently enforced.
Majority Rule with Minority Rights
If the people in the majority try to destroy the rights of people in minority groups or those with minority viewpoints, then they also destroy democracy.
Accountability
Elected officials must be held accountable for any actions they do, and perform their duties according to the will and wishes of the people they represent, not for themselves
Transparency
Allows the people to know what actions the government is taking by going to public meetings.
Limited Government and a Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights helps protect the people from a government that might seem like a dictatorship by limiting the power of government and explains the freedoms that are guaranteed to all people in the country
Control of the Abuse of Power
The government has a executive, judicial, and legislative branches of government have distinct functions and can “check and balance” the powers of the other branches.
This allows the government to prevent them from abusing their power.
Economic Freedom
The people in a democracy are allowed some private ownership of property and businesses, but also are allowed to join a work union
Equality
all individuals should be valued equally and should be free from unreasonable discrimination, and should be protected from discrimination.
Individual or Human Rights
Human rights are the rights all people have simply because they are human beings. Democracies respect and protect the dignity of all people.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights spells out many human rights.
Many of these rights are reflected in the individual rights that democratic governments preserve, such as the U.S. Bill of Rights.
Examples include, but are not limited to, the freedom of movement, religion, speech, and assembly.
Independent Judiciary
Democracies' Judicial System
Fairness and impartiality in courts and judicial system.
Judges' freedom from government influence.
Judges should not be corrupt or obligated to influential groups.
Competing Political Parties
Political Parties Overview
Group of individuals with common interests.
Nominated candidates, won elections, conducted government.
Determined public policy.
Democracy requires multiple parties.
Rival parties make elections meaningful by offering voters choice.
Principles of constituijom
Popular Sovereignty and Republicanism
1) Rule by the people; The people elect representatives to rule on their behalf, and the US government is based upon consent.
Limited Government
2) Limits the power of the national government; specifying the powers of the government.
Federalism
3) Power is divided between the federal, or national, government and the state governments; this creates union while limiting the central power.
Separation of Power into Three Branches of Government
4) limits the national government by limiting powers, and giving each branch a specific role.
Checks and Balances
5) Each branch exercises control over the other two; For example, Congress passes laws, but the president can check that power by vetoing (rejecting) legislation. That veto power is balanced by the power of Congress to override a veto by a two-thirds vote of each chamber
Individual Rights
6) Outlines and protects the rights of individuals from government overreach; he rights of Americans to speak and worship freely, bear arms, be free from unjustified government searches, and have fair criminal trials, among others which are emphasized through the AMENDMENTS.
Beliefs and Principles Today
7) The beliefs and principles from 200 years are what built up what we have today such as limited government, shared power between the national government and the states, individual rights, and commitment to the rule of law
ORIGINATION -> PROPOSAL STAGE -> RATIFICATION
= NEW AMENDMENT (HAS HAPPENED 17 TIMES)
PROPOSING AMENDMENTS
Two Ways
1) VIA CONGRESS - One method of proposing an amendment is by a two thirds vote in the House and Senate
2) VIA THE STATES - ANother way is for two thirds of the states to ask Congress to call a convention to debate and then vote on the proposed amendment (only used once: 21st amendment).
RATIFYING AMENDMENTS
1) if the amendment was proposed in Congress...3/4 of US state legislatures approve of the proposed amendment
2) if the proposal started in state legislatures 3/4 of state conventions approve of the proposed amendment.
Article 1: legislative branch
Article 2: executive branch
Article 3: judicial branch
Article 4: states, citizenship, and new states
Article 5: amendment process
Article 6: debts, supermacy, oath, and religious rexr
Article 7: ratification
Amendments
Freedom of Religion, Speech, Press, Assembly, and Petition
Right to Bear Arms
No Quartering of Soldiers
Freedom from Unreasonable Searches and Seizures
Right to Due Process, Protection from Double Jeopardy and Self-Incrimination
Right to a Speedy and Public Trial by Jury
Right to Jury Trial in Civil Cases
Protection from Excessive Bail and Cruel and Unusual Punishment
Rights Retained by the People
Powers Reserved to the States and the People
Limits on Lawsuits Against States (1795)
Revised Presidential Election Procedures (1804)
Abolition of Slavery (1865)
Equal Protection and Due Process for All Citizens (1868)
Voting Rights Regardless of Race (1870)
Federal Income Tax Authorized (1913)
Direct Election of Senators (1913)
Prohibition of Alcohol (1919)
Women’s Right to Vote (1920)
Presidential and Congressional Term Start Dates (1933)
Repeal of Prohibition (18th Amendment) (1933)
Presidential Term Limits (Two Terms) (1951)
Voting Rights for Washington, D.C. in Presidential Elections (1961)
Abolition of Poll Taxes (1964)
Presidential Succession and Disability Procedures (1967)
Voting Age Lowered to 18 (1971)
congressional compensation