Comprehensive Civics, Government, and Civic Engagement Study Guide

Fundamentals of Civics and Government

  • Civics Definition:

    • Civics is defined as the study of the privileges and obligations of citizens.

  • Core Civic Terms:

    • Civic Actor: A person who takes part in improving the public life of a community.
    • Common Good: What benefits all people, rather than the individual or small group.
    • Rights: Freedoms or protections that people legally have.
    • Responsibilities: Things people are required to do as a citizen.

  • Forms of Government:

    • Totalitarianism:
    • Definition: A form of government in which decisions are made by one person, and completely controls people's choices.
    • Example: North Korea.
    • Oligarchy:
    • Definition: A form of government in which decisions are made by a group of people.
    • Example: Russia.
    • Direct Democracy:
    • Definition: A form of government in which decisions are made by all people.
    • Example / Context: N/A / All of.
    • Representative Democracy:
    • Definition: A form of government in which the people elect representatives to make decisions for them.
    • Example: USA.

Legal Rights

  • Overview of Rights:

    • Rights consist of the freedoms or protections legally guaranteed to people.

  • List of Specific Rights:

    • Voting
    • Freedom of speech
    • Freedom of religion
    • Freedom of the press (involves published things like news)
    • Equal protection under the law
    • Freedom of choice
    • Own gun / weapons
    • Form unions
    • Peaceful protests
    • Due process
    • No unreasonable searches
    • Travel

Legal and Personal Responsibilities

  • Overview of Responsibilities:

    • Responsibilities encompass actions that citizens are required to perform, as well as broader personal duties.

  • Legal and Mandatory Responsibilities:

    • Pay taxes
    • Follow laws
    • License / register car
    • Go to school
    • Pay child support
    • Jury duty
    • Car insurance
    • Care for your children

  • Non-Mandatory and Personal Categorizations:

    • Voting: Listed under responsibilities, but explicitly noted as not really a legal responsibility.
    • Pay Bills: Noted as being more personal rather than strictly a governmental/civic responsibility.

Three Types of Participants in a Democracy

  • 1) Personally Responsible Participant:

    • Characteristics: Demonstrates good character; is honest and responsible; follows laws and votes.
    • Level of Engagement: Considered the lowest level of civic participation, centered on actively doing small things in the community.
    • Example Action: Contribute food to a food drive.

  • 2) Participatory Participant:

    • Characteristics: Is active in the community; takes leadership positions in community or government groups; works actively to make the system better.
    • Example Action: Organize a food drive.

  • 3) Justice Oriented Participant:

    • Characteristics: Looks at the underlying causes of problems; questions how society works and how things are run; takes action to change the system when it is unfair.
    • Example Action: Research why people are hungry and take action to solve the root causes of hunger to end hunger all together.