American Government & Citizenship

Unit 1

• How is government defined?

Textbook Definition

• People and institutions that have the power to create and enforce public policies.

• What are the basic powers that every government holds?

• What are the four defining characteristics of the state?

• How have we attempted to explain the origin of the state?

• What is the purpose of government in the United States and other countries?

Who are the people in Government?

What are the institutions?

What are the rules?

Is Government Necessary?

What do you call a state with an absence of government?

Sovereignty

Territory What makes up territory?   

•  Air• Land• Water• Natural Resources

Population

• The people within a country– How many people live in the U.S.– 280 Million

• How do we know How many people live in the U.S.?– Census– How often does it occur?– 10 Years– Is it important?

Population

What is a Citizen?

• A special status, including rights, privileges, responsibilities and duties.

• Citizenship

Social Contract

What is a right?

Rights

• Personal rights of citizens guaranteed by the constitution.– Rights are not absolute – Rights can be taken away if you infringe upon

another person’s rights.

Examples of rights

• Free Speech

• Free Press

• Right to keep and bear arms

• Voting

• Property?(right or privilege)– Yes (Eminent Domain)– Must offer fair market price

Infringements

• Free Press– Printing something about someone that is not

true and it does harm.• Libel

• Free Speech – Saying something about that is not true and it

does harm.• Slander

What is a Privilege?

Privileges

• Driving– Check points

• Property– Eminent Domain

•

What is a Responsibility?

Responsibilities

• Voting

• Community Service

• Participating in your government

What is a Duty?

Duties

• Selective Service

• Jury Duty

• Paying Taxes

• Obeying laws

Who is a citizen?

• Jus Solis

• Jus Sanguinis

• Dual Citizen

• Naturalized Citizen

Naturalization

• Requirements

Types of Aliens

• Resident Alien- Citizen of a foreign nation living permanently in our country. Usually the intention of becoming a permanent citizen.

• Non- resident alien- Citizen of another nation that is temporarily residing in the United States. (University students)

• Enemy Aliens- In wartime, citizens of nations that we are at war with are considered enemy aliens. Their rights and freedoms are likely to be limited.

• Illegal Aliens- People who enter the United States without permission.

Illegal Immigration

Texas Minutemen

Origins of the State

The Force TheoryThe Force Theory• The force theory states that one person or a small group took

control of an area and forced all within it to submit to that person’s or group’s rule.

The Evolutionary Theory• The evolutionary theory argues that the state evolved

naturally out of the early family.The Divine Right Theory• The theory of divine right holds that God created the state and

that God gives those of royal birth a “divine right” to rule.The Social Contract Theory• The social contract theory argues that the state arose out of a

voluntary act of free people.

Categorizing governments

• How power is geographically divided

• Who rules

• Economy

How do we categorize Governments ?

• How is power geographically Divided?

• Who Rules?

Government Categories by howpower is divided geographically

• Country 1

Subdivision1Subdivision 2

Subdivision 3 Subdivision 4

Unitary

• Strong Central Government and weak subdivisions. Most government decisions are made at a National level.

-Positives

– Negatives

Confederacy

• Weak central and strong subdivisions. In our country it would be like all states deciding their own rules without interference from the Federal Government.– Positives

– Negatives

Federal System

• Central and subdivisions share power. This is the system we use where the Federal Government makes some decisions and the States make some decisions. (Federalism)

• What are some of the Decisions that the Federal Government makes for us?

• What are some of the decisions that our State Government makes for us?

Government Categories by who rules

Autocracy

– Dictatorship (fear and force)

– Monarchy (inherited power)

Oligarchy

– A few rule

Democracy

– Direct• Initiative • Referendum including binding referenda • Recall

– Representative (Republic)

So what is the US?

• We are A Federal Republic• ½ the States and may localities have the

requirements to be considered Direct Democracies.

How will we plan our new government?

• What problems did we face under English Rule?

• How will we correct those problems in our new government?

Foundations of American Democracy

• Individual worth-• Individual liberty- • Civil Rights - rights of a citizens• Rule by law – laws, not individuals, rule

the land• Representative Government• Majority rule with minority rights• Necessity of Compromise

Origins of American Government

• From what country did we get most of our ideas for government?

Magna Charta

• Limited Government

English Bill Of rights

• Civil Rights

English Parliament

• Representative Government

Petition of Right

English Common Law

• Rule by Law

Early American Governemnt

• Confederation Period (a firm league of friendships)

• Articles of the confederation

Why did we need a New Social Contract

Problems with the Articles of Confederation

• Weak Central Government– Powerless to levy or collect taxes– Maintaining an Army and a navy– Interstate Commerce– Money– Enforcement of Federal Law– Settling disputes between states

How did our Founding Fathers Compromise to Create a New

Government?

Compromises

• Great Compromise

• 3/5 Compromise

Great Compromise

• How should our lawmaking body be designed. How should States be represented?

More Populous States

• The Virginia Plan/ Governor Edmund Randolph of Virginia

• Randolph’s Plan• 3 Separate branches of government• Bicameral Legislature/Representation would be

determined by state population and money contributions. The lower house would be popularly selected and then select the upper house

• National Legislature would have the power to cancel conflicting state laws and make states comply with national laws

• Favored more populous states

Less Populous States

• The New Jersey Plan• William Paterson of New Jersey came up with

this plan that closely resembled the Articles of the Confederation

• One House legislature with representatives selected by state legislatures. Each state would cast one vote

• Plural Executive- Two or more officers selected by Congress

• Supreme Court Judges appointed by executive officers for life

How was our current legislature born out of these two plans?

• House Of Reps– 435 members– # per state determined

by population– Popularly selected

• Senate– 100 members– 2 from each state– Originally selected by

state legislatures until the 17th Amendment

Will slaves count toward a state’s population?

• Why was this a controversy?

• 3/5 Compromise