GOVERNMENT & CIVICS

Unit Introduction

CIVICS IN OUR LIVES

WHY STUDY CIVICS?CIVICSthe study of citizenship and government

CITIZENa legally recognized member of a country

GOVERNMENTthe organizations, institutions, and individuals who exercise political authority over a group of people

So…WHY STUDY CIVICS?!?

Under our American system of government, citizens have many rights and responsibilities.

Studying CIVICS will help you understand both your rights and your responsibilities.

Government at all levels (federal, state, and local) is making decisions right now that will affect:

– how much money you might earn,– the roads on which you travel,– the cost of your doctors’ visits,– the protections you have under the law,– and many other areas of your life.

AMERICAN VALUES

EQUALITY

LIBERTY

JUSTICE

These values are the foundation for many of your important rights and

freedoms.

QUALITIES OF A GOOD CITIZEN

Voting in Elections

Expressing Your Opinion

Being an Effective Citizen

QUALITIES OF A GOOD CITIZENBeing an Effective Citizen

1. responsible family members

2. respect and obey the law

3. respect the rights and property of others

4. loyal to and proud of one’s country

5. take part in and improve the life in one’s community

6. take an active part in the government

7. use natural resources wisely

• stay informed on key issues and be willing to take a stand on these issues

1. believe in equal opportunity for all people

2. respect individual differences, points of view, and ways of life that are different from one’s own

The American People TodayThe United States of today is not

the United States of 1789.

Major changes in the U. S. population have taken place over the past 225+ years. These changes have affected many of our individual beliefs and attitudes as well as the policies of government and business about how best to use our national resources to meet the needs of an ever-changing population.

To understand the impact these changes have had on individuals, government, and businesses, we will examine The American People Today.

The American People Today

THE CENSUS

• A CENSUS is an official, periodic counting of a population.

• The U.S. conducts a census every 10 years.

• Official U.S. population in 2000: 281.4 million

• Official U.S. population in 2010: 308.7 million

• Projected 2020 U.S. population: 392 million (a 50%+ increase since 1990)

The American People Today

WHY DO WE HAVE A CENSUS?

The Census Counts People• The census finds out how many people live in each state.• Population determines how many representatives each

state gets to send to Congress.

The Census Tracks Characteristics• Today’s census collects demographic information to help

government, businesses, and even individuals plan for the future.

• DEMOGRAPHICS is the study of the characteristics of human populations.

• Examples of demographic information: • ethnic background• # of children in each family• marital status (single, married, divorced, widowed)• household income• level of education of family members

Citizens and Immigration

There are many different classifications of residents living in the United States today. These groups include:

NATIVE-BORN CITIZENS

NATURALIZED CITIZENS

LEGAL ALIENS

ILLEGAL ALIENS

REFUGEES

1. Identify at least one unique characteristic of your assigned group that makes it different from all the other groups currently living in the U.S.

2. What characteristic(s) does each group share in common with one or more of the other groups?

CLASSIFICATION OF RESIDENT

Similar Characteristics

Unique Characteristics

NATIVE-BORN CITIZEN

NATURALIZED CITIZEN

LEGAL ALIEN

ILLEGAL ALIEN

REFUGEE

The American People Today

POPULATION GROWTH

It’s a fact…

The United States continues to grow.

Early 21st century estimates put the U.S. population at close to 310 million by the year 2010.

Official count in 2010 according the U.S. Census Bureau:

308,745,538

The American People Today

POPULATION GROWTH

What causes population growth?

NATURAL INCREASE

ADDING TERRITORY

IMMIGRATION

NATURAL INCREASE

BIRTHRATE — annual # of live births per 1,000 members of a population (14.16 live births/1,000-est. 2007)

A population increases naturally when the birthrate is greater than the death rate.

DEATH RATE — annual # of deaths per 1,000 member’s of a country’s population (8.26 deaths/1,000—est. 2007)

ADDING TERRITORYAcquiring new territories brings with it existing

populations and allows for further population growth and expansion.

IMMIGRATION

Since 1820, more than 60 million immigrants have come to the United States.

Those immigrants and their descendants make up most of America’s population.

The American People Today

POPULATION CHANGES

Changing Households

Changing Women’s Roles

An Older Population

A More Diverse Population

Changing Households

• increase in divorces• more one-parent households• couples having fewer children• some people choosing not to marry• people living longer and by themselves in their

older age

EFFECT?The size of U.S. households has decreased since

1970.

Changing Women’s Roles

In the Workplace• In 1950, women’s career options were limited.• Today, women do have the same opportunities

and hold the same type of jobs as men.

In Education• Today, more women than men enter college AND

graduate.• After graduation, more women are entering the

workforce than ever before.

An Older Population

Americans Are Getting Older…• In 1900, only 4% of Americans were 65 or older.

• In 2000, 13% were 65 or older.

• By 2030, this number is expected to increase to 20%.

• In 2000, there were 65,000 Americans 100 yrs. old or older.

• By 2030, its estimated that over 380,000 Americans will be 100 yrs. old or older.

• Americans are living longer because of better medical care and healthier lifestyles.

What does this mean?A shrinking proportion of younger wage earners will

have to support a rising proportion of older Americans.

A More Diverse Population

• Early census forms gave little choice to Americans to identify race or ethnic background.

• As the number of Americans of mixed heritage has grown, the U.S. Census has added categories to reflect this change.

• Demographic data collected in 2000 reveals a population of great ethnic diversity.

The American People Today

A POPULATION ON THE MOVE

MIGRATION

a movement of large numbers of people from region to region

Migration to the Cities

Migration to the Suburbs

Migration to the Sunbelt

Migration to the CitiesThe rise of American industry in the early 1800s

brought thousands of new factory jobs to cities.

• 1830 Census—urban areas growing faster than rural areas

• Late 1800s—urban overcrowding a national problem

• 1920 Census—U.S. urban population greater than rural population for the first time in history

Migration to the SuburbsThe automobile changed the way Americans lived.

• Americans no longer had to live where they worked as automobile sales grew throughout the 1920s.

• After WWII in the 1950s with the building of the interstate highways, Americans in great numbers began moving to the suburbs—the outlying areas surrounding cities.

• 2000 Census—80% of Americans live in metropolitan areas—regions made up of cities and their suburbs. Today, more people live in suburbs than cities.

Migration to the Sunbelt• Before the 1950s, most of the nation’s population lived in the

Northeast and the Midwest.

• Beginning in the 1950s, industries and people began moving out of the colder northern cities and into the warmer southern states.

• This region from North Carolina in the east to California in the west is known as THE SUNBELT.

• Today, the fastest growing cities are in the South and the West.

The Sunbelt

Northeast

Midwest

FOR YOUR TEST…

GOVERNMENT & CIVICS: Unit Introduction

MULTIPLE CHOICE (35-50 items)* Civics in Our Lives* Why Study Civics?* Qualities of a Good Citizen

* Classifications of U. S. Residents * Immigration (Data Analysis)

* All that information about “The American People Today”