Download Ten Concepts That Every Citizen Should Know!

Important Concepts
By: Aaron Register
Government
A government’s job is to keep law and order
 There are several different kinds of government
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Anarchy: no government, leads to chaos
Autocracy: ruled by one, dictator or totalitarian
Monarchy: ruled by kings and queens
Theocracy: ruled by religious leaders
Oligarchy: ruled by a small group of people
Aristocracy: ruled by the upper class
Democracy: ruled by the people
Constitution
A Constitution explains how a government
will work
 Our Constitution has a preamble, which is
the introduction to the Constitution and
establishes popular sovereignty
 The Constitution limits the Federal
Government from abusing its citizens
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Bill of Rights
The Constitution has a Bill of Rights, which is a list of ten
specific rights called amendments, that protects peoples’
rights from federal abuse.
 Amendment One – freedom of speech, press, petition,
religion, and assembly
 Amendment Two – right to bear arms (guns)
 Amendment Three – no forced quartering of soldiers
 Amendment Four – protected against unreasonable
searches and seizures
 Amendment Five – due process of the law, no double
jeopardy, no self-incrimination, eminent domain
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Bill of Rights Continued
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Amendment Six – right to a speedy, fair, and public trial,
confront witnesses, aware of all charges brought against
an individual
Amendment Seven – right to a trial by jury in major civil
cases
Amendment Eight – no cruel and unusual punishment,
no excessive bail
Amendment Nine – there are rights that exist outside of
the constitution people have
Amendment Ten – the states have powers to do
whatever they want but:
– Not those given to the federal government in the constitution
– Not those the constitution prohibits the states from doing
Separation of Powers
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The government is divided up into three
different branches, in order to keep a balance
of power in the government
– Legislative Branch – makes laws, also called
Congress
– Executive Branch – carries out laws, several
organizations take this job
– Judicial Branch – judge/interpret laws and the
Constitution
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This balance of power is called check and
balances
Congress
Congress has two houses: the Senate and the
House of Representatives
 The Senate
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Two Senators per state
Each state has equal representation
100 Senators total
Senators serve a six year term
 Senators must be at least 30 years old
 Must be a resident of the state
 Must be a citizen for at least nine years
– Approve Presidential treaties by 2/3 vote
– Approve Presidential appointments by ½ vote
Congress Continued
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The House of Representatives
– Amount of representatives per state is
decided by population (apportionment)
– 435 Representatives total
– Representatives serve a two year term
 Representatives must be at least 25 years old
 Must be a resident of state
 Must be a citizen for at least seven years
– Determines President if there is no majority in
electoral college
Impeachment
Sometimes it is necessary for a politician
to be impeached, or removed from office.
 The Impeachment process:
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– The House of Representatives charges an
individual with their wrong doing
– Next, the Senate holds trial to convict an
individual of impeachment
Congressional Officers
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Speaker of the House – the leader of the House
Vice President – the leader of the Senate
Speaker Pro Tempore – substitute speaker of the
house
President Pro Tempore – substitute speaker of the
Senate
Majority/Minority Leader – coordinates political
views
Majority/Minority Whip – keep party members
focused and in line
President
The President is the head of the executive branch
 Duties
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– Commander in Chief
 Makes final military decisions
– Appointing powers
 Appoints Important Executive Positions
 Appoints all federal judges with approval of Senate
– Diplomat
 Establishes relations with other nations
– Judicial Powers
 Grants pardons, amnesty, reprieves, and commutations
President Continued
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Duties
– Legislative Powers
 Veto
– Budget
 President prepares the budget
 Congress approves the budget
– State of the Union
 Where we are as a country
 Where we want to be as a country
 How we’re going to get there
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Requirements to be President
– Must be at least 35 years old
– Must be a natural born citizen
– Must be a United States resident for at least 14 years
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The President term is four years long
The President is limited by the 22nd amendment to only two terms
Propaganda Techniques
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Bandwagon – when a candidate makes
themselves look like a winner
Glittering Generalities – when a candidate uses
symbols, songs, slogans, that makes them stand
out
Testimonial – when someone famous endorses a
candidate
Plain Folks – when a candidate makes himself look
like an average person
Name Calling – when you associate a negative
characteristic with someone
Card Stacking – presenting one side of the story
Economics
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Economics – satisfying unlimited needs and
wants with limited resources
– Needs – something that is essential to survival
– Wants – something that you desire to make your
life easier or better
– Scarcity – limited resources
– Resources – anything that people use
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Everyday you make decisions. Decisions are
a major part of economics
– Trade Off – the lost option of your decision
– Opportunity Cost – the value of the lost option
Thank you!