Download United States Government

United States Government
7th Grade Civics
What is Government?
• The organization
people set up to
protect the community
and enforce its rules
Powers of Government
• Legislative: Power to
make laws
• Executive: Power to
carry out laws
• Judicial: Power to
interpret laws
What is a Law?
• Official rules and
regulations, generally
found in the constitution
• Used to govern a society
and control the behavior
of its members
Kinds of Government
• Monarchy: kings and queens are rulers
– King George III
• Dictatorship: government with one ruler
– Cuba
• Democracy: people have power
– U.S. Government
Democracy
• Political system
• Rule by the people
• People have basic
freedom
• Representative
Democracy
The Mayflower Compact
• Mayflower carried Pilgrims
from England to
Massachusetts
• Before they left the ship, the
passengers wrote a
document called the
Mayflower Compact
• Promised to pass only laws
that were fair to everyone
and good for the whole
community
The Declaration of Independence
• British raised colonists
taxes
• Colonist protested
• Fighting began
• Committee chosen to write
the document
– Benjamin Franklin
– John Adams
– Thomas Jefferson
• Laid the foundation
for the nation’s future
system of government
• Approved on July 4,
1776
• 56 people signed
• John Hancock signed
first
Articles of Confederation
• First Constitution of the
United States
• Adopted November 15, 1777
• A preamble and 13 articles
• State governments had most
of the power
• Little power given to the
central government
The Constitution of
the United States
• Document that tells
basic rules and explain
rights of a US citizen
• Written 200 years ago
• Written to unite all the
13 colonies
Constitution
• 57 men helped write it
in 1787
• Ratified by the states
in 1788
• It has 7 sections called
Articles telling how
the government works
Three Separate Branches
• Each branch has
power to check the
others
• Legislative: Power to
make laws
• Executive: Power to
carry out laws
• Judicial: Power to
interpret laws
The Bill of Rights
• First 10 amendments
• It guaranteed certain
freedoms and rights
• Added after the
Constitution
• Freedom of Speech
• Freedom of Religion
• Freedom to Assemble
Amendments
• Amendments change
the Constitution
• 2/3 of both the Senate
and House of
Representative must
approve
• 3/4 of all states must
approve
Federal Government
• Federal government
deals with matters that
affect the whole
country
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–
Defense
Transportation
Postal Delivery
Federal Taxes
Federal Government
Executive Branch
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•
Executive Branch carries out national laws
The President is head of the Executive Branch
Commander in Chief of nation’s army
Elected to a four year term
Approves the laws that
congress makes
• Proposed national budget
• Can veto a bill
Federal Government
Legislative Branch
• Legislative branch
makes laws for the
nation
• Two parts of the
Legislative Branch
– U.S. Senate
– U.S. House of
Representatives
Federal Government
Legislative Branch
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•
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•
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Senate
Each state has 2
Senators must live in
the state they
represent
30 years or older
Citizen of the U.S.
for 9 years
Elected to 6 year
term
House of Representative
• Number according to
size of state’s
population
• Representative must
live in the state they
represent
• 25 years or older
• US Citizen for 7 years
• Elected to 2 year term
Federal Government
Judicial Branch
• Judicial Branch interprets and applies national laws
• Make up of the court system
• Highest is the Supreme Court
- appointed for life terms
• Lowest levels are
Justice of Peace
• Gets its powers from
Article III of the Constitution
Protect the
Safety of their
Citizens
Patrol state
highways
Provide a
System of
Justice
Maintain state
prison system
Establish local
fire
departments
Build Roads
Provide Public
Service
Sanitation
facilities
Purpose of
State & Local
Governments
Pass local fair
housing laws
Protect the
Rights of
Individuals
Promote the
Well Being of
their Citizens
Provide state
funds for
schools
What is a Citizen?
• Two kinds of citizens
• Native-born citizens
– Born here
– Children of American citizens born while visiting
other countries
• Naturalized citizens
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–
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Have to be at least 18
From other countries
Lived here 5 years to qualify
3 years if they’re married to an American citizen
Citizen’s Rights
• Countries protect their
citizens and give them rights
• Naturalized and Native-born
citizens have the same rights,
except one
• Naturalized citizens can’t run
for president
• Citizens can vote
• Freedom of Religion
• Freedom of Speech
• Freedom of the Press
Citizen’s Responsibilities
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•
•
•
Duty to obey the law
Vote in elections
To pay taxes
If the country is at
war, citizens may be
called to serve in the
armed forces
• Serve on a jury if
called
Patrick Henry
• Born May 29, 1736 in
Hanover County, Va.
• Storekeeper and farmer
• Member of the
revolutionary
convention of Va.
• Died on June 6, 1799
• “Give me Liberty or
Give me Death”
Thomas Jefferson
• Third President of the
United States in 18011809
• Member of the second
Continental Congress
• Drafted the Declaration of
Independence in 1776
• Politician, Educator and an
Architect
Alexander Hamilton
• Helped secure New
York's ratification of the
Constitution
• First Secretary of the
Treasury
• Shot and killed in a duel
with former U.S. vicepresident Aaron Burr, a
long-time political rival
John Jay
• Continental Congress
• Commissioner Treaty of
Paris Continental
Congress 1774-1775
• First Chief Justice of the
Supreme Court
• Helped negotiate peace
with Great Britain
• Governor of N.Y.
Thomas Paine
• Wrote Common Sense,
which called for American
independence from Great
Britain
• Born in Thetford, England
• 1774-Moved to Philadelphia
• Influenced fighters in the
Revolutionary War
• Buried in New Rochelle, NY
George Washington
• Born February 22, 1732
• General in the French and
Indian War
• General in Revolutionary
War
• President of the
Constitutional Convention
• First President of the
United States
Sam Adams
• Adams was born in
Boston on September
27, 1722.
• After college was a
success law student.
• Adams was a delegate
to the Second
Continental Congress
• also subsequently
James Madison
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From Virginia
Founding Father
Wrote Bill of Rights
Signed the Constitution
Married Dolly Madison
Congressman
4th President of the
United States
Francis Scott Key
• Watched the bombardment of
Fort McHenry, in Baltimore
Harbor by the British in
September 1814
• The fort withstood the attack,
and the sight of the American
flag at dawn inspired Key's
verses, set to a popular English
drinking tune
National Anthem
• “O say can you see...”
• Hymn of loyalty to our country
• Designation as national anthem by
executive order in 1916 was
confirmed by an act of Congress in
1931
• Written by Francis Scott Key, a
Washington D.C. lawyer
American Flag
• Symbol of our nation
• Original had 13
alternating red & white
stripes and 13 stars-one
for each colony
• Now one star for each
state (50)
• Legend is that Betsy Ross
sewed 1st flag for George
Washington
Pledge of Allegiance
• I pledge allegiance to
the flag of the United
States of America and
to the republic for
which it stands: one
nation, under God,
indivisible, with
liberty and justice for
all.