C H A P T E R 1

CITIZENSHIP AND GOVERNMENT IN A DEMOCRACY

GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE

SECTION 1

WHAT IS CIVICS?

• Civics the study of rights and duties of citizens• Citizens have certain rights and duties.

Community members who owe loyalty to the government and are entitled to protection from it.• Government the ruling authority for a

community

THOMAS HOBBES

• English Political Thinker form 1600s.• Believed that

without government life would be “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.”

FUNCTIONS OF THE GOVERNMENT

• Keeping Order and Providing Security• Providing Public Services• Guiding the Community• Public policy a course of government action to achieve

community goals.• Budget a plan for collecting and spending money.

LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT

• National Washington, D.C.• State Alabama• County Randolph County• Local Woodland• School Student Council, FFA, PTA, Board of

Education

DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT

• Dictatorship government controlled by one person or a small group of people• Democracy all citizens share in governing and

being governed.• Direct democracy all the citizens met to debate

government matters and vote firsthand.• Representative democracy citizens choose a

smaller group to represent them, make laws, and govern on their behalf, but the people remain the source of the government’s authority.

PRINCIPLES OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY

• “government of the people, by the people, for the people.” –Abraham Lincoln• First, the power of the government comes from the

citizens• Second, Americans themselves, acting through their

representatives, run their government.• Third, the purpose of the government is to make the US a

better place for those who live here.• Finally, free, fair, and competitive elections

• Majority rule citizens agree that when differences of opinion arise, we will abide by what most people want.

THE PATH TO CITIZENSHIPSECTION 2

WHO ARE AMERICA’S CITIZENS?

• Citizen by birth• Naturalization Process• Aliens noncitizens• Immigrants people who move permanently to a new

country

STEPS TO NATURALIZATION

• Aliens who want to become citizens must sign a statement saying that• Declaration of Intention is filed with the US Citizenship

and Immigration Services

• Take classes to prepare for citizenship• Interview with a USCIS official• Citizenship exam• If application is granted, the final step is

attending a ceremony and pledging an oath of allegiance• Then signs a document and is declared a citizen

ALIENS IN AMERICA

• Illegal aliens• Legal aliens

THE DIVERSITY OF AMERICANS

SECTION 3

A NATION OF IMMIGRANTS

• European Settlers• African Immigrants• Population Diversity

A GROWING AND CHANGING POPULATION

• Migration a mass movement of people

UNITY AMONG CITIZENS

• Patriotism love for one’s country• Terrorism the use of violence by groups against

civilians to achieve a political goal.