practical u.s. government - continental academy
TRANSCRIPT
PRACTICAL U.S. GOVERNMENT
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I N S T R U C T I O N S
Welcome to your Continental Academy course “Practical U.S. Government”. It is made up of 7 i ndividual lessons, as listed in the Table of Contents. Each lesson includes practice questions with answers. You will progress through this course one lesson at a time, at your own pace. First, study the lesson thoroughly. Then, complete the lesson reviews at the end of the lesson and carefully cheek your answers. Sometimes, those answers will contain information t hat you will need on the graded lesson assignments. When you are ready, complete the 10-question, multiple choice lesson assignment. At the end of each lesson, you will find notes t o help you prepare for the online assignments. All lesson assignments are open-book. Continue work ing on the lessons at your own pace until you have finished all lesson assignments for this course. When you have completed and passed all lesson assignments for this course, complete the End of Course Examination. If you need help understanding any part of the lesson, practice questions, or this procedure:
Click on the “Send a Message” link on the left side of the home page
Select “Academic Guidance” in the “To” field Type your question in the field provided Then, click on the “Send” button You will receive a response within ONE BUSINESS DAY
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About the Author…
Mr. Rene Choy is a 2004 honors graduate of Florida International University in Miami, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts [B.A.] in
Economics and a Certificate in Latin American and Caribbean Studies. He has a temporary teaching certificate from the State of Florida and has been
cleared as a social sciences teacher (grades 6-12) by the Miami Dade County Public Schools. He is currently an independent economics
consultant and sales advisor. Mr. Choy has extensive experience as a private tutor and has classroom observation experience. He has far-reaching research in consumer market preferences and United States
economic policy. Mr. Choy currently lives in Miami, Florida with his wife.
Practical United States Government SS30 Editor: Reid Friedson, M.A.
Copyright 2008 Home School of America
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
The Continental Academy National Standard Curriculum Series
Published by: Continental Academy 3241 Executive Way Miramar, FL, 33025
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The Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights and the inter-relationship of government, society, and the economy are introduced. Branches of federal, state, and local government, political parties, interest groups, as well as contemporary issues are all detailed. Rights, responsibilities, and duties of citizens to the democratic process, along with career opportunities in government services are featured.
Student will know what is civic life, politics, and government
Student will know the foundations of the American Political System
Student will know how the government embodies the purposes,
values, and principals of American Democracy
Student will know the relationship of the United States to other
nations and to world affairs
Student will know the roles of citizens in American Democracy
Student will know when and how the three worlds meet
Student will know when colonization and settlement occurred
Student will know the Civil War and Reconstruction period
Student will know the emergence of modern America
Student will know the Great Depression and World War II period
Student will know how the United Stats was postwar
Student will know Contemporary United States
Student will understand the world in spatial terms
Students will understand the characterizations of human systems
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Lesson Subject Page Lesson 1 Government of the United States and the 7 United States Constitution Lesson 2 Political Organization 25
Lesson 3 The Decision-Making Process 43
Lesson 4 The Evolution of the American Form of Government 57
Lesson 5 United States Government History 69
Lesson 6 The American Way of Life 93
Lesson 7 Individual Responsibilities Toward Our Society 109 End of Course Review 123
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Lesson 1 Government of the United States and the United States Constitution
Introduction:
In this lesson, you will learn about the parts of Government of the United
States. You will learn more about national, state and local governments.
You will learn about the important sections of the United States
Constitution. This is the most essential document in the history of
Government of the United States.
Why Study Government of the United States? We must first define important terms to study Government of the United
States. A state is basically the same as a country. It means political unity
over a territory. States are organized into a government. Governments
make and enforce laws. The term the “United States” was first used in
1776. Thirteen British colonies declared independence from the British
Empire. The term nation is used to describe people with common territory,
economic life, culture and language. The people of nations and states
often intertwine.
States have:
Government: Every state in the world has some sort of government or
social institution to provide services. Governments enforces laws and
decisions. Some countries such as the United States are composed of
federal, state, and local governments.
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Sovereignty: The state has absolute authority or sovereignty within its
boundaries. It has the right to make laws and shape policy. In the U.S.,
this characteristic is delegated to various levels of government (federal,
state, or local).
Territory: Each country is separated by boundaries. The U.S. has
3,618,770 square miles. The U.S. territories include the continental U.S.,
Alaska and Hawaii. Territory can be lost or gained as a result of wars,
concessions, or purchases.
Population: The population of each country shares similar and different
beliefs political and social. States shape economics and governmental
ideals. There are two basic types of governments in existence today. Unitary governmental systems give all control to a central or national
government. This central government has power over state matters. Single
government systems can rule by a single person or a group. Single
government systems can divide the territory into sections. Control is kept
by the central state. Decisions are made only in a centralized matter.
Federal systems divide the power of government between national
(federal) and state (provincial) levels. Each part has sovereignty over
certain matters. Countries with federal systems include the U.S., Canada,
Mexico, and others.
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Governmental organizations include communist countries. Many
communist countries call themselves socialist, people’s republics, or
democracies. Communist countries are organized as single government
systems. The central government holds power over all matters. Usually
they organize the decision process into plans. Five or ten year plans
include allocation of resources, political processes, and labor movements.
Countries with such organizations include the old Soviet Union, Cuba, and
North Korea.
Government can become an all powerful entity with an all powerful leader.
Such organization restricts individual rights. Common citizens often do not
participate in law making. Citizens can not vote for their leaders. Many
communist leaders tend to stay in power for years. Fidel Castro (Cuba)
has been in power since 1959. Most, if not all, the examples of
communism have turned into dictatorial governments. Dictatorial
governments become unlimited governments. They do not respond to
anyone but themselves.
Democracies are organized to give power to common citizens. Individual
rights are assured by a constitution. Common people are allowed to vote
for local, state, and federal leaders. This kind of system is better at
distributing goods to citizens. Consumption is not restricted by the system.
Citizens have the right to buy or sell what they want. This does not exist in
communist societies. The state plans all production. It tells citizens what to
eat, buy, or consume. The Government of the United States is organized
as a democracy.
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Learn about our government to be informed. The right to vote is extremely
important. It helps us keep our individual rights. Citizens have to use their
rights to maintain the system. Our Constitution makes sure no part of our
government is too powerful. This allows for parts of the government to
serve as counter- weights to others.
Each American has civic duties. They include knowing our laws and way of
government. It means participating in the democratic process.
Democracies can take one of two forms. In direct democracies, people
have the right to govern themselves by voting directly on issues. This kind
of democracy exists in small nations where people can meet to decide. It’s
still present in small states and in some provinces and towns. In an
indirect or representative democracy, the people elect representatives.
The people’s reps then have the power to make laws. A meeting of
representatives is a legislature or council. It may also be a congress or
parliament. An indirect democracy is used in cities and places where
population is too large for all people to meet in one place. Most places in
Florida use this kind of democracy.
Limited government as used in the United States means the constitution
limits the power of government. It restricts its actions. It lists its powers and
duties. Our Constitution safeguards the government and people against
abuses of power. An example of how one might be affected by misused
power is Richard Nixon in 1974. After the Watergate scandal, President
Richard Nixon had to resign when he faced evidence he acted secretly and
lied to the people.
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Introduction to the United States Constitution
The United States Constitution is the guide to Government of the United
States. It’s the Supreme Law of the Land. The United States Constitution
is the world’s oldest constitution of its kind. It was the first time this form of
constitutional-democratic government was used.
The United States Constitution was ratified on September 17, 1787. The
experiment has lasted more than 200 years. Many other countries have
imitated our form of government with different rates of success. A copy of
the entire text of the United States Constitution can be found in the web site
of the House of Representatives at:
(http://www.house.gov/Constitution/Constitution.html).
The Constitution is separated into parts. The first part is the Preamble
which states the purpose of the Constitution states the six reasons why it
was created:
The Preamble:
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union,
establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common
defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty
to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for
the United States of America.
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The parts that follow the Preamble include the Articles and sections.
They explain the parts of government and their powers, duties, and
responsibilities. After the Articles, we find Amendments. The first ten
amendments to the Constitution are the Bill of Rights. Amendments to the
Constitution are changes made over time. Changes to the United States
Constitution are rare. They happen on special occasions to preserve rights,
powers, or responsibilities.
The idea of natural rights is integrated into the Constitution and Bill of
Rights. Our ‘Founding Fathers” believed people had natural, undeniable
rights. The Bill or Rights establishes undeniable rights under the United
States Constitution. They were added to the Constitution. They became
rights not to be denied by government. Such rights include freedom of
religion, speech, press, and peaceful assembly. These rights have been
used by anti-discrimination and libertarian movements.
The Preamble says the Constitution was established to “secure the
Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.” Securing liberty
includes electing the people’s form of government and securing property.
These ideas come from the writings of the English philosopher John Locke
in the 1600s. His ideas seem to fit the American colonists. Leaders such
as Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison felt strongly
in favor of natural rights. Locke believed people were born equal and
independent. They had the right to live freely. Thus people should form
governments to defend their rights. They should not succumb to tyrants
who take them away.
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The United States Constitution creates three [3] separate branches of
government. The Executive branch is composed of the President, Vice-
President, and Cabinet. The Legislative branch is composed of the Senate
and House of Representatives. The Judicial Branch is composed of the
Supreme Court and Lower Courts. This separation of government and
power creates a system of checks and balances. It does not allow for any
of the part of government to become too powerful or alienate others.
The concept of popular sovereignty is native to this form of government.
The people must be able to govern themselves. They must assure no part
of government becomes omnipotent.
John Locke wrote:
Freedom of men under government is to have a standing rule to live by,
common to every one of that society, and made by the legislative power
vested in it; a liberty to follow my own will in all things, when the rule
prescribes not, and not to be subject to the inconstant, uncertain unknown,
arbitrary will or another man.
Men being, as has been said, by Nature, all free and equal and
independent, no one can be put out of this Estate, and subjected to the
Political Power of another, without his own Consent.
(John Locke, Two Treatises of Government (1690)
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The government of the United States was formed on premises such as
these. This is what makes our way of government so great. It does not
allow a totalitarian system. In that system, rights are not guaranteed.
National, State, and Local Governments
The United States government is a federal system. Power is divided into
national and state governments. The phrase “the Federal government”
often refers to the national government of the U.S. in Washington D.C.
States have their own different constitutions. National and state
governments have powers and duties that should not conflict with one
another. A clear example of this is the national government is it is the only
one allowed to tax citizens directly on incomes. State governments are in
charge of taxing sales and house properties. Matters of real estate are
handled by each individual state.
A copy of Florida’s Constitution can be found on the web site of the Florida
Senate at www.flsenate.gov. The direct link to the Internet address is:
(http://www.flsenate.gov/Statutes/index.cfm?Mode=Constitution&Submenu
=3&Tab=statutes. The Florida Constitution is more complex than the
United States Constitution. It follows the same basic principles. It
addresses other kinds of rights, duties, and powers that do not pertain to
the national government.
Other smaller sections of government called counties, cities, and towns
also exist. The power of the national or federal government is supreme
over the state; the state power is supreme over counties and so on.
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The smaller governments do not have the power to change laws related to
state matters. Local governments have to report to the state to make
changes in their institutions. Smaller sections of the state constitution were
created to deal with localized dilemmas. Furthermore, they serve as a way
for the state government to be able to better serve the public. They allow
local matters to be handled locally. A clear example to how local
governments affect individuals is building codes. Miami-Dade County,
Florida sees so many hurricanes, building codes are constantly made
stricter. Houses are now safer than they were before 1992 [Hurricane
Andrew]. Windows, roofs and exterior walls have to be stronger than they
were.
Only the national government can choose the currency of the states.
Furthermore, the national government is the only one able to take
measures regarding international policy and negotiation. The organization
of armed forces is the responsibility of the national government. Matters
between states are handled on the national level. Matters concerning the
entire nation that affect each individual are handled by the national
government. State-related matters are handled by state government.
Local matters are handled by local governments who refer to the state.
State governments regulate business, labor, and professions. States have
the right to establish laws dealing with ownership, privacy or property. They
deal with contracts, forming corporations, management, and torts. A tort is
an unlawful act. It may result in a lawsuit. States have the right to regulate
banking activity as well as insurance permits and regulations. They set the
rules concerning public utilities and they set standards for business
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activities. States are in charge of administering natural resources within
their boundaries. The state also has police powers. The state protects
consumers and producers from unfair practices. The states are pioneers in
the creation of legislation on working conditions. State governments are in
charge of workers compensation regulation.
Workers compensation is payment for those who are temporarily
unemployed due to illness or injury from job activities. Unemployment compensation is temporary payment for the reallocation or loss of a job.
Environmental concerns are part of state legislation. States have two main
concerns: the expansion of economic growth and environmental
protection. Economic growth amounts to better standard of living. It
often means destruction of the environment. More factories, cars and
expansion of real estate often cause environmental damage.
Criminal laws are for the most part within the state’s jurisdiction. Each
state has the right to its own system of punishment. States makes sure life
and property are protected. Law enforcement agencies collaborate with
one another to capture law-breakers. They often flee from one state to
another. Individuals fleeing from justice from one state to another may be
extradited. Extradition is when a criminal is sent to another state to be
judged in the state from which he/she fled. Criminals may face sentences
from one or more states. Most states honor extradition procedures. Some
are reluctant depending on the severity of the crime and individual behavior
after committing a minor crime.
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Police forces serve local and state governments. Most law enforcement
offices serve local governments. The Miami-Dade Police Department
serves only Miami-Dade County. Law enforcement officers of different
forces collaborate. They are subject to different jurisdictions. The highway
patrol units are part of the states. They can operate within all counties of
their state. State police help local enforcement officers with services local
police may not have. They provide crime laboratories, information gathering
and sharing services, and criminal testing. Training academies may also
belong to the state police. The officer may end up working for a local task
force.
The police power of the state includes the power to defend. It also
includes encouraging public health, safety, and welfare of residents. The
states regulate medical licenses, requirements for school vaccinations, as
well as educational facilities. Public schools are usually controlled locally.
State governments establish local school districts, which govern local
school regulation. Federal programs help individuals obtain an education.
An example of a state program helping education is the Florida Bright
Futures program. The Florida Bright Futures program takes money from
the state lottery profit. It provides money for high school graduates who
have a high academic standing. Other programs include the
implementation of state financial aid for those students in financial need.
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Critical Knowledge: Lesson 1
Refining your Vocabulary:
Refining your writing, reading and speaking skills usually only takes patience and attention to detail. To help your vocabulary, the first step is
to always keep a dictionary handy. A dictionary can be your best friend.
You can always research the meaning of words. Good dictionaries even
have examples of how to use a certain word in a sentence. Certain words
can be used figuratively; so you must be able to discriminate between the
meanings. Other words can be idiomatic, meaning they are used on one
place, but not by the general population.
The second step you need to remember is to always research something if you don’t know about it. Make sure you write down words
you are not familiar with in a chapter, so that you can research them later.
If you do not understand the meaning of a sentence because of a certain
word, find out what it means. It could be an important sentence.
This skill will help you on your daily life as well. Contracts, business
letters, workplace situations, technical conversations and others require
you to be informed and know the meaning of words. Ambiguous
knowledge about a subject can cause you to have the wrong idea of the
topic. Increasing your active vocabulary is a good idea. On job interviews,
office environments and other conversations, you can impress peers by
including some of your newly learned words.
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Furthermore, learning new words helps you understand and build your
study skills level. If researching the new word the first time you encounter
it, then you will no longer have to do it again. This skill can be helpful when
writing papers. If writing a term paper, you may not want to repeat words
over and over. When searching for the meaning of a word, some
dictionaries provide you with other similar words that can be used it their
place.
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Practice Section: Lesson 1 (Pick the best answer to the question)
1) States throughout the world share some essential parts. They are:
a. Unitary government, territory, population, sovereignty
b. Government, territory, sovereignty, population
c. Territory, population, federal government, nation boundaries
d. Limited government, population, territory, democracy
2) The system in which the power is divided into national and state
powers is called:
a. Federal system b. Limited government system
c. Unitary government system d. Democracy
3) The governmental organization in which citizens are allowed to vote for
local, state and federal members of government is called.
a. Communism b. Sovereign country
c. Democracy d. Federal system
4) In a communist society:
a. People are not allowed to vote for their leaders
b. The government may become unlimited governments
c. Allocation of resources is in the hands of the government
d. All of the above
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5) The term nation is:
a. A way to describe a group of people with common territory,
economic life, as well as culture and language.
b. Basically the same as Country
c. A way to describe a group of individuals with common religions,
territory, and government.
d. All of the above
e. A and B only
6) What is the United States Constitution?
a. The Supreme Law of the Land
b. The most important part of the American form of government
c. An integral part of the success of the American experiment
d. All of the above
e. A and B only
7) The U.S. Constitution was written to:
a. Form a better union.
b. Provide for the defense of the common states
c. Promote welfare and domestic peace
d. All of the above
e. None of the above
8) What is the Bill of Rights?
a. The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution
b. The Preamble to the United States Constitution
c. The same as natural rights
d. All the amendments to the United States Constitution
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9) The President is part of what branch?
a. Executive b. Legislative
c. Judicial d. None of the above
10) Who said “Men being…by nature, all free and equal and
independent…?”
a. Thomas Jefferson b. Benjamin Franklin
c. John Locke d. James Madison
e. Is part of the Preamble
11) Florida, as a state, is allowed to:
a. Maintain an active army
b. Choose its own currency
c. Have its own tort laws
d. All of the Above
e. None of the Above
12) What power is NOT delegated to the states?
a. Criminal laws
b. Interstate commerce decisions
c. federal tax laws
d. Police agencies
e. A and B only
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13) State health assistance payment for those temporarily unemployed
due to work related injury is called:
a. Unemployment compensation
b. Workers compensation
c. Workers Injury compensation
d. Work Injury compensation
e. None of the above
14) How can you refine your vocabulary skills?
a. Always keep a dictionary handy
b. Always write down words you don’t know to research later
c. Always write as many research papers as possible
d. A and C only
e. A and B only
15) Why do you need to increase your vocabulary skills?
a. It can help you study better and quicker
b. It can help you at work
c. It will help you write better
d. All of the above
Answers Practice Questions 1
1. B 2. A 3. C 4. D 5. A 6. D 7. D
8. A 9. A 10. C 11. C 12. B 13. B 14. D 15. D
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LESSON 1 THINGS TO REMEMBER
Government, territory, sovereignty, and population are some of the
essential parts states throughout the word share
The Federal system (Federalism) is the system in which the power is
divided into national and state powers
A communist society is one in which the allocation of resources is in the
hands of the government, the people are not allowed to vote for their
leaders, and the government may become unlimited governments
The US Constitution was written to provide for the defense of the
common states, to promote welfare and domestic peace, and to form a
better union
The Bill of Rights is the first ten amendments to the U S Constitution
John Locke is credited with saying, “Men being…by nature, all free and
equal and independent…”
Federal tax laws are not delegated to the states
No state can maintain an army or print currency
The Preamble to the American Constitution begins with the phrase, “We
the people”
The President of the United States of America is the Chief Executive
and the Commander in Chief of armed forces
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Lesson 2 Political Organization
Introduction:
In this lesson, we will go in great detail inside the United States
Constitution. The United States Constitution is foundation for our form of
government. Our political organizations, all branches of government, come
directly from the Constitution. Learn how our simple but effective
Constitution organizes the American way of life. It is essential knowledge
for every U.S. citizen.
Inside the United States Constitution
The Constitution the “Founders” created more than 200 years ago is in use
today. It is the plan for our form of government. It is the Supreme Law of
the Land. Compared to constitutions of other countries it is extremely
simple and short. The small details were left unfilled for generations to
apply. The entire text is divided into three parts: The Preamble, the
Articles (its sections), and the Amendments. The Preamble explains the
reasons the Constitution was written.
Article I explains the Legislative branch (Congress). This branch
separates into two parts The Senate and The House of Representatives.
Members of the House of Representatives are elected every two years.
They must be 25 years old and have been a U.S. citizen for seven [7]
years. Also, they have to be a resident of the state they represent.
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Currently there are a total of 435 members. The amount of members per
state depends on the population of the state. Every time there is a census,
the amount of members of each state is adjusted. Senate members are
elected every six years and each state has two of them.
Senators must be 30 years old and be citizens for the U.S. for nine [9]
years and residents of the state they represent.
All members Congress, the House or Senate, are in charge of making and
passing laws. The Constitution clearly explains people have to vote to
appoint the members of this branch. An important power of the House of
Representatives is the power to impeach officers of the Executive Branch
(impeach: to accuse the president or another executive officer of violating a
law)
Article II is about the Executive branch. This branch includes the
President and Vice-President. The President and Vice-President are
elected for four [4] year terms and may serve a maximum of two [2] terms.
To be President or a Vice-President, one must be born in the United
States. One must be at least 35 years old and a resident of the U.S. for
fourteen [14] years. The Constitution states people must vote for the
President and Vice-President. The current method of election uses the
Electoral College. There are a total of 538 electors; the number is
determined by adding the members of the House, the Senate, and 3 for the
District of Columbia. Each state has the same amount of electors as it has
members in the Senate and the House.
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To be elected President or Vice-President the candidate must win at least
270 votes of the 538. In this system, the winner of the popular vote in the
state will take all the electoral votes of the state.
One of the most important powers of the President is commander in chief
of all U.S. forces. The president has the power to veto laws coming from
the legislative branch, unless 2/3 of the Senate and the House override the
presidential veto. The president is also in charge of international relations.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt met with Allied leaders in WWII and
President Woodrow Wilson headed the American delegation to Paris at the
end of WWI. Many international negotiations do not have to be approved
by the Senate.
Article III explains the Judicial branch. This branch includes the Supreme
Court of the United States and the Lower Federal Courts. Judges in the
U.S. Supreme Court are appointed for life unless impeached or convicted.
They are appointed by the President of the United States with approval of
the Senate. The Judicial branch is in charge of revising unconstitutional
laws.
Cases may be accepted or dismissed by the Supreme Court. Only the
most important cases make it to the Supreme Court. Decisions made by
the Supreme Court may change laws made in the future and may trigger
changes in current laws. In Brown v. Board of Education (1954) the
Supreme Court concluded that laws allowing segregation of schools were
unconstitutional. This decision cleared the way for the end of segregated
schools.
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In Miranda v. Arizona (1966) the Supreme Court decided that the police
acted unconstitutionally. This gave way to the current “Miranda rights” to
check police inquiries.
Others Articles are important too. Article IV talks about the relationship
among states. It talks about how states should behave. It explains the way
a state can be added to the Union. Article V is about the amendment
process. Article VI talks about the national government. It mandates the
supremacy of the national government over state governments. Article VII
is regarding the ratification of the Constitution. After the Articles, we find
the Amendments.
Amendments are changes to the Constitution. They occur rarely. The First
ten amendments are called the Bill of Rights and provide undeniable
rights to citizens under the Constitution. Some of the rights under the Bill of
Rights are the freedom of religion, speech, press and peaceful assembly,
the right to bear arms, and the right to deny unreasonable searches or
seizures. They also explain that accused people are innocent until proven
guilty. It also explains the right to a speedy trial and not receive a cruel or
unusual punishment.
One can see how the Constitution was written to create a government to
protect the people. The Constitution protects one part of government from
the other parts. This system prevents the abuse of power by having
different power delegated to each branch. No one section of government
has complete power over others. With the inclusion of the Bill of Rights into
the Constitution, the rights of the people are secured. The vigilant
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citizenry also has the power to select who will govern and lead the
country. Citizens are able to make changes to the government on almost a
yearly basis with limited term requirements. A judicial system separate
from the other branches of government is an advantage. An independent
judicial system allows people to have a fair trial and to be treated equally
under the law.
The Constitution of the State of Florida is similar to the United States
Constitution. It is more thoroughly written to include smaller details about
laws and regulations that apply only to the state. One important factor
about the constitution of all states is that they can not deny any of the rights
given to citizens by the U.S. Constitution. Furthermore, states can not
implement laws that are against national laws. The organization of the
state is similar in nature to the federal government. This means that
Florida has also a legislative, executive and judicial branch.
Government Decisions and the System of Checks and Balances
Our U.S. Constitution limits the power of the central government by dividing
power between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. This is
called division of control. Each separate branch has its own
responsibilities. Our founders thought this system would allow people to
feel certain the central government would never exert tyrannical control.
The “Founding Fathers” added a system of checks and balances. In the
system of checks and balances, each branch has some control over the
other branches. When the national legislature, Congress, passes a law,
PRACTICAL U.S. GOVERNMENT
30
the nation’s chief executive, the President, can check the decision of
Congress. The President may not agree with the Congressional legislation.
He has the power to veto the law. Veto power means the president can
reject the law without consideration. He also has the power to kill
legislation by simply not acting on it. This is called a pocket veto. If the
president vetoes a bill, Congress can override the President. It can pass
the law if two thirds of both houses of Congress vote to approve the bill.
The Federal courts, the Judiciary, can restrain Congress by analyzing the
legislation and ruling on whether or not it is constitutionally acceptable.
The power of the judicial branch is balanced by the Constitutionally
mandated presidential power to appoint Federal judges. The presidential
power is balanced. Congress can approve or disprove the presidential
appointment of federal judges.
Judicial review is the power federal courts have to declare actions
committed by national, state or local governments unacceptable The
Supreme Court and all federal courts can act on legislation and decree it
unconstitutional. All courts at the Federal level have this power. The
Supreme Court of the United States has the last call on contentious
matters. This power comes from the Constitution, the Supreme law of the
land. Anything contrary to it must be void. This review power is the only
way a decision by a court can be overruled. A related court must change its
mind on the matter.
On the other hand, Congress can adjust or change the law declared
unconstitutional by the court and make it the law spoken of in the decision
fit appropriately.
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The following chart will help clarify the powers of each branch of government:
Social and political environments affect courts. Times change. Different
expectations of government change. Decisions made by the courts change.
The Supreme Court has said the Constitution means one thing. In following
The President may veto legislation, call for special sessions, recommend legislation, or appeal to the people
EXECUTIVE BRANCH (The President)
The President appoints Federal judges
Congress creates all agencies and programs, can give or take away funds, may
override vetoes, and remove the President from office through impeachment.
The Senate also approves treaties and presidential appointments of officials
Judges are appointed for life. They are not supposed to be controlled by
the executive Branch. Courts can void actions
coming from the Executive branch if they are found unconstitutional
Courts can declare acts of Congressunconstitutional
LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
(Congress)
JUDICIAL BRANCH (Supreme Court and all Federal Courts)
Congress can create Lower Courts, and can remove judges with the power of
Impeachment
The Senate, approves and appoints Federal
office
PRACTICAL U.S. GOVERNMENT
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years, it reverses or change its view. For example, in 1896, the Supreme
Court ruled that separate public facilities for African Americans were
constitutional. They had to be equal to the “White” ones. Half a century
later, in 1954, the Court reversed its position. It denied the constitutionality
of separate facilities for African Americans. The Court called for the
integration of facilities.
When the Constitution was ratified, the “Founding Fathers” anticipated the
Constitution would have to be adjusted. For this reason, they allowed for
amendments to be made to the Constitution. In Article V, they provided
the way to change (amend) the constitution. Amendments may deal with
any topic, except with taking away states representation without the state’s
consent. Amendments must be proposed and ratified. The proposition will
be made at a national level, but they must be ratified at the state level.
Amendments can be proposed in two ways:
1) The amendment is proposed by two thirds of each house of
Congress. Many resolutions are proposed to Congress each year,
but very few are passed.
2) A national convention is called by Congress at the request of two
thirds of the states.
The ratification process can happen through two [2] possible methods
from which Congress may choose:
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1) National legislators in three fourths of the states ratify the
amendment, or
2) Each state calls for a ratifying convention. The amendment becomes
part of the Constitution if three fourths of this national ratifying
convention decides to pass it.
Notice that either way, Congress makes the rules. Congress decides on
the ratification process and has the last word on how long a state can take
to ratify an amendment. Currently the time a state can take to ratify is set
at seven [7] years.
The following are the first ten Amendments to the Constitution, also known
as the Bill of Rights:
The Bill of Rights
Amendment I: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment
of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom
of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to
assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
Amendment II: A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of
a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be
infringed.
Amendment III: No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any
house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner
to be prescribed by law.
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Amendment IV: The right of the people to be secure in their persons,
houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures,
shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause,
supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be
searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
Amendment V: No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or
otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a
grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the
militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any
person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or
limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against
himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of
law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just
compensation.
Amendment VI: In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the
right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district
wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have
been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and
cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him;
to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to
have the assistance of counsel for his defense.
Amendment VII: In suits at common law, where the value in controversy
shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and
no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any court of the
United States, than according to the rules of the common law.
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Amendment VIII: Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines
imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
Amendment IX: The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights,
shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
Amendment X: The powers not delegated to the United States by the
Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states
respectively, or to the people.
Our constitutional system allows for a government to adapt to change. It
must keep individual liberties and freedoms protected. It also keeps one
part of government from becoming too powerful. It keeps in check all
branches of government which constantly interfere and change each
other’s decisions. Separating powers has always been the strength of the
United States’ system. Therefore, separating powers by national and state
jurisdiction is as important as keeping each branch of the national
government in check.
The Constitution gives express, implied, and inherent powers to the
national government: All these powers are collectively known as delegated powers.
Express powers (also called enumerated powers) are those directly
expressed or stated in the Constitution. These are found in the first three
articles of the
PRACTICAL U.S. GOVERNMENT
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Constitution. Implied powers include those that the national government
has to keep or carry out the expressed powers delegated in the
Constitution. These are not specifically listed but depend directly on
expressed powers. The basis for the government to have implied powers
is the necessary and proper clause (also called the “Elastic Clause”)
Congress shall have the power…to make Laws which shall be necessary
and proper for carrying into Execution the Foregoing powers, and all other
powers vested…in the Government of the United States….
Article I, Section 8
The final power is called the “inherent power.” This power is the one the
national government can exercise simply because it is a government. One
example of this is immigration and the establishment of diplomatic
relationships with foreign governments.
The powers allocated to state governments are called “reserved powers.”
These powers are not listed in the Constitution. They are granted by the
Tenth Amendment to the people or states. These powers include all those
not delegated to the national government, nor prohibited by it.
Critical Knowledge: Lesson 2
Synthesizing Content:
Synthesizing information includes incorporating information from different
sources. You must develop the ability to merge information because this
can help you see a clearer picture of the topic at hand. With the ability to
synthesize information, you will understand better. When merging
information first you must make sure sources are comparable.
PRACTICAL U.S. GOVERNMENT
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Source A should give you more information or new information on source
B. If you decide they are comparable, then you can write in your own
words about the merged information. This skill will become important when
writing notes in class or about a topic. Outlines, comments, and
observations about a topic can be compared to information obtained from a
different source by synthesizing.
To practice this skill you can write notes and comments about topics
introduced to you in this textbook. You can compare and analyze the main
idea by adding important information gathered from one unit to the other.
After you collected the information from this textbook, try to compare it with
other sources.
Practice Section: Lesson 2
(Pick the best answer to the question)
1) The U.S. Constitution is separated into how many branches?
a. Its all one piece b. 2
c. 3 d. 4
2) How many electors are there in the Electoral College method in the
U.S.?
a. 538
b. 270
c. 535 (the three from D.C. do not count on the Electoral College
method)
d. 270 times 2
e. None of the above
PRACTICAL U.S. GOVERNMENT
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3) If the president elects not to pass a law then Congress can not pass it
regardless of how many times it tries.
a. The statement is absolutely true
b. It can pass it if they override the veto with 3/4 of Congress in
favor
c. It can pass it if they override the veto with 2/3 of Congress in
favor
d. It can pass it if the U.S. citizens vote yes on the law in a special
election
4) Who appoints Supreme Court Justices?
a. The Legislative branch does all the work
b. The President appoints them and Congress ratifies the
appointments
c. The Judicial branch does all the work
d. They are not appointed; they are elected by the people
e. None of the Above
5) What does the system of checks and balances mean?
a. It means the U.S. can not spent too much money without it
balancing
b. It means the necessary and proper clause is not effective
c. It allows one branch of government to become very powerful
d. It means that each branch has some power over the other
e. B and C only
PRACTICAL U.S. GOVERNMENT
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6) An amendment is:
a. An official change to the Constitution of the United States
b. The result of a judicial review
c. Proposed by votes in a special ballot section
d. All of the above
e. A and C only
7) The powers delegated to the national government are:
a. Expressed, Implied, Necessary and Proper powers
b. Inherent and Reserved powers
c. Necessary and Proper clause powers
d. Expressed, Implied and Inherent powers
8) Article VII is:
a. The article that has the Legislative branch information
b. The article that has the ratification of the Constitution
c. The article that explains the Judicial branch information
d. The article that contains the Bill of Rights
e. None of the above
9) Brown v. Board of Education was a case that:
a. Ended segregation of Black and White schools
b. Ended the abuse of school powers over black children
c. Established an intervention that allowed the Miranda Rights to
take place
d. Was decided during the 1950s
e. A and D only
PRACTICAL U.S. GOVERNMENT
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10) What is synthesizing information?
a. Analyzing one information source
b. Interpreting one information source
c. Collect information from different unrelated sources
d. Merging similar information from different sources.
Practice Section Lesson 2
1.C 2.A 3.C 4.B 5.D 6.A 7.D 8.B 9.E 10. D
PRACTICAL U.S. GOVERNMENT
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LESSON 2 THINGS TO REMEMBER
The U.S. government has 3 branches; executive, legislative, and
judicial
The American Electoral College has 538 electors
Congress can over-ride a presidential veto with a 2/3 vote in favor
Supreme Court Justices are appointed by the President and approved
by Congress
The system of checks and balances provides for each branch having
some power over the other
An amendment is an official change to the U S Constitution proposed by
Congress or a national convention
The powers delegated to the national government are Expressed,
Implied and Inherent powers
Article VII of the US Constitution explains ratification of the Constitution
Brown vs Board of Education ended segregation of Black and White
schools and was decided in 1954
Merging similar information from different sources is called synthesizing
information
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Lesson 3 The Decision-Making Process
Introduction:
In this lesson, you will learn how individuals and interest groups influence
the decision-making process in our government. We will introduce you to
developments in social and political events from this century. You will learn
about the civil rights movements and how they changed our country.
Students will understand the conflict between the majority and minority.
This conflict has always presented a problem in decision-making and
political process.
Civil Rights Movements
The American Civil War (1861-1865) was a terrible event in the history of
the United States. Over 620,000 Americans died in this war. It was the
struggle between the North and the South of a union with different ideas
about slavery. Fortunately, by May 1865, the war was over. In January of
1865, the United States Congress passed the XIII Amendment which
abolished slavery. Immediately after the war, on December 6, 1865, the
Thirteenth Amendment was ratified and added to the Constitution.
Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for a
crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within
the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.
Amendment XIII, Section 1
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By the late 1800s, close to half of the states, mostly in the South, required
segregation, based on race, in public and private facilities. This included
schools, public transportation, and hotels or restaurants. Laws allowing
such discrimination were called “Jim Crow” laws. Laws that classify
people unreasonably are said (nowadays) to discriminate. Discrimination
exists when individuals are treated unfairly solely because of their religion,
sex, race, ethnic group, age, physical handicap. This definition of
discrimination was established only later during the civil rights movement of
the 1960s.
The Thirteenth Amendment ended slavery in the United States and any
territory under its control. Involuntary servitude was no longer legal (except
for those convicted of a crime). Since this Thirteenth Amendment was
added to the Constitution in 1865, the U.S. Supreme Court established a
separate but equal doctrine in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896). The Supreme
Court held that separate facilities for Black and White people were
acceptable under the Constitution as long as the facilities were equal. This
legal precedent allowed for segregation to continue and spread across the
United States.
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In June 13th 1866 (ratified on July 9th 1868), the United States Congress
passed the XIV Amendment.
This amendment states:
All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the
jurisdiction thereof , are citizens of the United States and of the State
wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall
abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor
shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without the
due process of law, nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal
protection of the laws.
Amendment XIV, Section I
This amendment was created hoping to end the discrimination against
anyone who was declared a United States citizen. This amendment
included Black people and allowed them to have equal protection. This
amendment was intended to prevent states from denying African
Americans their civil rights. Unfortunately, the Fourteenth Amendment did
not prohibit the segregation of races in America.
This separation of Blacks and Whites by law came to an end in 1954 with
the Brown v. Board of Education (1954) decision. In this case, an African
American student was denied access to an all-White school near home and
was required to attend a distant all-Black school because of his race.
Thanks to the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of
Colored People), the student’s family appealed all the way to the Supreme
Court. They won the case there.
PRACTICAL U.S. GOVERNMENT
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The Supreme Court Justices voted unanimously to abolish the “separate
but equal” doctrine. These decisions took the United States into a long and
arduous process of desegregating schools, and by 1970 many public
schools all over the country were desegregated. Still, many sections of the
country’s schools remain segregated. Many schools are populated by a
large majority of Black kids or White kids.
After the Brown v. Board of Education decision, many Whites and African
Americans worked together to end segregation in the United States by
creating a civil rights movement. The most important leader of the civil
rights movement was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He was a Baptist
minister from Atlanta, Georgia. He knew that it was important for African-
Americans learn how to use federal courts and economic boycotts. He also
led many non-violent protests against the segregation of Blacks. American
public policy was forever influenced by the civil rights movement. In 1964,
Congress passed a major civil rights law called the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
This act made it illegal to discriminate against people in public places such
as parks, theaters, restaurants, and hotels. Furthermore, it provided equal
employment opportunities for all, by making it illegal to discriminate against
individuals. Notice that this law not only included Blacks and other
minorities, but also women.
The creation of a way for people to become citizens while guaranteeing
equal rights to all citizens was an important step toward equal rights. With
the naturalization of the Bill of Rights, all United States citizens, in all parts
of the country, had the same rights and responsibilities. Nowadays, this
might not seem too important because those rights are a “given.”
PRACTICAL U.S. GOVERNMENT
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In the past though, rights were not the same for all. In many places in the
world, rights were different for the aristocracy (the upper class) and the
common people (the peasants). In the past, state governments here in the
U.S. denied the right to vote to minorities and practiced various forms of
legal discrimination against them. Since we now apply the rights given to
all citizens by the Constitution, such kinds of discrimination practices are
generally no longer tolerated. Today, it is important to become a citizen of
the United States, so an individual will have all the rights any other citizen
has.
The Influence of Citizens and Organizations
As citizens we have certain responsibilities toward our country. One of
these responsibilities involves knowing about our rights under law. The
ability for someone to exercise his or her own rights depends heavily on
alertness to those rights. Interest groups, political parties, the media, and
you can change the course of our way of life. You can decide who the next
President will be, who will represent you in Congress, and which laws will
be passed or rejected in the future. Responsible citizens know about our
rights and laws. They respect the laws. They are aware of our rights. This
is crucial for the development of society. Nowadays a number of
organizations help people learn about their rights, the laws, and
government. Many states require government rules and regulations to be
written in everyday language so people can understand.
PRACTICAL U.S. GOVERNMENT
48
Being a citizen is not just about the title. A good citizen is a participant in
society. Through participation, U.S. citizens govern society govern
themselves. Participation is a learning process. It teaches us how a
democracy works. It’s about majority rule, individual rights, and the rule of
law.
The most common and important way to participate is to vote. Recently in
the 2004 elections the U.S. experienced one of the greatest voter turnouts
ever. George W. Bush Jr. was elected by the greatest amount of votes ever
received by a Republican president. Likewise, Senator John Kerry lost. He
had the greatest amount of votes ever for a Democratic candidate. By
voting, we apply our consent to be governed by the person who we chose.
It’s the person the majority chose really. In the year 2000, we learned how
important is to vote. The election was extremely close. If some of those
voters would have decided not to vote, the election might have been
different.
There are other ways to participate and demonstrate interest.
Campaigning for your candidate, distributing pamphlets, and working to
speed up the election process are forms of participation. You can support
special interest groups who influence legislation. You can discuss topics
with your legislator. Offices of legislators and other zone representatives
are close to you. Make sure you know where you can find your
representatives. To find out more about Florida representatives, visit the
following Internet site: (http://www.leg.state.fl.us).
PRACTICAL U.S. GOVERNMENT
49
If you do not have the time to visit them, you can always write them a letter,
or write to a newspaper or T.V. channel which will then help you get in
contact with your legislators. Exercising your rights is the only way to
guarantee the strength of democracy.
Every candidate can not win an election. Therefore, in a democracy, we
use a system of majority rule with minority rights. As is the case in our
democracy, people accept the decision made by the majority of voters.
Minority rights are protected. They are difficult to maintain. Society has
always been under stress to protect minority rights despite majority
opposition. For example, during WWII, many Germans, Japanese and
other Europeans in America were sent to concentration camps for
suspicion of involvement with foreign powers. Most of these individuals
had nothing to do with the war. Many of them were as patriotic as U.S.
citizens themselves. Today, other minorities such as women, Hispanics,
and others suffer from lack of protected rights.
Only recently are we noticing an increase in Hispanic and other minorities’
involvement in the political arena. This extra effort to get involved in the
American way of life will guarantee more protected rights in the future.
Special interest groups are usually a minority as well. They are a group
of individuals united to fight for a common goal. They often take to the
streets, press, or Internet to protest or support a certain decision. They are
vaware of certain problems such as the environment and job discrimination.
These groups are not afraid of presenting their case and letting their voices
be heard by the ruling majority.
PRACTICAL U.S. GOVERNMENT
50
Political parties are also extremely important in the democratic process. A
political party is a group of individuals with wide ranging common interests
who get together and choose a candidate for office. They win elections,
carry out government policy, and determine public guidelines. There are
many political parties in the United States and while they may all compete,
we basically have a two party system. Republicans and Democrats are the
major participants. The rivalries between parties seem to make elections
more meaningful. Republicans and Democrats seem to focus on different
topics. They are both quick to point out the errors made by the other
party’s candidates. Furthermore, the parties make concise points about
their own candidacy and what they say they will do in the future. This
allows citizens to make educated decisions and support the candidate of
their choice.
The media is an important part in the learning process of voters. The
media can cause people to make a change of opinion simply by pointing
out the mistakes of following another point of view. The media exercises a
great deal of influence over people who read, hear, or watch it. Most of the
media in the U.S. appears to have a balanced opinion with regard to the
political process, but in the end it is up to the voters to decide which
perspective is best. The media is indeed the communication channel
between the candidates, interest groups, or individuals. In the end,
democracy prospers if most people accept the values of individual rights
and liberties and majority rule. But, we must have equality for all. In this
case, it’s public opinion that has the last word on the case.
PRACTICAL U.S. GOVERNMENT
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Critical Knowledge: Lesson 3
Chronology and Sequencing:
Interpretations of historical events always include chronology and
sequencing. Events tend to happen due to something that happened
before them. This is rel ated to cause and effect which you w ill learn on
Unit 4. The use of periodi zation i s central while explaining events. The
Civil Rights Movement might have never occurred if the North had not won
the Civil War. The North was generally in favor of equality for Blacks and
Whites. The civil rights movement wa s only a step toward that equality.
Nowadays there i s much l ess discri mination in workpl aces. Many law s
have been created to protect the equality between Blacks and Whites. The
striving toward equality has helped create a better soci ety based on real
equal rights under the l aw. To und erstand chronology, try to write dow n
events in a time line. This will help you understand sequencing. In history
chronology is everything. For example there were many events which took
place before WWII even got started. You will learn more about it in lessons
to come.
PRACTICAL U.S. GOVERNMENT
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Practice Section Lesson 3 (Pick the best answer to the question)
1) Laws that allowed the segregation of Blacks and Whites were called:
a. “Jim Crow” laws
b. Separate but equal laws
c. Thirteenth Amendment
d. Discrimination laws
e. Majority vs. minority laws
2) Which court case helped in the creation of the “separate but equal”
doctrine?
a. Miranda v. Arizona
b. Plessy v. Ferguson
c. Brown v. Board of Education
d. Fourteenth Amendment
e. B and D only
3) The leader of the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and Sixties was:
a. President Abraham Lincoln with the Emancipation Proclamation
b. CORE
c. Martin Luther King Jr.
d. A Baptist minister
e. C and D only
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4) The Civil Rights movement was important because:
a. It allowed better facilities for Blacks even if separate from
Whites
b. It made segregation between Blacks and Whites illegal
c. It leads to the Civil Rights Act of 1964
d. B and C only
e. A and C only
5) The Fourteenth Amendment is:
a. The rights of citizens
b. Part of the Bill of Rights
c. Part of the “separate but equal” doctrine
d. A and B only
e. B and C only
6) Knowing about our rights and laws, as well as voting is a citizen’s:
a. Prerogative
b. Initiative
c. Responsibility
d. Liability
e. C and D only
7) To resolve disputes in a democracy, we use a system of:
a. Unitary government intervention
b. Federal government intervention
c. A majority rule v. minority rights
d. A Republican v. democratic system
e. None of the above
PRACTICAL U.S. GOVERNMENT
54
8) A political party is:
a. A group of individuals with common interests who choose a
candidate for office.
b. The Republican Party for example
c. The Democratic Party for example
d. A get together between political enemies
e. A, B and C only
9) Political parties are good for a democracy because:
a. They allow an understanding of ideas during the celebration
b. Allow citizens to make educated decisions about candidates as
the parties debate different topics
c. Makes the government spend less money by organizing one big
party
d. They are not good for a democracy
10) Writing down events in a time line allows you:
a. To understand the chronology and sequencing of an event or a
group of events
b. Better your own vocabulary skills
c. The “cause and effect” theory
d. B and C only
Answers Practice Questions 3 1. A 2. B 3. E 4. D 5. A
6.C 7. C 8. E 9. B 10. A
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LESSON 3 THINGS TO REMEMBER
Laws allowing segregation of Black and Whites were referred to as “Jim
Crow” laws
Plessy vs Ferguson was the court case that helped in the creation of the
“separate but equal” doctrine
Martin Luther King Jr., was the individual leader of the Civil Rights
movement of the 1950’s and 1960’s
The Civil Rights Movement led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and made
segregation between Blacks and Whites illegal
The Fourteenth Amendment is the equal rights of citizen’s amendment
Knowing about our rights and laws and voting are a citizen’s
responsibility
The concept of a majority rule versus minority rights is used to resolve
disputes in a democracy
A political party such as the Republican Party, or the Democratic Party
are examples of a group of individuals with common interests who
choose a candidate for office
Political parties suit democracy because they allow citizens to make
educated decisions about candidates as the parties debate different
topics
Writing down events in a time line allows you to understand the
chronology and sequencing of an event or a group of events
PRACTICAL U.S. GOVERNMENT
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Lesson 4 The Evolution of Our Form of Government
Introduction:
In this lesson, you will learn about early American forms of government .
You will know how we were directly influenced by these ideals. You will
learn about the legacy of these early civilizations. In this lesson, you will
also be introduced to objectives needed for further enhancement of
comprehension. You will reflect on topics using different sources of your
choosing. You will also learn how to analyze the validity of sources.
History of Government
In the United States, all people have the right to a fair and speedy trial.
Many parts of the Bill of Rights protect people accused of a crime. For
example, Amendment V protects the rights of accused people. The
amendment states that no person can be tried for a serious crime unless a
jury has found reason to believe that the accused may be guilty.
Furthermore, it explains that a person found not guilty of a crime can not be
tried again for the same reason. If the person is found guilty, he/she may
appeal the decision. This amendment is also important because it states
that one can not be forced to incriminate himself. It states that no one can
be deprived of freedom without a fair hearing. The power of eminent domain is also explained. The government may take private property from
the people for public use. It must also pay fair price for such property.
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Amendment VI establishes the right to a speedy and fair trial. The
accused person must be informed of the charges against him/her.
Witnesses must be brought against the accused. Furthermore, the
accused has the right to be represented by a lawyer. In America, people
who can not afford a lawyer are provided one by the government to defend
them in proceedings. Amendment VIII allows people to pay their way out
of jail until the trial. This is called a bail and one is entitled to bail out of jail
as long as the accused assures that he/she will appear for trial. Bail may
be denied depending on how serious the crime is, or to those who are likely
to flee from trial if bailed out of jail. The Bill of Rights also protects the right
to free speech, press, assembly, and religion [Amendment I], to bear arms
[Amendment 2], and to be safe from non-specific searches
[Amendment 4].
All legal systems are not the same. Our legal system is based on the
English common law . Our tradition mandates an accused person is
presumed innocent until proven guilty. Other legal systems are based on
Roman law. Thus, accused people are presumed guilty until proven
innocent. If we used the Roman interpretation of law, the accused would
stand alone against the state, the police, and other citizens. If presumed
innocent, the person will be treated equal under the law. The common law
system was developed in medieval England and is still used here in the
U.S., England, and other places. Basically this system allows the
establishment of some laws after a decision by a court is repeated by other
courts as well, a principle known as precedent.
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The United States is described as a country of laws. In the United States,
no person, in spite of position is above the law. The American form of
government does have some of its roots in Greece and Rome.
The Greeks were one of the first to develop a concept of law. They were
able to separate this concept from everyday religious beliefs. Before this
contribution by the Greeks most civilizations had laws pertaining to their
gods and their beliefs. Greeks believed laws should be made by the people
for their betterment. The first Greek written code of law came in the
seventh century B.C. It was written by Draco. Under this code of law, the
penalty for most offences was death. Solon a hero and poet of Athens
devised a new code of law. He was entrusted with revising the political,
social and economic structure of Athens. He remained with the tradition of
trial by jury. Debtors could not be enslaved for their financial obligations.
With his work, Solon set Athens on a firm footing toward a democratic path
of governance. Under Solon’s law, citizens were able to serve in the
assemblies.
A concept the Greeks contributed to the Romans was the concept of
“natural law.” This concept is used today as part of the United States
Declaration of Independence [1776]. It was referred to as the “laws of
nature.” All legal systems in use today in the Western world may be traced
back to Greek and Roman foundations. Also influential was the more
ancient Babylonian concept of “an eye for an eye” or equal compensation
for damages. Egyptian, Persian, and Hebrew beliefs of law as a moral code
for goodness were influential.
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During the sixteenth and seventeenth century in Europe, times were hard.
Philosophers still, as in ancient times, pondered what the best form of
government was. The “natural law” of individuals and the “divine right of
kings” still stood as contrasting, important ideologies. These two different
concepts led some philosophers to believe the best way to govern was
through autocracy (also called monarchy or rule by one person).
Autocrats were kings who ruled with absolute power over his kingdom. His
word was law and his decrees could not be disobeyed. They believed that
only with absolute and strong power a king could keep society together.
These autocratic monarchs believed they had a divine right to rule.
Jacques-Benigne Bossuet (1600s) stated the king ruled by the divine will
of God. Therefore, to oppose the king was to oppose God.
In contrast, Martin Luther’s Reformation taught individuals to challenge
religious authority in the 1500s. This caused people in religion, science,
trade, and politics, to question all structures of power. Thomas Hobbes in
England introduced the idea of a “social contract” between the king and
the people. the king still had the right to do what he thought best for his
people. The idea was further developed during the seventeenth and
eighteenth century by John Locke in England and Jean Jacques Rousseau in France during the Enlightenment. Both men believed the king
could not ignore the rights of the people no matter what the king thought.
The American and French Revolutions do show the power of the people to
refuse to be oppressed by a king. The scarcity of food, the high taxes and
the extreme high national debt were some of the factors that contributed to
both revolutions. In both cases, the masses overthrew the absolute power
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of monarchies and the “established” church. The Enlightenment promoted
knowledge, ethics and rationality manifest in both revolts. The Church lost
control of the truth. Truth was now scientific. Today, we question the
concepts of truth, justice, and righteousness in government in the same
ways. The world today is just more scientific and material and less spiritual.
Related Topics and Knowledge Objectives In order to understand transformations in history you need to understand
the process of “cause and effect.”
Effect
Cause
Effect
Cause
Effect
Cause
This table explains there are events that must happen before the next one
can occur. Furthermore, it shows the continuity of all events and how the
decisions one makes in life will change the future in different ways. An
easy example is to show that if monarchy would have been a better way of
government (cause), then the French Revolution might have not happened
(Effect). Notice that one cause may end up with many effects, or many
causes may cause one effect. You can learn how to interpret events and
how a certain policy will affect a country.
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To do so first try to define what the policy concerns. Then gather empirical
evidence of what policies such as that have done in the past. Finally,
determine potential consequences, whether positive or negative, that you
think will arise from the policy. Then you are ready to make an educated
guess of what might happen if the policy or event takes place. This is how
governmental policy-makers make important decisions.
One of the advancements of the Enlightenment was the desire to interpret
information for ourselves. The student must develop a sense of self-
knowledge and discovery. For this reason, one must always try to check the information provided using many sources. The Internet is usually a
good source of information. Doing a basic search one might be able to find
information on many topics quickly an easily. Apart from that, if you are
going to the Internet as an information source, always remember that
someone must have written the information. You must be able to
differentiate between reliable sources and not so reliable web-pages. All
governmental web-pages are supposed to have extremely reliable
information, but all sources have bias. Personal web-pages are usually not
as good. They were written by the creator. The author may be imposing
his/her opinion instead of using facts.
Primary sources are written by witnesses or participants in the events
under question. Individuals who dedicate their lives to research and writing
books are very reliable secondary sources. Publishers of secondary
often check and double check their authors and publications to minimize
errors, but you still should question all information you encounter. Use
many sources to expand your knowledge on the topic you are researching.
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You must be able to synthesize information. Then you can draw
conclusions. This will then take you to your own conclusions. The best way
to draw good conclusions is to seek the best evidence for a variety of
perspectives on a research question before you commit to an opinion.
As taught in the Enlightenment period, one must acquire and interpret
knowledge using one’s own skills. Using the computer technology
available today, you can do much good with your research skills. With the
use of today’s technology, you will be able to expand your vocabulary while
writing simple assignments.
For example: when using common writing software you have a “spell
check” option that can help you check for mistakes. It will usually run if
asked to, but it will prompt you to know whether or not you want to make a
change. There is also another neat operation that can be performed while
writing.
This is the “thesaurus” option. This allows you to substitute words you
have used over and over in a text, with other words similar in meaning.
While you can do this without much effort, you are urged to pay more
attention to those words. This will allow you to increase your vocabulary
without much effort. In such a way, you can augment your writing skills.
Also, remember to proofread for grammar and punctuation errors.
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Critical Knowledge: Lesson 4
Selecting the Appropriate Research Tool:
To be able to research quickly and efficiently, and understand the meaning
of ideas, you have to select the appropriate research tools. Different ways
to convey information include almanacs, publications, microfiche,
newspapers and other information services such as the Internet.
To select the appropriate tools, first identify the comparability of sources
gathered.
Then think of the best way for you to learn the information and to be able to
explain it to yourself later on.
For example: suppose we need to investigate law arguments and
Supreme Court cases. The best way to learn objectively about court cases
is to examine government publications. Government publications tend to
be non-biased as opposed to Internet articles or newspaper stories.
Government publications will include the actual body of the case. You may
want to add some chronology analysis in order to have a clearer view of the
events that took place before and after the case was resolved.
This research skill is connected to analyzing the information itself. As a
participant in society, you must be able to analyze the information
presented in order to make informed decisions on the topic. First identify
the topic being discussed. Second, determine the evidence presented by
the author and whether or not the evidence is objective. Finally put the
argument or idea in your own words. Practice this skill throughout this
textbook and you will learn how to be able to understand information much
better.
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Practice Section Lesson 4 (Pick the best answer to the question)
1) What is the eminent domain power of the government?
a. The power that explains the government may take any property
from the public without paying.
b. The power that explains the government may take any property
from the public but, it has to pay fair price for it.
c. The power explained in Amendment I
d. B and C only
2) The places where an accused person is guilty until proven innocent use:
a. English common law methods
b. Roman law methods
c. The same method used in the U.S. today
d. A and C only
e. None of the above
3) What was the Enlightenment period?
a. A period of increasing religious fanaticism
b. A period after the 1800s
c. A period of renewed individual knowledge, ethics, and scientific
rationality
d. Promoted only by Christian beliefs
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4) Thomas Hobbes introduced the idea of:
a. social contract b. Enlightenment
c. The Reformation d. Amendment V and non self-
incrimination procedures
5) The concept that one event will happen only if a previous, or series of
previous event(s)) took place is called:
a. Enlightenment concept b. series of events concept
c. sequential chronology d. cause and effect process
6) The Internet is never a reliable source of information:
a. True b. False
7) Primary and secondary sources are all extremely reliable:
a. True b. False
8) Spell Check and Thesaurus are part of today’s computer programs.
a. True b. False
9) To research quickly and efficiently, you must learn how to select the
appropriate research tool
a. True b. False
10) Monarchs use the idea of divine right to control people.
a. True b. False
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Answers Practice Exercises 4 1. B 2. B 3. C 4. A 5. D
6. B 7. B 8. A 9. A 10. A
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LESSON 4 THINGS TO REMEMBER
Eminent domain is the power of the government explained in
Amendment I to take any property from the public but having to pay a
fair price for it
The concept that an accused person is presumed guilty until proven
innocent is based upon old Roman law (This is opposite to English
common law and U.S. law where a person is presumed innocent until
proven guilty)
The Enlightenment was a period of renewed individual knowledge,
ethics, and scientific rationality
Thomas Hobbes argued for Social contract
Cause and effect process is where one event will happen only if a
previous (or series of previous events) takes place
The Internet can be an accurate, reliable source of information, but be
careful
Spell Check and Thesaurus are helpful tools to use when using word-
processing programs
To research quickly and efficiently, you must learn to select the
appropriate research tool
Monarchs use the ideals of divine right to control people
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Lesson 5 United States Government: A History
Introduction:
In this lesson, we will learn about the newly created United States. It
evolved from thirteen British colonies. We will study events leading to the
creation of a separate and independent United States. Furthermore, we
will travel in time to analyze other important events in the history of
America. We will learn about WWI, WWII and the Post-War era since
1945. Finally we will talk about topics in government facing us in
contemporary America.
The Beginnings of U.S. Government
In 1607, the British commercial settlement of Jamestown was founded in
Virginia. During the rest of the 1600s people from Spain, France,
Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, the U.K., Africa and others
settled in the newly discovered territory of North America. By the time
many of these colonists settled in these territories, they accepted the
English system.
The idea of limited government was first established with the signing of
the Magna Carta by King John in 1215. This document established that
the monarch only had limited power over property-owning Englishmen.
This document worked as a primary foundation for other documents to
come. It provided protection against punishment, loss of life, liberty, and
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property. This document also required some popular consent when it came
to establishing certain taxes. Originally it only applied to nobility. Later it
included all citizens.
In 1689, the English Parliament established the English Bill of Rights. It set the limits of the power of the government over people. This document
was extremely important since it applied also to the newly colonized
territories of North America. It thus applied to the inhabitants of the thirteen
British colonies. This document and the rights colonists had were why
there was an American Revolution against the British Empire.
Colonists had the strong belief the government was denying them the rights
established for them under the English Bill of Rights. Meanwhile, British
colonists in North America were using a system of representative government. This system allowed common folk to elect individuals to
represent them in making laws and conduct governmental activities.
Jamestown, Virginia established the first representative legislature in North
America in 1619.
From 1607 to 1733, the English founded 13 colonies on the Eastern coast
of North America. The systems the colonists used to govern themselves
was foundation for the ones we use nowadays. Each colony had its own
governmental body which included a governor, legislature and court
system. On the other hand, the British believed that each colonist owed
allegiance to the British crown. All colonists agreed with this philosophy
until the Crown began taxing them without their consent One of the key
features of the colonial governments, was that they wanted to govern
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themselves according to some written plan or constitution. The first one of
this kind in the area was The Mayflower Compact. The Mayflower
Compact was written by a group of pilgrims. It was signed in 1620 by
members of the pilgrim family. They also agreed that they would choose
their own leaders and make their own laws for their own benefit. They
would have “home rule.”
During the 1760s, England decided to tighten the grip of power over the
colonies. In the eyes of the Crown, the colonies existed for the purpose of
serving it. For many years, the colonies served as the center of raw
materials for the economic development of Britain. In 1764-65, during the
government of King George III, The Sugar and Stamp Acts were passed.
These Parliamentary acts imposed direct taxes on the colonies. The
colonials felt strongly against the act, and thus were repealed. But, the
Parliament passed other tax laws to substitute. The Boston Massacre of
1770s showed how Americans did not like a standing army and
propaganda could make revolutionaries into martyrs.
In 1773, a group of colonists dressed as Indians dumped British tea [the
only kind England would let them buy legally] into the Boston Harbor. This
rebellion was later called The “Boston Tea Party.” In retaliation, the
Parliament passed a further set of taxes called the Coercive Acts (the
colonists called them Intolerable Acts). Delegates from all colonies,
except Georgia, attended to a meeting held in Philadelphia: The First Continental Congress. They agreed that they would impose an embargo
against Britain and would not use British goods.
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Most of the individuals who attended felt strongly that taxes should not be
imposed against the colonies. The colonists themselves did not have
representation in the British Parliament. This became known as “taxation without representation.” It was the principal reason the colonists decided
to separate from the British Empire.
On April 19, 1775 the Redcoats (the British Army), occupied Boston and
collided with the colonial militia at Lexington and Concord in
Massachusetts. These were the first battles of the American Revolutionary
War. Within weeks, delegates from the colonies united in Philadelphia as
the Second Continental Congress. It assumed the power of a central
government. On July 4th 1776, the thirteen colonies passed The Declaration of Independence. By early August, most representatives
signed it. The writer of the Declaration of Independence was Thomas
Jefferson. You can find a copy and further analysis on the Declaration of
Independence at: http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/. One of the most
important parts of the Declaration was the initial section:
When in the Course of Human Events, it becomes necessary for one
people to dissolve the political bonds which have connected them with
another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and
equal station to which the Laws of Nature and the Nature’s God entitle
them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should
declare the causes which impel them to separation.
The Declaration of Independence: July 4, 1776
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This lesson expressed the feelings of the colonials to separate and
explained the reason why they had decided that they would no longer
tolerate the rulings of the British Empire.
In 1777, the committee that united the Second Continental Congress
created a plan for government called The Articles of Confederation. This
system had only a weak central government composed of a Congress. It
had no central court system or executive branch. Congress had only the
powers expressed in the articles, but they were mainly used for lawmaking.
The main flaw of the Articles was that they did not create a standing central
government. In the Articles, each state maintained almost complete
sovereignty. Congress could not require anyone to follow its rules and it
did not regulate commerce between states. Thus, many strong economic
disputes developed between the states. Finally, Congress could not raise
money on its own. It had to rely on the desire of the states to give them the
money. The colonies noticed the problems that existed with the articles
and decided to meet in what became known as The Constitutional Convention. This work began on May 25, 1787. The Virginia Plan was
presented on May 29, 1787. A counter proposal was called The New
Jersey Plan and was presented on June 15, 1787.
Finally The Great Connecticut Compromise presented a Congress with
two houses, The House of Representatives favored states with larger
populations. A Senate had one representative from each state. It favored
smaller states. They compromised on counting the black population with
what they called the three fifths compromise. Three fifths of Blacks
would be counted for taxes and representation purposes.
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This concession appeased the Southern colonies. These colonies were
concerned about domination by the North.
The debate over the ratification became apparent when the colonists
divided into two groups: The Federalists and the Anti-Federalists. The Federalists favored the strong or balanced central government. The Anti-Federalists argued that the central government might become too powerful
and become tyrannical like the British Empire.
The settlement of this dispute was a promise to include a Bill of Rights with
the Constitution. The Bill would guarantee rights to citizens and limit the
powers of the central government. James Madison introduced 12 amendments to the Constitution. The states ratified 10 of them as The Bill of Rights. In order to win the battle for the Constitution in the colonies,
Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay published over eighty
papers defending the merits of the new Constitution. Later on, they
organized all the papers into a book called The Federalist. Although the
Constitution was ratified on September 7th 1787, Federalists had to
promise Congress would attach a Bill of Rights to the document at the first
session of Congress.
With the newly ratified Constitution, the role of government could take on a
progressively important role. The newly formed national or federal
government increased in importance as compared to the one established
under the Articles of Confederation. Furthermore, the new Constitution
allowed for the government to expand or contract as the need arise.
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The supreme power of the federal government allowed for the unification of
the current states and all other states that joined the union after that.
Before and after World War I through World War II
From the beginning, this kind of Government of the United States was a
completely new experience for the world. The President might be the
commander in chief. Congress has the power to declare war. During the
early periods, Congress only did so in 1812 against Britain, in 1846 against
Mexico, and in 1898 against Spain. In 1898, the United States fought
Spain in the Spanish-American War. As a result of the war the U.S.
acquired the Philippines, Guam and Puerto Rico, later the United States
Annexes Hawaii (1898) and Samoa (1900). This was the beginning of the
“American Empire.” During the twentieth century, Congress made the
decision to declare in World War I in 1917 and in World War II in 1941.
There are other instances when the President might send troops and
military operations might take place. This would not to be considered a full
state of war since the economy is not converted to full war production.
Such conflicts have included the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the
Iraq Wars of 1990-1 and 2003-07.
World War I and World War II were extremely important. On June 28, 1914
the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s Archduke Franz-Ferdinand was
assassinated. This was followed by the mobilization of troops in Russia
and Serbia. There was as system of dual diplomatic alliances seeking a
global “balance of power.” By August 1914, the Central Powers were
composed of Bulgaria, Turkey, Germany and Austria-Hungary.
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On the other side, the Allied Powers were composed of France, England,
Russia, Japan and Italy.
In the United States, President Woodrow Wilson asked Congress to remain
neutral in the conflict. His ideas reflected the ideals of most Americans
who believed America should not be involved in the conflicts of our
European counterparts. United States’ first president, George Washington implored future generations to steer clear of “entangling
alliances.” Nevertheless, by 1915, Germany was sinking non-military ships
all over the Atlantic Ocean who were seeking to trade with its enemies. In
January 1917, President Wilson (who was re-elected in November of 1916)
made a proposition that both European powers should cease the war, even
though there was no winner.
The United States had the feeling that they should isolate themselves from
the rest of the world. Many other countries had the same feeling. On the
other hand, the United States was clearly helping its Allies by sending
supplies, weapons and food to England and other countries. The United
States also helped the Allies by financing loans for their war effort to be
repaid after the war.
This definitely did not sit well with Germany who decided to contact Mexico
in February 1917. Germany proposed if Mexico joined the war the
Southwestern part of the United States, annexed during the Mexican-
American War in 1846, would be returned. By April 2, 1917 the president
decides to ask Congress to enter war.
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The President felt that the United States should enter the war and end it as
soon as possible to diminish the problems that would originate from
inactivity. Furthermore, it was obvious at this point that the United States
was backing up the Allied powers. Te next step was only to join the war
with troops. The war in Europe was stalemated and all sides were
exhausted.
Neutrality is no longer feasible or desirable where the peace of the world is
involved and the freedom of its peoples, and the menace to that peace and
freedom lies in the existence of autocratic governments… We shall fight for
the things which we have always carried nearest our hearts-for democracy,
for the right of those who submit to authority to have a voice in their own
governments, for the rights and liberties of small nations, for a universal
dominion of right by such a concert of free peoples as shall bring peace
and safety to all nations and make the world itself at last free…
President Woodrow Wilson, April 2, 1917
During WWI, the power of the American national government expanded
dramatically. In order to organize the country for war, the government
created laws and regulations to organize the war effort. Factories were
converted to war production. Contracts were extended for machinery,
weapons, uniforms, etc. A great deal of integrated infrastructural
communication took place. Railroad companies worked together to quickly
transport supplies to the East coast to them to the front line.
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It was the first time the federal government used its power to impose such
a massive effort. Everything did not go smoothly. Nonetheless, the U.S.
effectively affected the war in the Allies favor.
World War I was a costly war. More than 20 million people died as a result,
directly or indirectly, of the war. Civilians died during bombing and naval
attacks. Soldiers died from chemical warfare and machine gunfire. Finally
the Central Powers had to admit defeat,. By the eleventh day of the
eleventh month of 1918, Germany had to surrender. This day was later
remembered as Veterans Day. Germany and the Central powers in
general would now have to pay war reparations to the Allied powers in
Europe. These war reparations would then pay for the loans the United
States gave to the Allied countries. America was the greatest credit
furnishing power in the world. Furthermore a new map of the world was
drawn. Germany lost a great part of its territory. The Central powers their
colonies.
Following the war, the United States kept to its policy of isolationism. The
policy of isolationism was nothing new; it was implemented back in 1823 by
President James Monroe, who established the Monroe Doctrine. Europe
was in devastation from Napoleon’s wars. Most economies had to be
rebuilt. Cities lay in ruins and the losing countries had to be physically
rebuilt and they had to pay reparations. This only created great resentment
against the Allied powers. On the other side of the Atlantic, the United
States stood as the world’s greatest power. Industry was booming, Britain
was no longer the world leader and Germany was reconstructing.
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The dollar became a globally trusted currency. By 1920, the U.S. reached
it highest level of export.
The average person in the U.S. now had access to loans. The banks
started making them. Buying on credit was part of the newly found
affluence American citizens enjoyed. The average American started
looking at the stock market as a meter for economic performance. More
people moved into urban areas for work. With the problems everyone
faced in the war, the United States started focusing inward. The U.S.
decided not join the League of Nations.
In 1929, the United States faced its gravest economic depression in its
history after a decade of “good times.” President Roosevelt introduced a
series of controlling new ideas he called the “New Deal” to prop up the
failed economy. By 1931, the depression spread to Europe and many
countries like Germany, stopped making their war reparation payments.
The United States is so involved in dealing with the Great Depression that it
can not deal with impending signs of war from Europe and Asia.
By 1939, WWII had engulfed Europe. Germany had been arming under
Hitler since 1933. He wanted revenge for the West’s punishment of
Germany after WWI. Other world powers, allowed Germany to occupy
territories lost in WWI without a fight during the thirties. This appeasement
was seen as a way to avoid another world war. The United States took the
same approach it took in WWI. It allowed Germany to occupy central and
eastern Europe.
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Again ships of supplies, ammunitions and machinery were shipped into
England. This time most ships were disguised as merchant or people’s
transports.
Germany quickly swept next through western and northern Europe. By late
1941, The Axis powers (primarily Germany) controlled Czechoslovakia,
Poland, Denmark, Norway, France, Belgium, Luxemburg, Netherlands,
Holland, Romania, Yugoslavia and Greece; as well as other countries who
decided to join the Axis in order to keep their governments.
On December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.
Japan wanted all Western powers to remove themselves from their colonial
presence in the Pacific. To this unprovoked military attack, President
Franklin D. Roosevelt made a speech the following day asking Congress to
declare war:
Yesterday, December 7th, 1941, a date which will live in infamy, the United
States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air
forces of the Empire of Japan… Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the
fact that our people, our territory, and our interests are in grave danger… I
ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly
attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7th, 1941, a state of war has
existed between the United States and the Japanese empire.”
President Franklin D. Roosevelt, 8 Dec 1941
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From this point on, the United States was suddenly pulled into the war.
Again all production was shifted to war. Quotas were established and
many companies turned completely to war production. This time the effort
was even greater than in the previous world war. This time all Americans
would contribute to the war cause. Women replaced men in factories. Men
served in the armed forces. Companies worked together to create logistics
to produce efficiently. Tanks, ships, weapons, uniforms, food and other
goods were produced at an extremely efficient speed.
In World War II, the Axis Powers were composed of Germany, Italy and
Japan. The Allied Powers were composed of France, Great Britain,
Russia and the United States. Other countries such as Canada were also
involved in a limited way on the Allied side. Later on, as the United States
became increasingly involved in the ground war. Power shifted toward the
Allies. On June 1944, the Allied invasion of Europe took place. The D-Day
invasion was the most massive assemblage of troops ever.
By May 1945, Allied victory in Europe was declared. The Allies defeated
the Axis Powers (Germany). Unfortunately for the United States, the war
was not completely over. The war in the Pacific against Japan continued.
Fearing further loss of life and property, the United States took a bold move
against Japan in order to end the war. On August 6, 1945 the first atomic
bomb was dropped in Hiroshima, Japan. On August 9, 1945 a second
atomic bomb was dropped over Nagasaki, Japan.
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Finally by September 2nd 1945 the Japanese signed an unconditional
surrender to the United States and WWII ended with the defeat of
totalitarian fascist powers defeated. Their military-based governments were
destroyed by the United States.
Post WWII
Immediately after WWII, the United States realized it should not turn its
back from the world. Therefore, the United States adapted a new policy of
internationalism. After WWII the United States and many other countries
created and joined a series of international organizations. The World Bank
and the IMF were created.
Penalties, like reparations, were not imposed after WWII. The winning
countries realized that making someone pay for war reparations will only
make them angrier and will probably lead to another war. The United Nations (UN) was another organization created after WWII to promote
peace in the world. Its mission is to maintain world peace, develop good
relations between countries, and promote cooperation in dealing with
problems and increasing respect for human rights. The UN is formed by
many small and large countries who agree to abide by its rules and
cooperate with one another.
The United States emerged from WWII as the leader of the free world and
United Nations. This created conflict with the other great world power of
the time, the communist Soviet Union. Immediately after WWII, many
countries in Eastern Europe fell under the power of Russia which wanted to
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be sure it had a buffer zone against further invasions from the region. In
1949, Communism took over China. This advance of Communist nations
over others convinced the U.S. that t was a threat to capitalism and
freedom’s way of life.
Thus the Cold War began. The Cold War is the term used to describe the
increased arms race and hostilities between the United States and the
Soviet Union (and other communist countries). This type of war was
characterized by the attack of words between the two countries as well as
the clash of ideologies.
Our government was convinced that Communism was a threat and it took
action against it. In 1947, President Harry S. Truman helped pass the
Marshall Plan which provided aid to needed countries in Europe, who
were threatened by totalitarian governments.
This was part of a containment policy. This policy dealt with the
expansion of communism by stopping its spread. This became known as
the Truman Doctrine.
The increased tensions led to an arms race. The Soviet Union and the
United States tried to maintain a weapons advantage over each other.
Both countries started to make more deadly weapons. A few wars
developed as a consequence of the Cold War; the Korean War (1950-1953) and the Vietnam War (1954-1975). In both cases, the United
States intervened indirectly to reduce the threat of the spread of
communism. Policy-makers believed that if communism spread to more
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countries, the Western way of life would be in danger. The Vietnam War in
particular was a failure. The United States failed to achieve its goal and in
1975 Vietnam was re-unified under communist control. This war claimed
about 58,000 American lives. The Vietnam War was a political disaster for
the U.S. It created many international as well as local protests, and the
anti-war movement in general.
From 1964-68, President Lyndon Johnson made social welfare
improvements on what he called “The Great Society.” The public greatly
supported his ideas and thus in 1965 Congress passed the first national
law to aid education. This law was called the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act. He also passed the 1965 Clean Water Act, which provided
regulation towards the protection of Americas waterways. This was a
period of increased government intervention in domestic matters. The
government felt the need to redistribute income to less fortunate
individuals. It did so by a series of laws and regulations introduced to the
country. President Johnson firmly believed he could wipe out poverty in the
U.S. He had the belief that a truly great nation would take care of the poor
among them.
Over the following years Americans slowly began to notice that even
though there were differences between communist nations and
democracies, this was not a reason to be uncooperative. Cooperation could
help them to realize the benefits of “the American way of life.” President
Nixon introduced a new diplomatic concept of détente. He called for a
relaxation of tensions in the 1970s. The president has the power of being
the commander in chief. Also the president can appoint representatives
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called ambassadors. Ambassadors are officials who represent the
country in matters of diplomacy. Most of the time, they are used because
the president himself can not be in charge of all diplomacy. Currently the
United States keeps active embassies in many countries in the world. The
president also receives ambassadors from other countries. Formal
agreements between nations are called treaties. Ambassadors have an
important role in the realization of such agreements. During the 1990s, the
world enjoyed an increase in trade. This economic boom led to further
collaboration between countries. Because of the increased collaboration,
in 1994 NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) was formed. This
agreement removes most barriers of trade and investment between the
United States, Canada and Mexico. The proliferation of regional and
international treaties and trade agreements continues.
By the late 1980s, it was clear that the Soviet Union was no longer a
Communist super-power. Between 1991 and 1992, the former Soviet
Union disintegrated into fifteen separate countries. Nowadays, the only
standing communist governments are North Korea and Cuba. China is
also a communist country. It has formed its economic basis on the market
economy. Thus it is considered a mixed economic system.
Dissipation of the Cold War in the 1980s was in part due to President
Ronald Reagan. He proposed a series of changes in the size of the federal
government. He proposed many decreases in federal spending as well as
federal tax cuts. This decreased the overall size of the federal government.
The ideas of cutting spending were directed at lowering the level of national
debt and cutting back on federal over-spending. In actuality, he greatly
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increased the federal deficit by spending large amounts of money on
defense. The increase in arms finally ended in the bankruptcy of the Soviet
Union, which was no longer capable of keeping up with the United States.
As the Cold War ended, President George H. W. Bush Sr. decreased
defense spending. Many important defense agencies such as the CIA, FBI
and others dealt with lower budgets. This allowed the federal government
to save on the budget and by the middle of the 1990s, the federal
government was saving money thanks to President Bill Clinton’s effective
balancing of the budget.
In 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait, a small country to its south. Ruler Saddam
Hussein wanted to keep control of oil production in Kuwait. The United
Nations, led by the United States, acted quickly to stop the invasion.
Operation Dessert Storm and Dessert Shield were launched against Iraq.
The war ended with the defeat of Saddam’s army. The ruler would stand for
another 12 years.
On September 11, 2001, the United States was attacked by terrorists from
foreign nations. One of the nations found to harbor terrorists was
Afghanistan. In late 2001, the United States launched a war against
Afghanistan to remove the terrorist-connected Taliban from power. In
2003, the United States launched a war against Iraq to remove Saddam
Hussein from power. President George W. Bush Jr. stated Iraq was hiding
weapons of mass destruction. He said they presented a threat to national security and international well-being.
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National security refers to the determination of a nation to remain free of
influence or invasion by other powers.
The views of many people and countries around the world have changed
due to these wars. This was clearly visible during the 2004 elections.
Many Internet votes were counted and they concluded that the rest of the
world was not in favor of George W. Bush Jr. being the president of the
U.S. Most of the people cited stated he launched attacks against Iraq
without being sure of the facts. In the Unites States, the people decided
that George W. Bush Jr. should continue to be the President. He was re-
elected in 2004 even though no chemical or biological weapons of mass
destruction were ever found. The U.S. Government’s claimed they were
there. The conflicting views is nothing new.
The changes since September 11, 2001 are apparent. Since then, the
government has been working on unifying intelligence into one Cabinet-
level organization, the Department of Homeland Security. It has increased
collaboration between government agencies. This was not the case in the
1990s. The president has proposed changes in the federal budget and has
increased intelligence and defense spending. The increase in spending
has increased the U.S. debt to a historical high.
It appears the United States has entered another period of closed national
borders with less freedom for labor and migration.
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Critical Knowledge: Lesson 5
Evaluating Conflicting Sources of Material:
When it comes to historical events there are usually at least two sides to
the story. You must learn to evaluate conflicting sources in order to make
an informed decision for yourself. First, analyze the information being
presented and check it for validity. Secondly you can compare the
information and analyze which one might be more objective. Finally make
an informed decision about which of the two best represents the event and
the actual consequences that followed.
Notice that many times you will have to settle somewhere in the middle of
the two sources. This is because no one source is completely right. You
will learn about the Great Depression in the following unit. The skill of
evaluating conflicting sources is related to determining fact from opinion.
To determine facts from opinion, first read the information carefully. Then
reflect on what kind of evidence is supporting the statement. If the
statement refers to a situation, whether the author is explaining which
situation was desirable, important, or significant, then it’s probably an
opinion. For example: George W. Bush Jr. won the presidential election of
2004 (this is a fact). His performance during his first term of 2000-2004 was
essential to the war against terror (this is an opinion).
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Practice Exercise 5 (Pick the best answer to the question)
1) The first settlement in English North America was/is:
a. New York c. Maine
b. Jamestown d. New England
2) The English Bill of Rights was passed:
a. in 1215 by King John
b. in 1689 by the Parliament
c. in 1787 with the U.S. Constitution
d. in 1776 with the Independence of the thirteen colonies
3) The first kind of written agreement for any Government of the United
States was called:
a. The Mayflower Compact
b. The United States Constitution
c. The Articles of Confederation
d. The Declaration of Independence
e. None of the above
4) After independence in 1776, the U.S. governed itself using:
a. The United States Constitution
b. The Mayflower Compact
c. The Articles of Confederation
d. The Constitutional Convention Resolution
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5) The colonist had many reasons to be against English ruling of the
colonies, but most colonials were against:
a. The Boston Tea party d. Taxation without representation
b. “Home rule” e. None of the above
c. Freedom
6) What countries were part of the Allied Powers in WWI?
a. Germany, Austria-Hungary
b. England, France, Japan, Italy, Russia
c. United States, Russia, Germany
d. Italy, Germany, Japan
7) What countries fought against the Allied Powers in WWII?
a. Italy, Germany, Japan
b. Russia, Germany, Italy
c. Japan, Russia, Germany, Italy
d. England, France, Canada
8) What president declared that the U.S. could no longer be neutral on
WWI?
a. Abraham Lincoln d. Harry S. Truman
b. Franklin D. Roosevelt e. None of the above
c. Woodrow Wilson
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9) What caused the U.S. to actively join military action WWII?
a. The attack on New York City
b. The speech by President Truman
c. D-day invasion
d. None of the Above
10) The Cold War took place between:
a. England and Russia c. U.S. and Russia
b. U.S. and Japan d. U.S., Europe v. Russia
Answers Practice Exercise 5 1. B 2. B 3. C 4. C 5. D
6. B 7. A 8. C 9. B 10. C
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LESSON 5 THINGS TO REMEMBER
Jamestown was the first English settlement in North America
The English Bill of Rights was instituted in 1689 by Parliament
The Articles of Confederation was the first written agreement for any
Government of the United States
After independence in 1776 the U.S. governed by using the Articles of
Confederation
Most colonists were against taxation without representation
England, France, Japan, Italy, and Russia were part of the Allied Powers
in WWI
Italy, Germany, and Japan fought against the Allied Powers in WWII
President Woodrow Wilson declared that the U.S. could no longer be
neutral on WWI
The attack on Pearl Harbor caused the US to enter WWII
The Cold War of 1945-1990 was between the U.S. and Russia
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Lesson 6 The American Way of Life
Introduction:
In this lesson, you will learn about social transformations that took place
during the 1920s and 1930s during the Great Depression. You will learn
about important policy changes following the Great Depression. You will
learn how, in our economy, political, personal and economic rights tend to
reinforce each other. You will also learn how policies affect all parts of the
economy in general. Groups, businesses, and regions as well as
individuals are affected by changes in policy. The Legacy of the Great Depression
During the 1890s and early 1900s, there was a fantastic revolution in the
United States. Railroads, streets, buildings, factories were all on the rise.
Population continued to move into cities. Production was booming. The
government was using classical economic theory to help the markets
develop. This theory developed in 1776 by Adam Smith called for non-
intervention of the government in markets.
By the 1890s, the U.S. iron production was higher than Britain’s. By the
early 1900s American steel production surpassed Britain’s. The United
States excelled in heavy industry. The most important industries were electric and oil, fuel power, steel, and iron.
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By the early 1900s, the United States was the greatest industrial nation in the world. The banking industry was not as well developed as in other
countries. Most of the U.S.’ finances came from European nations. In
1907, there were bank panics. Many people and corporations were going
bankrupt. By 1913, the government decided to create the Federal Reserve
Bank to regulate and stabilize the American banking system. The Federal Reserve Act of 1913 created the American organization of banks as it is
today. The FED did not work as a central bank. It was instead a system of
coordination.
As a part of this industrial revolution, businesses grew extremely large. An
example of these industries was the newly formed car industry. From
1910, Henry Ford (vice-president and chief engineer) developed the idea
of the assembly line. He incorporated standardized and interchangeable
parts, division of labor, and a continuously moving assembly line for the
production of the famous Ford Model T. These innovations in the Ford
factory allowed Ford to dramatically lower the price of his cars. He
envisioned that the common man would be able to purchase a car. Cars
were the wave of the future. These innovations revolutionized the car
industry in the world.
In 1914, World War I broke out in Europe. A world economic panic took
place. It spread to the U.S. People were afraid that the war would spread
and started taking their money out of the banks and stock exchanges. The
financial and banking systems were in chaos. In November 1914, the New
York Stock Exchange had to close. It was not fully re-opened until April
1915. The war was a beneficial economic event for the United States.
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By mid 1915, the U.S. was in a full economic war boom with industrial and
agricultural output going way up. The Federal Reserve allowed banks to
make loans to European banks buying weapons from the United States to
fight the war. By 1917, the U.S. entered the war on the side of the Allies.
The United States Government temporarily took control over key industries
to fully convert them into the war effort. It was the first time such central a
strong economic intervention occurred in America.
Buying on credit was one of the new ways to obtain expensive items. This
was the beginning of car loans, house loans, credit cards, and other loans.
During the 1920s, the United States citizens enjoyed good times. One of
the reasons for the Depression of 1929-41 was the decline in the
construction industry from 1925 -1928. This was important because the
construction industry involves transportation. It’s labor intensive and
requires movement of money. All are parts of economic development.
The second problem came with the decline in the agricultural sector.
The agricultural sector had a decline during the 1910s and 1920s.
Apparently it was extremely important for the economy. In 1929, there was
also a decline in durable goods sales. All this would have not been so
integral had it not been for the total collapse of the stock market as well.
On October 1929, the stock market crashed. This was a halting of
progress for businesses in the market. People measure business
development by the behavior of the market, and this collapse created
widespread hysteria and loss of faith in the future. People thought the
economy was about to collapse. They started withdrawing their money from
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banks. Even a rumor that a bank was going to fail would cause the amount
of people taking their money out to increase. Thus many banks went
bankrupt just on pure rumor. As common people had less employment and
money, they stopped paying their loans to banks and other creditors.
At the same time, Germany and other nations stopped paying their war
reparations. Thus the Allies did not pay the U.S. for their WWI loans.
Unemployment went up to 33%. More than 2298 banks had to close.
People lost their money since deposits were not insured. Wages were cut
and production went down. The problem quickly spread to Europe and
there was no way to stop it.
Clearly the market was not going to fix itself. This gave way to the new
movement. It said that the government should intervene when the market is
failing. This was called Keynesian Economics, named after Maynard Keynes. He argued that the government could help the development of
the country by spending tax money or giving tax cuts. In November 1932, the American people elected a new president Franklin D. Roosevelt, who
took office in March 1933. He had new ways to cope with the Great
Depression. His plan to end the Depression was called the “New Deal.”
Roosevelt immediately lowered tariffs and increased Federal aid to the
unemployed. He declared a bank holiday and closed all banks. He passed
the Emergency Banking Act, and then re-opened only sound banks. He
extended the lending power of the Federal Reserve to help banks stay in
business.
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He cut government excess spending and devalued the dollar to increase
exports. He created the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) to put
people to work, passed the Agricultural Adjustment Act to help farmers,
and extended federal loans to them. Roosevelt pushed through the
Federal Securities Act. It established regulations on the work of the stock
exchange. The Glass Steagall Act of 1933 created the Federal Deposit
Insurance Corporation (FDIC). It would slow bank failures and raise the
minimum deposit requirements. The FDIC currently insures all deposits up
to $100,000. The Minimum Deposit Requirement controls the amount of
cash the banks have to keep in their vaults to deal with extractions. In
1934, the Reciprocal Trade Act is passed. This allowed for the U.S. to
lower tariffs if other countries will do so as well. This is the first time the
government completely intervened to help the economy. From this point
on, it will do so every time there is a need for it.
By 1935, people started to think about how to improve the way of life for
everyone in society, even the less fortunate. They started thinking about
social welfare. On August 14, 1935, the government passed the Social
Security Act. This act established a system for old age benefits for U.S.
workers. It also created benefits for victims of working accidents,
unemployment insurance, aid for mothers and their children as well as the
physically handicapped. This act set new standards for government’s role
in society.
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The government was now responsible for the social welfare of society. In
1938, minimum wage laws were passed. First the minimum wage was 25
cents an hour, but it was to be raised to 41 cents an hour in subsequent
years.
Governmental and Economic Decisions
Governmental decisions, whether political, economic, or any other, have
repercussions through all sectors of the country. Many decisions can be
localized, like zoning and housing regulations. Other decisions though can
be wide reaching like the implementation of a different tax regulation.
Nowadays federal tax laws are extremely complex. They are nonetheless
important.
The majority of the income the federal government receives comes directly
from taxable income. An income tax is the one applied to individuals or
business. It is directly related to the amount of earnings the individual or
business has in a certain period of time, usually one year.
There are other types of taxes as well. Excise taxes are the ones charged
to manufactured goods, transportation, sales, and the consumption of
goods and services. In today’s world, excise taxes are also applied to
gasoline, oil, tires, cigarettes, liquors, airline tickets and others. Tariffs are
taxes imposed on imported goods. Tariffs and other types of importing
taxes are imposed to increase revenue, but they also help protect local
industries from external competition. Quotas are restrictions on imports.
With a quota, the government restricts the amount of a certain good that
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comes into the country’s borders. About twenty years ago, President
Reagan decided that taxing was too confusing for Americans, and thus he
helped pass the Tax Reform Act of 1986. This reform introduced a
simpler way of taxing individual and business. Decisions such as tax
reforms involve everyone in the country.
The government nowadays is capable of successfully affecting the
outcome of economic cycles. With the use of United States Federal Bank
(Central Bank) monetary policies, the economy can be manipulated.
Important issues such as tax policy affect individuals, groups, and the
country’s regions.
Policy may be equal for all. Still, regions have different businesses. In
Florida, for example, there are immense orange plantations providing year-
round orange products to all the United States. Northeastern regions are
quite popular for industries. Detroit, Michigan, for example, is considered
the center of United States automobile industry. The area of the Great
Lakes in general is quite industrious in nature. Furthermore, areas close to
Canada serve as ports for other destinations within the U.S. Port cities are
used as communicators for products which travel all over the country.
Furthermore, they are used for introduction of sea food.
Regional differences were even greater before the Civil War. During the
Civil War, (1861-1865) there were extreme differences between the North
and the South of the United States. The North was so different in outlook,
the South wanted to separate from the Union. The South’s primary industry
came from the huge plantations Black slaves used to work. In the North,
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there were ever growing industries. Such differences were extremely
noticeable. The North did not allow slavery. The South depended heavily
on slave labor. The South left the union to maintain the philosophy of states
rights. They believed states in a confederacy should be more powerful than
any national government they may create.
In the case of the Civil War, the differences separated the nation. Apart
from that, many differences pulled regions together. Cars produced in one
part of the country in this century were transferred all over the nation by
rail. Orange juice produced and cultivated in Florida ended up in
supermarkets in many parts of the country. The differences allow for the
production of infinite goods. This, in turn, allows U.S. consumers (like you)
to buy the goods and services you need or want.
Americans come from different cultures. We are all able to live together.
Religion is one of the examples of how Americans differ. Currently there
are more than twenty different religions present in the United States. As a
matter of fact, our religious background is so diverse that most forms of
religions are present all around us. Major groups in this country are:
Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism. But there are also
the small groups including: Sikhism, Scientology, Humanism, Taoism, and
Eckankar. Similarly, there are individuals who do not believe there is a
God. Even with all the different religious backgrounds, Americans are able
to form and maintain a nation. In other parts of the world, such differences
are not as easy to resolve, usually due to a low tolerance for different
ideals.
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United States law includes basic freedoms such as different religious ideals
are easily tolerated.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or
prohibiting the free exercise of freedom thereof; or abridging the
freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably
to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
First Amendment: United States Constitution
This amendment is central because it allows Americans to exercise any
religion they wish to exercise. It also denies the government the power to
establish a religion and thus deny rights to others who do not belong to
such religion. Since the establishment of the Constitution rights such as
the one in the first amendment have created an ambience of
perceptiveness towards others and their way of life. This perceptiveness is
an essential part of the “American way of life.” It’s important to notice
how these rights reinforce each other. The right to belong to any religion is
a personal right, but at the same time is political and economical because it
does not discriminate against you. You may a Democrat or a Republican
and you may be Christian, Jew, or Muslim, but the law requires you to be
treated no differently than any other citizen.
The American way of life insures that all citizens are equal under the law.
This means that one citizen will not be discriminated against because of a
particular preference. Other amendments such as amendment fifteen have
helped equal rights opportunity, by allowing Black citizens the right to vote.
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The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or
abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or
previous condition of servitude.
Amendment XV, Section 1: United States Constitution
Additionally, Amendment IXX gave female citizens, Black and White, the
right to vote. The amendment called for women’s suffrage.
The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or
abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex…
Amendment IXX: United States Constitution
Today’s United States government is significantly more involved in
everyday life than it was years ago. This is quickly changing and adapting
just like everything else in an ever adapting democracy. One of the main
changes worth noticing is the direct involvement of the government in the
economic development of the country. Before the Great Depression of
1929, the United States had the policy of creating competition to benefit the
consumer. Apart from that it did little to avoid economic downturns. As part
of the legacy of the Great Depression, the government tries to keep
economic downturns to a minimum. This is accomplished through the use
of policy which affects the economy positively. The government is now
responsible for the well-being of all citizens, even those with disabilities,
special conditions, and the elderly.
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Federal programs such as Social Security and Medicare help the needy,
State programs such as Medicaid help the poor. Social Security is basically a retirement pension, which gets subtracted
from income. This secures a certain amount of income for the individual on
retirement. Retirement age restrictions may alter current or future
coverage of social security benefits. Medicare is a program that
complements social security. It covers most medical expenses with some
restrictions such as prescription or over the counter drug coverage. Both of
these programs will apply on retirement, subject to a certain age restriction.
All states have another program which usually complements federal
government sponsored coverage. It is called Medicaid. Medicaid helps the
poor deal with financial responsibilities. This coverage might not have an
age restriction because many people can temporarily receive this coverage
depending on financial need or disability.
Even though the government has endless restrictions on the coverage,
usage or requirements for social programs, the fact that they exist at all is a
good sign. Many governments around the world do not have such
programs. In other cases, the government might have the program in place
but many of them do not provide for minimum living conditions. The United
States government is committed to the welfare of all citizens, even those
who can no longer work, but worked for their country when they were
needed.
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Some social democracies such as Sweden provide extensive socialized
medicine benefits provided by the government but at the high cost of
personal and business taxation.
Critical Knowledge: Lesson 6
Selecting Strategies to Understand the Information:
Information will be presented to you in many ways. To make informed
citizen decisions you must learn how to confirm if what you read what
actually the information wanted to be conveyed. First read the statement
again. Second, find a graph, map, or other source to compare it to your
understanding of the information. Then analyze if the information
presented in the illustration is the same as what you understood from the
text. To practice this, re-read the previous section and take a look at the
graph below.
After reading the text again, do you agree that the Great Depression was
so significant? You may also want to take into account that in today’s
standard an unemployment rate of 10% is unacceptable in the U.S.
Unemployment Rate
05
101520253035
1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937
Unemployment
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Practice Section Lesson 6
(Pick the best answer to the question)
1) The theory that called for no intervention of the government in the
economy is called:
a. Classical economic theory
b. Federal Reserve non-intervention
c. Keynesian economics.
d. Pre Great Depression economics
2) The big downturn which caused the Great Depression took place on:
a. 1928
b. 1929
c. 1930
d. 1933
3) Who insures bank deposits for up to $100,000?
a. The state government
b. The Federal Reserve
c. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
d. The U.S. Deposit Insurance Corporation
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4) The action that established old age benefits is:
a. The Social Security Act of 1935
b. The 1938 minimum wage laws
c. The Tax Reform Act of 1986
d. The Glass-Steagall Act of 1933
e. None of the above
5) What is a tariff?
a. The same as a quota
b. A restriction on inter-state trade
c. An increase on international trade
d. A tax on international trade
e. B and D only
6) The First Amendment does NOT include which right?
a. The right to freedom of speech
b. The right to a speedy trial
c. The right to choose our own religion preference
d. Right to peaceful assembly
e. All these rights are part of the First Amendment
7) The amendment that gave women the right to vote is:
a. The First Amendment
b. The Nineteenth Amendment
c. The Fifteenth Amendment
d. The Fourteenth Amendment
e. Its part of the Bill of Rights
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8) Which of these is a state sponsored aid:
a. Social Security
b. Medicare
c. FDIC insurance payments
d. Medicaid
e. All of the above are state sponsored
9) Since we live in the same country (The United States of America), all
states and regions are basically equal and have no primary differences
which one can observe.
a. True b. False
10) Using the graph in Critical Knowledge Unit 6 answer: what year was
the unemployment rate the highest during the Great Depression period
in the graph?
a. 1931 d. 1939
b. 1929 e. 1945
c. 1933
Answers Practice Exercise 6 1. B 2. B 3. C 4. A 5. D
6. B 7. B 8. D 9. B 10. C
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LESSON 6 THINGS TO REMEMBER
The Adam Smith Theory called for non-intervention of the government in
the economy
The big downturn of 1929 caused the Great Depression
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insures bank deposits for up
to $100,000
The Social Security Act of 1935 established old age benefits
A tariff is a tax
The Nineteenth Amendment gave women the right to vote
Medicaid is a state sponsored program
States and regions of the United States have many observable
differences
The highest rate of unemployment during the Depression was in 1933
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Lesson 7 Individual Responsibilities towards Our Society
Introduction:
In this lesson you will be introduced to the process for how a non-citizen
can become a citizen. You will learn how citizens have the right and
responsibility to monitor governmental processes. You will study how to
make use of your rights as citizens. You will know, by using these rights,
you help the American democracy and way of life. You will develop an
understanding of some of the issues of personal concern with our
government. You will learn the importance of civil liberties and
compromises that derive from our way of life. Finally, you will develop a
sense of how to become more involved and determine which political
beliefs or tendencies you have.
The Citizenship Process
The citizens of the United States are members of a democratic and political
society. Therefore, each citizen has rights and responsibilities to the
system. Important duties include obeying the laws and regulations, paying
taxes to support the government and maintaining loyalty towards the United
States government. To participate in our government citizens have to be
informed. They must respect the rights of others and different opinions in
our society. They must exercise the right to vote. Good citizens must
cherish their rights and exercise their responsibilities.
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Being a citizen is based on a legal principle. Citizenship encompasses
more than just legality. Good citizens must respect one another. They
must follow the rules of law and timely participate in the political process.
There are three ways to become an American citizen. One is by being
born on U.S. soil, another is by the process of naturalization, and the third
is by having American citizens as parents. A citizen by the law means being born in the territory. This grants citizenship to almost every person
born on United States soil. This is the most common way of obtaining
citizenship. Many, if not most other, countries also use this law to allow
individuals to obtain citizenship. Not everyone born in U.S. soil is an
automatic citizen. All those individuals subject to the jurisdiction of another
country while on U.S. soil are not granted citizenship. For example:
children of foreign diplomats, a child born on foreign ships staying in a U.S.
port, or the children of foreigners merely passing through the United States.
Another way of becoming a United States citizen is by the law of having U.S. citizens as parents. Again, not all children born of U.S. citizens are
automatically U.S. citizens themselves. The laws governing this law of
citizenship are quite complex. One section is quite clear. If a child is born
on foreign soil from U.S. citizens as parents, to grant citizenship to the
newborn, the parents must meet one requirement. At least one of the
parents must have been a permanent resident of the United States at one
point in his/her life. Finally, foreigners can become United States citizens
by naturalization.
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All foreigners who want to become U.S. citizens can do so by
naturalization. At the end of this process, they will have almost all rights
given to U.S. born citizens. The major right not given is that a naturalized
citizen can not be President or Vice-President of the United States.
Congress has defined specific steps one must follow to be a naturalized
citizen. Such steps include specific steps for permanent residency.
Immigrants who want to become citizens must meet these requirements:
1) They must have entered the U.S. legally,
2) They must be of “good moral character.”(The definition of good
moral character is complex),
3) They must declare support for the principle of government of the
United States,
4) They must prove they speak, write and read English (This part has
recently become more difficult by harder tests. There are
exceptions to this requirement), and
5) They must show basic knowledge of American history and
government.
These steps will not guarantee citizenship acceptance. Members of
communist parties, deserters of military service, and evaders of draft
callings might be denied citizenship. Those engaging in anarchist acts and
others might be denied the process. One goes through the process. The
immigrants being naturalized are asked to attend the oath of allegiance ceremony. The current oath requires new citizens to renounce loyalty to
foreign governments. They must defend the United States Constitution.
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They must be willing to bear arms in the name of the United States. After
the ceremony, a certificate of citizenship is granted to the individual.
Important naturalized Americans include governor of California Arnold
Schwarzenegger, scientist Albert Einstein, and Cuban born music artist
Gloria Estefan. Some acts of Congress may also grant citizenship. These
acts are not common. They may only apply in special circumstances. One
example is the annexation of new territory.
All other individuals who live in the country, but are not citizens of the
United States, are aliens. A person who is a citizen of another country, but
has established legal residency in the country is a resident alien. These
apply to all new immigrants and all those in the naturalization process. A
non-resident alien is a foreigner and is expected to stay in the U.S. for a
specific short period of time. Finally, an illegal alien is an individual who
comes into the country without a legal entry permit. Most illegal aliens
cross borders without being identified. This category also applies to those
who stay in the country after their legal permit has expired. In
contemporary America, the issue of illegal aliens has become an important
one. Many argue that they are taking away jobs from people legally
residing in the country. Apart from the category of alien, these individuals
enjoy most of the benefits of legal residents. They may own property and
are guaranteed protection under the law. Aliens are in turn expected to pay
taxes, obey the law, and share the responsibilities of maintaining the
American way of life. The most important right they are not guaranteed is
the right to travel outside the United States’ borders. Furthermore, aliens in
general are subject to deportation.
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Many career opportunities are available for those interested in serving the
United States. Most honorable of all is serving in the United States military
forces. Our active military forces include the U.S. Army, the U.S. Air Force,
and the U.S. Navy. We also have the reserves. Careers within the military
may not carry the requirement of being a U.S. citizen or resident. Other
federal government careers will have the requirement of being a U.S.
citizen. Government work opportunities should be considered by all.
They offer competitive salaries, many long term benefits, and most
importantly the great sense of pride that comes from knowing that you work
while serving your country. Federal jobs include serving in the Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), the
Bureau of Labor Statistics, the National Security Agency (NSA), and many
others. Employment with local governments is also available. Many career
opportunities with local governments can be found on their local website.
For Broward County, Florida go to: http://www.broward.org/welcome.htm
for Miami-Dade County, Florida go to: http://miamidade.gov/wps/portal.
Careers on local governments include clerical jobs, management and staff
support, accounting and financial positions, as well as law enforcement in
general. Local governments are able to match your skills to a certain job.
Most government opportunities do not require a degree, but will require
some experience on the job. Careers within the government are highly
respected in the private sector. They will certainly be of much help if you
want to apply for another job in the private market later on in your life.
Many jobs in this market develop a high sense of belonging. Many
government workers have flexible schedules which allow for career
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advancement and development of further educational degrees.
Governmental work is extremely competitive and allows you to challenge
your skills while serving the public.
Citizens Rights and Responsibilities
All individuals living within the United States have rights and responsibilities
to maintain in order to ensure the prosperity of our way of government.
The responsibilities for citizens are important and should be observed by all
members of society. In Lesson 3 we introduced you to some of the ways
citizens and entities can influence the political process. This influence is
not only important but also necessary. If our representatives in the
government do not know the way we feel about certain laws, then they can
not help us change them.
Therefore, it is our responsibility as citizens to let representatives know how
we stand on a certain issue. Our own political behavior can determine the
outcome of the future of our country. Elections, for example, are extremely
important. Democrats and Republicans alike must exercise their right to
vote. We must all realize that participating on elections is the most
important democratic right we have. Choosing our local and state
representatives, Members of Congress, presidents, governors, are the
guarantee that our way of government will continue to flourish.
Our form of government is ruled by the majority decision. This means
that we must express our political feelings, even though we might not win.
Besides, how do you determine if your candidate can win or not? If you do
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not exercise your right to vote, and many others like you do not do as well,
then there is no way of knowing if your candidate could have won the
election.
Participation in the voting process has steadily declined through the years
until the 2004 election in which a record number of voters lined up to make
their opinions count.
Many elections have been decided by close votes. The 2000 election
which ended with George W. Bush Jr. winning the election over Albert A.
Gore Jr. was a close one. Votes in the state of Florida were too close to
call. They had to be counted and re-counted by election officials. The
determination of who won was made. Many Democrats who did not vote
felt they could have made a difference in the outcome.
Florida offers early voting process. Voters can elect to vote before election
date. This alleviates the amount of voters who elect to vote during Election
Day. We have in Florida the process of absentee ballots. Individuals who
can not or do not wish to go and vote can do so by mail by filling out a form.
These processes were put in place to help. They were suggested and
passed by voters like you.
You can always influence or monitor public policy. An easy way to do so is
by writing letters, e-mails or other forms of communications to your local
representatives. Local representatives are there to help the public. Many
of them have offices widely accessible to the public. You may also choose
to support your candidate with either money or help. Candidates are
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always looking for individuals willing to campaign in their favor.
Campaigning is a way of showing your support for the democratic cause
and for our system of government. You can get in touch with the policies
the candidate will implement upon winning the election.
This can help develop your own political beliefs and tendencies. You can
always stay in touch with what your candidate can do for you after the
elections. You can learn about their points of view. You can learn how they
will deal with issues that concern you. An easy way to do so is by watching
the debates offered during the election period.
Debates are important, chiefly for those individuals who are still undecided.
Undecided voters are those who at the last moment still do not have a
clear view of what one candidate or the other will do. They are usually the
ones who decide close elections. You can also find out which views are
more close to your own by finding out what political party you can relate to.
It is important to be informed about who you will vote for. It will be a shame
if you decide to vote for a candidate simply because someone told you to
do so. In order to be a good citizen you need to be informed and make the
best decision to support the candidate who best matches your own political
inclination.
-For information on the Democratic Party go: http://www.democrats.org/.
-For information on the Republican Party go: http://www.rnc.org/.
-For information on the Independent Party go: http://www.usiap.org/.
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Being part of one party of another does not mean the opposite party is your
enemy. In our democratic form of government conflicts of interest are
important in the process. It will be interesting to have everyone on one side
or the other in all conflicts. As we all know this is usually not the case. In
order to resolve conflicts we come to a compromise. A compromise is
resolution of the conflict by including important parts of both sides.
Examples of such compromises are laws which initially do not pass the
approval of the president or congress but are later revised and passed.
Initially there were twelve amendments in the Bill of Rights. Only 10
passed the approval of the majority. Local laws also apply to this case.
Many local laws are passed only after they have been revised of some
conflicts that arose during the approval process. This collaboration, while
respecting everyone’s rights is quite essential to a democracy. Political
compromises help maintain majority rule while preserving minority rights.
The constant monitoring of the political process and society events by
concerned citizens keeps our democratic form of government. It is thanks
to informed and concerned citizens like you that our democracy keeps its
power. For example: helping election officials catch individuals who
commit fraud is part of our duty. We can help the police locate criminals
who break the law and help prosecute them. We thus make sure our
government remains strong. Every time you are watching and reporting
suspicious activity in your neighborhood you are helping police protect the
public. Maintaining law and order, protecting others privacy rights and
helping your community are some of the steps that make American citizens
so unique.
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American citizens are a strong community of individuals who respect each
other and who have concern for common safety as well as individual rights
and liberties.
Critical Knowledge: Lesson 7 ------ Geographical Questions:
Usually the best way to understand events is to have a complete
understanding of the surroundings. This includes all related material as
well as geographical orientation. The following is a map of the political
world:
Map provided by the National Geographic Society
(http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/atlas/)
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To have a better understanding of the material presented make sure you
always have a map of the region at hand. Analysis of geographical
regions is quite important for the interpretation of events and how they may
affect policy. Using the map locate the United States, Europe and Japan.
Do you see how some Americans could not be familiar with events of WWII
unfolding in these distant territories? Can you picture the reason why at
the beginning of U.S. history there were only 13 colonies and they were all
located on the East Coast. The world has become increasingly small with
the information technology age and the long range of current weapons.
In today’s world no place is too far, when it comes to a war. For this reason
the United States is constantly helping the United Nations deal with
increasing world conflicts. The idea is to avoid the problem before it starts,
so it does not become another world disaster such as WWI or WWII.
Practice Section Lesson 7
(Pick the best answer to the question)
1) There are how many ways to obtain the U.S. citizenship:
a. 1 b. 2 c. 3 d. 5 e. None of these above
2) Foreigners who immigrate into the United States usually obtain the
U.S. citizenship by:
a. Naturalizing d. U.S. Citizenship process law
b. law of having U.S. parents e. None of the above
c. Immigrant citizen’s law
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3) Which of these is NOT a requirement to become a citizen for those
immigrants who want to do so?
a. Enter the U.S. legally
b. Be of good moral character
c. Must have basic knowledge of American History and
Government
d. Must be able to speak and write English and some Spanish
(Spanish because Puerto Rico is a commonwealth of the U.S.)
4) All those individuals who live in the U.S. illegally can be defined as:
a. Non-legal aliens d. Illegal resident aliens
b. Illegal aliens e. None of the above
c. Non-resident aliens
5) Which of these may cause a resident to be denied citizenship?
a. Previous desertion of military service
b. Previous membership in a communist party
c. Previous evasion of draft service
d. All of the above
e. None of those reasons may cause citizenship denial
6) Which is the most important democratic right/freedom given to
citizens?
a. Freedom of speech d. Freedom of religion
b. Freedom of peaceful assembly e. The right to bear arms
c. The right to vote
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7) In Florida, individuals are allowed to vote from home if they can not or
do not want to go to a polling office, This is called:
a. Early voting d. Non-present voting
b. Absentee ballots e. Non-present voting participation
c. Non-present ballots
8) Individuals have the right to elect representatives, but they may not
monitor public policy until the next election.
a. True b. False
9) To have a good understanding of events you must have a good
geographical orientation.
a. True b. False
10) The participation of voters is always important in a political decision.
But last minute decisions from _______________ usually decide the
election
a. Early voters d. Democratic voters
b. Absentee ballots e. Young voters who usually do not vote
c. Undecided voters
Answers Practice Exercise 7 1. C 2. A 3. D 4. B 5. D
6. C 7. B 8. B 9. A 10. C
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LESSON 7 THINGS TO REMEMBER
There are 3 ways to obtain U.S. citizenship
Foreigners immigrating into the U.S. usually obtain U.S. citizenship by
naturalizing
Being able to speak and write English and some Spanish is not a
requirement for U.S. citizenship
Individuals who live in the U.S. illegally are defined as aliens
Desertion of military service, membership in a communist party, or
evasion of draft service may cause a resident to be denied citizenship
In Florida, and some other states, individuals are allowed to vote from
home if they cannot or do not want to go to a polling office by obtaining
an absentee ballot
Individuals can indeed monitor public policy
In order to have a good understanding of events you must have a good
geographical orientation
Last minute decisions from undecided voters usually decide the election
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END OF COURSE REVIEW
The Federal system (Federalism) is the system in which the power is
divided into national and state powers
John Locke is credited with saying, “Men being…by nature, all free and
equal and independent…” Locke, Rousseau, and Hobbs developed the
concept of Social contract
“Natural Law” was derived from the Greeks: the first civilization to use
laws to govern themselves
The U S government has 3 branches; executive, legislative (the Senate
and the House of Representatives), and judicial
The President can overrule Congress’ approval of a bill by the power of
veto or by not acting on it (a pocket veto) Congress can over-ride a
presidential veto with a 2/3 vote in favor
Laws allowing segregation of Black and Whites were referred to as “Jim
Crow” laws
The representatives of the US Government to foreign countries are
called ambassadors
Plessy vs Ferguson was the court case that helped in the creation of the
“separate but equal” doctrine
The Fourteenth Amendment is the equal rights of citizen’s amendment
The First Amendment does not include the Right to a speedy trial
The right to vote is the most important democratic right/freedom
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Political parties suit democracy because they allow citizens to make
educated decisions about candidates as the parties debate different
topics
Writing down events in a time line allows you to understand the
chronology and sequencing of an event of a group of events
Eminent domain is the power of the government explained in
Amendment I to take any property from the public but having to pay a
fair price for it
The Enlightenment was a period of renewed individual knowledge,
ethics, and scientific rationality
Thomas Hobbes argued for Social contract
Cause and effect process is where one event will happen only if a
previous (or series of previous events) takes place
Jamestown was the first English settlement in North America
The colonists expressed their desire to separate from the British Empire
by writing the Declaration of Independence
The Articles of Confederation was the first written agreement for any
Government of the United States
Most colonists were against taxation without representation
England, France, Japan, Italy, and Russia were part of the Allied Powers
in WWI
Italy, Germany, and Japan fought against the Allied Powers in WWII
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125
President Woodrow Wilson declared that the US could no longer be
neutral on WWI
The attack on Pearl Harbor caused the US to enter WWII
The Cold War of 1945-1990 was between the US and Russia After
WWII, the US policy was intervention and containment with regard to
communist regimes
The Adam Smith Theory, also called classical economic theory, called
for non-intervention of the government in the economy
The big downturn of 1929 caused the Great Depression Afterwards, the
US government was motivated to handle economic factors as the best
way possible
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insures bank deposits for up
to $100,000
A tariff is a tax
Medicaid is a state sponsored program
There are 3 ways to obtain US citizenship
Foreigners immigrating into the US usually obtain U.S. citizenship by
naturalizing Anyone not a citizen and living in the U.S. illegally is called
an alien
Being able to speak and write English and some Spanish is not a
requirement for U.S. citizenship
Individuals who live in the U.S. illegally are defined as aliens
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Desertion of military service, membership in a communist party, or
evasion of draft service may cause a resident to be denied citizenship
In Florida, and some other states, individuals are allowed to vote from
home if they cannot or do not want to go to a polling office by obtaining
an absentee ballot
Individuals can indeed monitor public policy Government decisions can
be influenced by the people, the media, and political parties
Last minute decisions from undecided voters usually decide the election
President Bush Jr., launched attacks against Iraq and Afghanistan,
because he considered them a threat to National security
The U.S. made war without congressional approval many times
The best way to objectively learn about court cases is to use
government publications which tend to be non-biased