Civics Study Guide
The United States government is a Republican government. That means
that citizens elect people to represent us as a group and to make the laws to
protect us.
The Federal government is broken into three branches. The Executive
Branch which has the President, the Vice President and the Cabinet. They
execute the laws. The Legislative Branch is the law making branch.
Congress is the governing body which is made up of the Senate and House
of Representatives. The Judicial Branch is the Supreme Court. The 9
Judges decide if the laws passed are Constitutional. They each share an
equal portion of the control.
The Constitution and Bill of Rights are our Federal Laws. They established
the form of our government and made the necessary changes to make sure
all people are treated equally.
The US government is based on two basic principles or beliefs that unite the
people of our country. They are the right to Life, Liberty and Pursuit of
happiness. This is our Natural Right. The other is that everyone should be
Equal under the Law. This means that all people are treated fairly.
The goal of the US Government is to protects everyone’s rights and ensure
their equal treatment.
In addition to our Federal government, each State has a government. The
Governor is the leader of each state. Within the state, each community has
its own local government. The Mayor is the leader of the local government.
Famous Americans
George Washington – he was the first President of the United States and
was a General of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary war.
Thomas Jefferson – he was the third President of the United States. He
wrote the Declaration of the Independence.
Abraham Lincoln – he was the 16th President of the United States. He led
the Union states during the Civil War. He worked toward ending slavery.
Thurgood Marshall – he was the first African American Supreme Court
Justice
Martin Luther King Jr. – helped gain civil rights for all people by peaceful
means.
Rosa Parks – was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on the bus to a
white person. Her act inspired the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
Susan B. Anthony – was a leading suffragist, and helped get women the
right to vote
Cesar Chavez – he fought for the rights, pay and better working conditions
for Mexican American Farm workers
Holidays
Independence Day – Celebrated on July 4th – it is to celebrate the day we
declared our independence from the British.
Memorial Day – Celebrated on the last Monday in May – it is to honor all
those who lost their lives fighting for our country in the military
Veteran’s Day – Celebrated on November 11th – it is to honor all those who
served or are serving our country in the military.
Diversity
America is a diverse country. Its citizens have come from many other
countries. The diversity of our people has brought many different customs
and traditions to our country. We have a variety of celebrations of different
cultures. We also have a variety of foods, clothing and music representative
of many of the different cultures.