Lesson 4 -Let Freedom Ring
Lesson 4
Let Freedom Ring
Vocabulary
Write the following vocabulary words in your packet.
•Constitutional Democracy
•Representative Democracy
•Federal Government
•Cabinet
•Political Party
•Common Good
Constitutional democracy
• A kind of democracy in which the goals of the
government and the ways it will work to achieve
them are stated in the constitution.
Representative democracy
• A governing system in which citizens elect people to
make laws and decisions for them.
Federal government
• The central authority in a federation (group) of
states.
Cabinet
• The group of department heads (people) who advise
a nations chief executive.
Political party
• A group of people involved in government who try to
get others to agree with their ideas and who choose
leaders who share the groups point of view.
Common Good
• Helpful for all citizens as a group.
Civic Responsibilities of the People of the
U.S.
• People must obey the law.
• People must pay taxes.
• People should vote.
• People should volunteer in the community.
American Democracy – Main Ideas
Copy this on the back of your EQ Page
Representative
Democracy
Constitutional
Democracy
AMERICAN
DEMOCRACY
executive,
legislative,
judicial
branches
Checks and
balances
among
branches
Place on back of your Vocabulary page
United States Government
Executive Branch
President and Cabinet
also includes
Vice-President
Enforces or carries
out the law
Legislative Branch
Congress
Senate(50 members)
and House of Representatives
(435members)
Makes the Laws
Judicial Branch
Supreme Court
9 Judges led by
Chief Justice
Interprets the Laws
United states government
• The Constitution
created a
government of
three equal
branches, or parts.
• The Constitution is
the plan and set of
rules for our
government.
• The three branches
are:
• LEGISLATIVE
• ExecutiveEXTIVE
• JUDICIAL
The Executive Branch
• The president, or • The president is in
charge of the armed
Chief Executive,
forces.
is the head of the
government.
• After elected to
serve his/her
country, the
president lives
and works in the
White House.
The legislative branch
• Congress has two
parts: The
Constitution
created Congress.
• Senate and The
House of
Representatives.
The senate
• There are 100
senators.
• Each state has
two senators.
• A Senator is in
office for 6 years.
This is called a
“term.”
The house of representatives
• There are 435
representatives.
• The more people
that live in a state,
the more
representatives it
has.
• Representatives
serve for a term of
two years.
• They can be elected
for more than one
term.
The Judicial branch
• The Supreme Court is
the highest court is
the U. S., and is the
system of courts to
settle questions
about the laws.
• The nine justices can
serve for as long as
they live, or wish to
retire.
• Each justice is
chosen by the
president and
approved by the
Senate
Guided Notes Answers
• Constitutional
• Democracy
• Constitution
• People
• representative
• Laws
• Local, state, national
• Local
• State
• Education, roads
• National, Military, Money
• National. Federal
• Legislative, executive, Judicial
• Cabinet
• Legislative
• Congress
• Senate, House of Representatives
Guided Notes Answers
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Supreme
Appointed
Senate
Balance
Checks
Political
Republican, democratic
Rights
Citizens
Constitution, rights
Speech
Responsibilities
Personal,civic
Personal
Civic, Common
Obeys, votes
responsibility
Lesson #4-Culture Summary-Key Points
• United States is a constitutional democracy
• It is also a representative democracy
• The constitution requires a three branch
government
Assignment- come up with 3 more key points that
you learned about United States government.
Complete your summary paragraph
Lesson #4 Government Summary Paragraph
The United States government is a very strong
government. It is a constitutional democracy
because the goals of the government are laid out
in the Constitution. It is also a representative
democracy because its citizens elect people to
make laws and decisions for them. The
Constitution requires the government to have
three branches of government.