We the People:
Government in America
E Pluribus Unum
• One of the 1st national mottos
• means “Out of many, one”
• over 298 million people from every country and
culture
What type of government works for
all of these people?
• Monarchy-Government is in the hands of a king
or queen who makes decisions for the rest of
society. When the ruler dies, power is
automatically passed to one of the monarch’s
children - usually the oldest son.
• Dictatorship - Power is in the hands of
one person or small group who is not
responsible to the people. The dictator
makes all final decisions for the society.
Government decisions can be made
quickly, but people’s rights are not
guaranteed.
• Democracy - means “rule by the people.” Power
rests with ordinary citizens who vote directly on
issues or elect officials to represent them in
decision making.
Which type of government would you choose for
the United States of America if you were one of
our Founding Fathers?
Why do we even need a
government?
• People are social beings.
• We need to live with other people in groups or
communities.
• A community protects its members by
developing rules of behavior, so that people
know what they can and cannot do.
• A government is the organization that makes a
community’s rules, settles its disputes, and
protects its members from others who may be
hostile.
• A law is a rule made by the government.
Ours is a compromise government
• Best described as a representative democracy
• No one person, agency, or unit of government should
ever dominate the political process and deny the rights
of the people.
• It has not always worked.
• Examples throughout American history where people’s
rights have been ignored (such as slavery and the nearextermination of Native Americans)
• Remains an ongoing process
• Represents the best peace and order in a nation of over
298,444,215 citizens.
The U.S. Constitution
• Contains a preamble“We the People of the
United States . . . “
• Seven articles
• 27 amendments
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.
The Constitution’s basic principles or
guidelines
• Separation of Powers-the authority to govern must be spread among
the three levels and branches of government.
• Popular Rule-our government belongs to its citizens (not the military)
who elect people to help run the country.
• Checks and Balances-Each branch of government serves as a
check upon the other so that no single unit has excessive power.
• Constituency-Elected officials are legally accountable to the people
who elect them.
• Federalism- a system by which some powers are set aside for the
national government, while others are reserved for the state and
local government.
• Mixed Term Lengths-Legislators have varying lengths of terms in
order to maximize representation of all citizens (U.S. senators serve
six years; representatives serve two years).
Federalism
• The idea that power is shared between a strong national
government and the fifty states. This separation of
powers applies to all levels of government. In other
words,
• the federal government deals with matters affecting the
entire nation,
• and the state governments handle matters within their
own state.
The Bill of Rights
• The 1st 10 amendments to the United States
Constitution are called Bill of Rights.
• added in 1791
• Guarantee Freedom of the Press
• Freedom of Speech
• Freedom of Assembly
• Other Individual Freedoms
The Federal Government
• Based on the U.S. Constitution, the
federal government is separated into
three branches.
Interprets
and applies
national laws
Makes laws for
the nation
Carries out our
national laws
The Legislative Branch: Congress
• Congress makes laws
• contains 2 branches or “houses”
• The House of Representatives has 435
members from districts within their states
• The Senate has only 100 members, two
per state
Let’s see: How many states do we have?
Some of the powers of Congress:
• Collecting/raising taxes and borrowing/making
money
• Declaring war and making peace
• The authority to admit new states
• Creating and maintaining the federal court
system
• Administering the postal services
• Granting copyrights and patents
• The power of impeachment
The Executive Branch: The
Presidency
Consists of
• the president and vice-president
• 15 federal departments
• various agencies
• the Federal Reserve System
• the White House office
• Boards/commissions/committees
• The Cabinet
General Powers of the president:
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Propose legislation to Congress
Appoint federal officials
Enforce federal laws
Serve as commander-in-chief of the armed
forces
• Veto
• Issue reprieves (postpone punishment), pardons
(release from a punishment), and amnesty
( general pardon for a group of people).
• Maintain emergency funding
The Judicial Branch: The Courts
• Interprets federal laws, treaties, and the
Constitution
• Consists of the Supreme Court,
• The United States Federal District Courts,
• Special courts
• And the United States Courts of Appeal
Federal Courts can preside over
cases in which:
• Someone is charged with violating the
Constitution or a treaty
• Citizens from different states have a
lawsuit
• A crime occurs at sea on an American ship
• A person is charged with breaking a
federal law
• A crime is committed on federal property
The Supreme Court
•A chief justice and . . .
• Eight associate justices
• Each appointed by the president
• Decides the constitutionality of federal laws and
presidential decisions
Checks and Balances
• The Constitution created a way of making
sure that no one branch of the federal
government became too powerful.
• It gave each branch ways to “check” (limit)
the other branches.
For example,
• the President has the power to veto (refuse to
sign) bills that Congress has passes.
• Congress can override a veto, but only if twothirds of the Congress vote in favor of the
override.
• Power is “balanced” among the three branches
so that most important actions cannot be taken
unless there is a general agreement.
State Government
Governor and lieutenant governor
(executive branch)
Governor Sonny
Perdue
Lower courts, General trial courts,
appeals courts, and State
Supreme Court
(judicial branch)
Lieutenant Governor
Mark Taylor
state House of Representatives
and state Senate
(legislative branch)
State Powers
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Education (public schools)
Highways
Criminal justice
Health/safety
Public works
Money for these projects and programs come from
state taxes (e.g., income, corporate, sales, and
property).
Local Government
• Organized geographically and politically by counties and
municipalities
• Managed by a governing board known as a board of
commissioners
• Some functions of a county are to :
• Administer state social services (e.g., foster care, food
stamps, vaccinations, etc.)
• Uphold state laws and operate regional criminal justice
facilities, such as courts and jails
• Maintain public facilities including roads, libraries,
bridges, and hospitals
• Administer elections and voter registration
• Georgia is divided into 159 counties
Some County Public Officials
• Sheriff: serves as the chief law-enforcement officer of
the county.
• Treasurer/Collector: oversees the county taxes and
revenues
• Prosecuting/District Attorney: serves as the agent of the
state government in county trials.
• Coroner/Medical Examiner: serves as a “death
detective” and supervises the county morgue
• Clerk of Courts: paperwork/record keeper of area
courts.
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How does Government affect you?
Municipalities or cities/towns
• Provide for the routine, daily needs and
services of its inhabitants
• Services include:
• Water/sewerage treatment plants
• Police, hospitals, schools
• Highways, utilities, trash collection
• Parks, museums, and the development of
tourist sites
Mayor-City Council
City Manager
Police Department
Fire Department
Sanitation Dept.
Building Inspection
Health Department
Planning Department
Tax Collection Dept.
From an idea to a Law
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Every law begins with an idea
The idea is written down, and becomes a bill
It must be sponsored by a legislator
The legislator introduces the bill, which is
assigned a number and letter (H.R.100 [House]
or S.100 [Senate])
• Bill sent to committee and printed
• Any citizen may write a bill in the hope of making
it into a law.
Lawmaking Process
• Referred to the committee (depending on subject)
• Action by the committee (placed on a calendar and
reviewed)
• Subcommittee Review (hearings and further study)
• Mark-up (changes to the bill)
• Committee action to report a bill (committee votes
on its changes to the House or Senate)
• Publication of a report
• Floor action scheduled (proposed bill placed on
legislative calendar)
• Debate on the proposed bill
• Voting for or against the proposed bill
• Referral to the House or Senate (depending on
where the bill originated)
• Conference committee action (requires approval
of both houses)
• Final action (The signed bill is sent to the
president for approval. He may sign or veto the
bill.)
• Veto override ( A two-thirds vote of Congress is
needed to override a presidential veto.)
Elections
• A process and a procedure
• Used to select people for office and to
decide issues of importance
• Occur at all 3 levels of government
• Only eligible citizens may vote in an
election
• A qualified citizen must be at least 18
years old to register to vote
The Ballot
• To be qualified to vote, a person must
register in his/her district
• A specific polling place ( voting place) will
be assigned
• He/she must go to that place to vote in all
elections-national, state, and local
The Election Process
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Declare your candidacy
File a personal statement of financial interest
Register with a party
Organize a campaign and finance committee
Begin campaigning
Solicit money!
Win or lose
Two-Party System
• A political party is a group of people
organized for the purpose of bringing their
issues to the attention of the government
and the public
• Ours is a two-party system made up of the
Republican and Democratic Parties
• They create platforms that are statements
of the party’s basic beliefs
• They nominate candidates to fill public
office at every level of government
• Form coalitions (temporary partnerships)
with other interest groups to get popular
support for an issue
• Organize and encourage their supporters
to show their loyalty and backing of the
platform on elections day.
Political Parties
• Republican-believes that government should
play a limited role in citizens’ lives and trust in
charity and goodwill of big business
• Democratic-believes that government should
play a significant role in helping the nation
prosper and achieve social justice
• Green Party U.S.-Environmental reform group
• Southern Party-wants the South to re-fight the
Civil War
• Prohibition Party-Anti-Communist and anti-drug
Length of Office
• Also called term
• Two terms of 4 years each for the
President
• Six years for U.S. Senators
• Two years for U.S. Representatives
Bibliography
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Campagna, D. (2002). We the People: Government in America. New
York: Mark Twain Media, Inc.
http://bensguide.gpo.gov/3-5/government/branches.html
http://www.cbv.ns.ca/dictator/default.html
http://www.cityofhinesville.org/City_Hall/Gov/meet_mayor.aspx
http://www.georgiatrend.com/site/page7853.html
http://www.pbase.com/elif/image/40203482
http://www.whitehouse.gov/government/http://www.whitehouse.gov/governm
ent/
http://www.whitehouse.gov/president/
Killoran, J. (2002). Mastering Grade 5 CRCT in Social Studies. New York:
Jarrett Publishing Company