We the PeopleChapter 1

Essential Questions•Why do we study civics?

•What are the values that form the basis of the American way of life?

•What are the roles and qualities of a good citizen?

Civics in our lives•Civics is the study of citizenship and

government.

•Citizen – a legally recognized member of a country.

•Citizens have rights and responsibilities based on the form of government their country follows.

•A government is the organizations, institutions, and individuals who have political authority over a group of people.▫Democracy▫Socialism▫Communism▫Oligarchy▫Monarchy▫Anarchy

Being an American CitizenRights Responsibilities

• Vote in federal elections• Serve on a jury• Bring family members to

the United States• Obtain citizenship for

children born abroad• Travel with a U.S. passport• Run for federal office• Become eligible for

federal grants and scholarship

• Support and defend the Constitution

• Serve the country when required

• Participate in the democratic process

• Respect and obey federal, state, and local laws

• Respect the rights, beliefs, and opinions of others

• Participate in your local community

American Values•Equality – each citizen has the same rights and

freedoms granted to all citizens.

•Liberty – our rights and freedoms as Americans.

•Justice – rights and freedoms cannot be taken away from you, as long as you follow the laws of your community, state, and country.

Qualities of a Good Citizen•VOTE!!

•Express you opinion – tell local, state, or national political representatives how you feel about an issue

• Being and Effective Citizen• Are responsible family members• Respect and obey laws• Respect the rights and property of others• Are loyal to and proud of their country• Take part in and improve life in their communities• Take an active role in government• Use natural resources wisely• Are informed on key issues and willing to take a stand for

these issues• Believe in equal opportunity for all people• Respect individual differences, points of view, and ways of

life that are different from their own.

Essential Questions•Who are “Americans”, and where did they

come from?

•What changes have occurred in U.S. Immigration policy since the early 1800s?

•How does a person become a U.S. Citizen?

Who are U.S. Citizens• The United States is

known as the “melting pot” of the world.

• People of different origin, languages, ideas, beliefs, customs, hopes, and dreams.

• Immigrants are people who come here from other countries.

Immigration Policy• Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882

▫ stopped Chinese immigration into the United States.

• Quotas were formed by new immigration laws in the 1920s, only allowing specific numbers of immigrants to enter the country within a year.

• Immigration Act of 1990 ▫ set a total yearly quota of 675,000, which started in 1995.▫ 1. husbands, wives, and children of U.S. citizens▫ 2. people who have valuable job skills▫ 3. aliens – permanent residents of the U.S. who are still

citizens of another country,

Becoming a citizen•Native-born : born in the United States or territory.

• 87.5% of Americans are native-born; 12.5% are foreign-born.

•Naturalization – legal process an alien goes through to become a citizen.▫ Apply for a permanent residency visa▫ Apply for citizenship▫ Get fingerprinted▫ Be interviewed and pass tests on civics, U.S. History and the

English language.▫ Take Oath of Allegiance to the United States

Oath of Allegiance to the United States"I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the armed forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God."

•As of 2009, their were about 21.7 million legal aliens living in the U.S.

•A legal alien has permission to enter the United States, but cannot serve on a jury, vote, or hold any political office.

•Must carry a green card with them at all times

Illegal Aliens•Undocumented residents in the United

States.

•Come to the U.S. for better jobs, education, and health care.

•Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986▫ Legalized undocumented residents who met certain

requirements to decrease the number of illegal immigrants.

Refugees•People who are trying to escape danger in

their home country.▫Persecution▫War▫Political conflicts▫Other crisis situations

Essential Questions•Why is the census important?

•In what ways does population grow and change?

•What has changed about the American population over the years?

•For what reasons have Americans moved and settled in new areas over the course of U.S. History?

The Census• A census is an official

counting of a population.

• The U.S. conducts a census every 10 years.

• Between 2000 and 2010, the U.S. population has risen about 9%.

• http://2010.census.gov/2010census/popmap/

•A census tracks the number of people that live in an area.

•The U.S. is expected to reach a population of 50 million by the year 2025.

•Demographics is the study of the characteristics of human populations.

•Ten most populated countries in the world??

Population Growth•Countries can grow in three main ways

▫By natural increase▫By adding new territories▫Immigration

Natural Increase• Birthrate > Death rate

• Birthrate: annual number of live births per 1,000 people in the population.

• Death rate: annual number of deaths per 1,000 people in the population.

• 1st U.S. Census was taken in 1790▫Less than 4 million people were living in the 13

original colonies.

Adding Territories•Current U.S. Territories

▫Midway Island (1867) (North Pacific Ocean)

▫Puerto Rico (1898) (Northeastern Caribbean)

▫American Samoa (1899) (South Pacific Ocean)

▫U.S. Virgin Islands (1927) (Caribbean)

▫Northern Mariana Islands (1947) (Western Pacific Ocean)

▫Guam (1950) (West Pacific Ocean)

Immigration•Since 1820, over 60 million immigrants

have moved here from all over the world.

Population Changes•Changing Households•Changing Women’s Roles•An older Population•Diverse Population•Migration to Cities

▫ Movement of a large number of people from region to region.

•Driving to the Suburbs•Migration to the Sunbelt