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 near-extermination 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.

Makes laws for the nation

Carries out our national

laws

Interprets and applies

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:

• 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

• Eight associate justices

• Each appointed by the president• Decides the constitutionality of federal laws and

presidential decisions

•A chief justice and . . .

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 two-

thirds 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)

Lower courts, General trial courts, state House of Representativesappeals courts, and State and state Senate

Supreme Court (legislative branch)

(judicial branch)

Governor Sonny Perdue

Lieutenant GovernorMark Taylor

State Powers

• 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.

• 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 Health Department

Fire Department Planning Department

Sanitation Dept. Tax Collection Dept.

Building Inspection

From an idea to a Law

• 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

• 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• 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/government/

• http://www.whitehouse.gov/president/ Killoran, J. (2002). Mastering Grade 5 CRCT in Social Studies. New York: Jarrett Publishing Company