What do you think it means to be a citizen? What do citizens expect from their

government? In return, what should citizens do for their government? Are there benefits

to being a citizen?

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What is Civics?

-Civics

-Study of Citizenship and

Government

• Rights and duties of citizenship

-Citizen

1. Owe loyalty to government

2. Expect protection from The White House2. Expect protection from

government

3. Accept government authority

-Government: ruling authority for a

group of people

The White House

The U.S. Capitol Building

The Common Good

--The ultimate role of the

government is to do the

greatest good to the

greatest number of

people without harming

others

How do these two pictures represent the government’s role in providing for the “common

good”?

Why We Need Gov’t?

-Make laws

• Provide security, guide the

community

-Keep Order

-Provide Services-Provide Services

-prevent anarchy

-the absence of any form of

government

Water Treatment

Plant

Levels of Government

-National

• President, U.S. Congress,

Supreme Court

-State

• Governor, General Assembly,

State Courts

-Local-Local

County

• School board

City

• City council

Democracy

-republics-- rule by the consent of

the people

• Other people represent you

-democracy

-direct democracy-a form of

government where each citizens

has an actual say in the affairs

of government

• Ex: town meeting

-representative democracy-a

form of government where

citizens elect representatives to

make decisions for them

• Ex: Student council

Why is democracy a challenge?

Monarchy

-monarchy

-form of government led by

a king or a queen

-absolute monarchy

• King/Queen has all the

powerpower

-limited monarchy

• King/Queen shares power

with the people

The Queen of England, Elizabeth II, is a limited monarch who must share

her power with England’s representative body, the Parliament.

Socialist

-socialist

Type of government where

individuals and government

share ownership in major

businesses and government

takes on a greater role in

citizen’s lives.

Communist

-communist

Type of government where the

government owns and

controls all aspects of life for

its citizens

Authoritarian

-dictatorship-Type of

government that is usually

controlled by one person

who allows very little

freedom or opposition

-totalitarianism-Form of

government where little government where little

freedom or opposition is

allowed

-oligarchy-Government that is

ruled by a small group of

people

Religious

-theocracy

Type of government that is

ruled by religious leaders

Pope Benedict XVII rules over the Pope Benedict XVII rules over the Catholic church and the smallest country in the world, Vatican City.