What does “E Pluribus Unum” Stand For?

Who Are America’s Citizens? You are a Citizen by birth if you meet any of the following: Born in the U.S. (50 states or D.C.), or any of its territories or military bases If you are born elsewhere & both parents are citizens or one is a citizen who has lived in the U.S.

Who Are America’s Citizens? Naturalization: Legal process of becoming a citizen Alien: Non-citizens who live in a country Immigrant: Move from one country to another to live More than 500,000 immigrants to the U.S. per year

Who Are America’s Citizens? The Naturalization Process: 1.File Declaration of Citizenship 2.Must be in U.S. 5 years (3 if married to a citizen) 3.Be 18+ & resident of your state for more than 3 months 4.Background interview and test taken 5.Oath of Allegiance taken: any kids naturalized citizen may have under 18 become citizens too

A Lifelong Privilege Citizenship is a lifelong privilege unless… Denaturalization: Giving improper information during naturalization process Expatriation: Giving up your citizenship to become citizen of another country Punishment for a crime: Treason, violent rebellious act against the government

Aliens in America U.S. today limits # of immigrants to around 1 million per year Recent emphasis on allowing those who are most likely to become productive, working citizens into country

Aliens in America Illegal Immigrants: More than 12 million illegal aliens living in U.S. Some come temporarily & stay, some come in illegally Not legal to hire illegal immigrants U.S. Border Patrol created to police U.S.- Mexico, U.S.-Canadian border & waters around Florida Deport: Send back to country of citizenship

Aliens in America Legal Immigrants: Resident Alien: Has come to the United States to live permanently Nonresident Alien: Only in the United States temporarily TV reporter from foreign country reporting on World Cup Soccer in U.S. Aliens have same legal protections as U.S. citizens Do not have right to vote, run for office, or sit on juries

Types of Government Types of Democracy Democracy – A government in which citizens hold the power to rule. Direct democracy – a form of democracy in which the people vote firsthand. Representative democracy – A government in which citizens choose a smaller group to govern on their behalf.

Republic – a representative democracy where citizens choose their lawmakers. Constitutional Monarch – The monarchs are heads of state only, presiding at the ceremonies and serving as symbols of unity. Democratic Principles Voting and Democracy – Free, fair and competitive elections Voters have choice – Competitive elections and competing political parties are an important in democracies Majority rule – citizens agree that when differences of opinion arise, they will abide by what most people want.

Authoritarian Governments Authoritarian – a government in which one leader or group of people holds absolute power. Absolute Monarch – Monarchs had unlimited authority to rule as they wished. (Technically 2 still remain today – king of Saudi Arabia and the emir of Qatar)

Dictatorships – Dictators exercise complete control over the state. Dictators generally acquire power through force. Totalitarianism – The governments control extends to almost every aspect of people’s lives. Most dictators impose a totalitarian state Ban political opposition and suppress individual freedoms Regulate farms and industries

Duties & Responsibilities of Citizens Responsibilities: Things we SHOULD do, voluntary actions Duties: Things that we are REQUIRED to do as citizens

Duties & Responsibilities of Citizens 5 Duties of U.S. Citizens: 1. Obey laws: Federal, State & Local 2. Pay Taxes: 3. Defend the country in wartime: the draft for men 18 to 25 if necessary 4. Serve on Juries: 5. Attend School:

Duties & Responsibilities of Citizens 4 Civic Responsibilities of Citizens: 1. Be informed on government actions and decisions that may impact your life 2. Make your voice heard on key issues and government officials by voting 3. Respect the rights of others: Don’t create panic, tolerate views different than your own Drag racing on public roads puts the lives of others in danger 4. Contribute to the common good: Volunteering time and money, helping others in need, etc…

Citizen Involvement Every year, more than half of Americans do some kind of volunteer work Volunteering can improve the lives of others and make communities safer places to live and work

Citizen Involvement Bureaucracies: Complex systems with many departments, many rules and many people in the chain of command How governments are organized, can be slow to adapt to change

Citizen Involvement Welfare: The health, happiness and prosperity of all those in the community Donating Time & Money: Many opportunities within the community to volunteer & contribute More than $250 billion is donated to charity on a yearly basis Average American donates about 2 percent of income Volunteerism: Offering time and effort to others without payment

Volunteers in Action Charitable Organizations: More than 1 million charities available to donate either time or money School-Based Programs: Some schools require community service for graduation National Service Programs: AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, Freedom Corps

Citizen Involvement Voluntary Spirit: Citizens pitch in to solve problems rather than relying on government. 50,000+ people volunteer for AmeriCorps every year