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Citizenship in the United States of America
Essential Questions: What does it mean to be a citizen in this country and how does a person become a citizen? Why are civic responsibilities like volunteering important?
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American Citizens
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Citizens and Government
Citizens: members of a community who owe their loyalty to the government of the community and are entitled to government services. Government: the ruling authority for a community. Allows distribution of resources and provides order in a society. Governments should help citizens meet their needs.
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Citizenship Abraham Lincoln – “The US government is of the people, for the people, and by the people.” - Of the people: the government rules by consent of the governed; it gets its power from the citizens. - For the people: the actions of the government should benefit the citizens. - By the people: regular citizens are the people who participate in government.
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Who are America’s Citizens?
Become a US citizen by being born in the US or being naturalized. Currently, there is discussion about this by Republican primary candidates Alien: non-citizen living in a country for a specific period of time. Immigrant: non-citizen who has permanently moved to a new country. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS): oversees naturalization. .
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Naturalization Process:
1. Be a Lawful Permanent Resident of the United States: apply and pay fee 2. Live in US for five years (only three if married to a US citizen) 3. Apply for citizenship, pay fee of and provide Biometric data. 4. Interview with an INS official. 5. Take the citizenship test. 6. Ceremony and take oath of allegiance
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American Citizenship? Carlos was born in Puerto Rico of Spanish citizens who were visiting relatives.
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American Citizenship? Camille was born while her French parents were vacationing in Chicago.
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American Citizenship? Maggie was born in Washington, D.C., where her mother and father served as diplomats for Denmark.
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American Citizenship? Terry’s American parents were working in Greece when he was born.
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Some more “real life examples.”
Ted Cruz – born in Canada John McCain – born in the Panama Canal region Barack Obama – born in Hawaii, but what if he was born in Kenya as some claim? Some in the Presidential race (Donald Trump, Jeb Bush) are using the term “anchor babies” which some claim is racially offensive. But what does this mean?
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Aliens??? Anyone who is living in the country who is not a citizen is called an “alien”. Only about 675,000 allowed each year. People with family members already in US or with a special skill get preference. .
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Legal immigration Undocumented Residents: at least 5-6 million, get deported if caught. Legal Aliens: can work, own property, attend school, receive government services, pay taxes. Can’t run for office, vote, serve on a jury, and must carry a picture ID at all times
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A Nation of Immigrants Every person in the US is an immigrant or the descendant of an immigrant. “E Pluribus Unum”: Out of many, one. Diversity in Population: 64% non-Latino whites, 13% black, 5% Asian, 1% American Indian, 3% multiracial, 6 % other (16.3 % Latino: not a race, Latino is an ethnicity). Diversity in Religion.
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Citizenship The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution establishes two ways to become a citizen: by birth Or by a legal process called naturalization for non-citizens, or aliens A child born abroad to American parents may hold dual citizenship.
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Quotas The United States restricts the number of immigrants who can enter the country. Highest priority goes to relatives of U.S. citizens and people with needed skills. The Immigration Act of 1990 made it easier for people with particular skills, talents, or the money to invest in our economy to enter the U.S.
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Legal vs. Illegal Aliens
Legal aliens live like most Americans. They hold jobs and pay taxes. They do not have full political rights. They may not vote, or run for office. 5 to 6 million aliens live in the U.S. illegally. Illegal aliens live in fear that the government will discover and deport them—send them back to their own country.
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A Nation of Immigrants All of today’s more than 300 million Americans are descended from immigrants
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Whites of European descent are the largest group
Fastest growing population is Latin Americans Current Population: Whites of European descent are the largest group followed by African Americans and Hispanics Asians and Pacific Islanders Native Americans Melting pot vs. Tossed Salad analogy for how people blend together in the country
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Population Shifts In the mid-1800s people began moving from farms to factory jobs in cities. In recent decades manufacturing jobs declined and service jobs increased. Rustbelt-Areas in the US where factories have closed After slavery ended, a migration, or mass movement, occurred as African Americans left the South seeking jobs in the North.
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Americans show patriotism—love for one’s country
Americans show patriotism—love for one’s country. We follow the nation’s laws. The attacks of September 11, 2001 were acts of terrorism—the use of violence by groups against civilians to achieve a political goal. Americans responded with courage and unity, becoming more patriotic
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Responsibilities and Duties of American Citizens
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Responsibilities Actions that American citizens SHOULD take in order to contribute positively to our society
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Duties Actions that American citizens MUST take in order to contribute positively to our society and avoid going to jail
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Responsibilities Things we should do Be informed Vote Respect others
Contribute to the community
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Duties Things we have to do Obey laws Pay taxes
Defend the nation (military) Serve in court (jury duty) Attend school
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Costs and Benefits of Civic Involvement
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Participation through Public Service
Civic Action Costs Benefits
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Participation in the Judicial Process
Jury Service Costs Benefits
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Participation in the Political Process
Voting Costs Benefits Seeking Office Costs Benefits
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So what are your duties and responsibilities today?
For this assignment, please write me a short paragraph telling me what kind of duties and responsibilities you have as a high school student. Remember as you do this what the difference between a duty and a responsibility is! Give me at least two examples of each! Do your best!
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Types of Government Why do we have governments and what are the different forms they take throughout human history?
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Need For Government Government: The ruling authority for a community or society. Any organization with the power to make and enforce laws for its members. Functions of Government: 1. Keep order: prevent conflicts; settle them when they occur 2. Provide security: military and police 3. Provide public services: keep public healthy and safe. Ex: fire departments, driver’s licenses, test water
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Levels of Government National: The government of an entire country. In the USA, the national government is also called the Federal Government. State: The government of a specific region or area of a country; in the USA we call these states. Other countries call them provinces, prefects, regions, etc. Local: The government of a small area, usually a county, city, or town.
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Branches of Government
Legislative: Makes laws -Ex: US Congress, NC General Assembly Executive: Enforces laws - President Barack Obama, Governor Bev Perdue Judicial: Interprets laws - Courts
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Types of Government Democracy: Government by the citizens/people
-Direct Democracy: All citizens have the chance to vote for any law or action. - Representative Democracy: citizens elect people to represent them in making government decisions.
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Democratic Principals
Voting – fair and competitive elections determine who rules. One person, one vote Voters have choices – people chose between different ideas and points of view Majority Rule – whatever most people want, that is what happens
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Other Types of Government
- Monarchy: a King or Queen controls the entire government and makes all decisions Constitutional monarchy: the King or Queen shares power with a legislative body, often called the parliament Dictatorship/Autocracy/Totalitarian State: A single ruler completely controls the government and all decision-making. This person usually came to power by military force. Theocracy: Government is controlled by religious leaders Oligarchy: Government of the few; often a small group of wealthy nobles/aristocrats
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English Political Traditions
What aspects of the English government do we use in the US today?
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The Magna Carta England’s government has historically been a monarchy
The Magna Carta: In 1215, King John I was forced to sign a document called the Magna Carta which guaranteed certain rights to the citizens of England. Important rights established by the document and adopted by the US government include: 1. Accused people are guaranteed a trial with a jury. They are presumed innocent until proven guilty. 2. All citizens are guaranteed justice 3. All citizens, regardless of class, must follow the same laws and will be punished in the same way if they break a law.
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The Parliament The Parliament: Originally a group of advisors to the monarch, the Parliament slowly took on more and more power. Today the Parliament has all powers of government in England. “The Glorious Revolution”: In 1688, Parliament forced the King out of power and installed his daughter and her husband (William and Mary) as the rulers of England. This event established the Parliament as stronger than the monarch. Following the Glorious Revolution, the Parliament passed the English Bill of Rights. Important parts of the English Bill of Rights are 1) members of Parliament elected 2) no cruel and unusual punishment
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Common Law England’s laws have not always been written down in the way that we have today. This type of system is called Common Law. Common Law: A system of law based on customs and precedents. Precedent: a decision or ruling in a court case which is used as a basis for similar cases.
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Enlightenment Philosophy
The Enlightenment was a time when people in Europe began to question the traditional ideas about government and power, and came up with new ideas about who should be involved in government. Several important writers of the 1700s helped pave the way for the American Revolution.
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John Locke The most important Enlightenment philosopher in the design of the government of the United States. Natural Rights: purpose of government is to protect the natural rights of citizens; these rights are “life, liberty, and property” Social Contract: people in a society agree to give up some of their freedom in exchange for protection of their natural rights by a government
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Montesquieu and Rousseau
Baron de Montesquieu: Separation of Power powers of government should be divided into branches (Legislative Branch: Makes Laws; Executive Branch: Enforces Laws; Judicial Branch: Interprets Laws) Jean-Jacques Rousseau: “All Men Are Created Equal”
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The Articles of Confederation
Essential Question: In what ways did the Articles of Confederation attempt to correct the problems of the colonial period?
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We’re Independent! …Now what?
Note: At the First Continental Congress, requests were made for better treatment. At the Second Continental Congress ( the most important one) a Declaration of Independence was made. After the colonies declared independence in 1776, they had to go to war against Great Britain. Ultimately, the colonies won the war so now we were free from British control to establish our own, new government.
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Wanted: Weak Central Gov’t
The former colonies were now called “states”. Each state wrote their own Constitution, but there were still some things that individual states could not provide on their own – like a military. So, the founding fathers realized that we need to create a central government. We were fearful of a strong central gov’t because we had just fought a war to break away from a controlling government.
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A “Confederation” “League of Friendship” - Cooperation between states
The new states decided that they should form a weak central government to provide an army and to deal with foreign countries.
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The Articles of Confederation
Structure of the new government: Most powers were left up to the individual states No Executive Branch No Court System One branch called Congress Congress could not: collect taxes, regulate trade, or enforce laws In order to pass laws, Congress had to get approval from 9 of the 13 states, which was very difficult. Any changes to the Articles had to be approved by all 13 states – nearly impossible! Had to rely on the states to create military and because they couldn’t control the states, the military was almost non-existent.
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The Constitutional Convention
How did the American colonists attempt to fix the problems of the Articles of Confederation?
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Problems Facing the Young Nation
Just like the British in the French & Indian War, the USA faced a very high debt after the Revolutionary War The national government could not impose taxes, so the individual states placed high taxes on their citizens. This caused many businesses to fail, and many people lost their property because they could not pay back their loans.
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Shays’ Rebellion Daniel Shays lost his farm in Massachusetts and then raised an army that marched through the countryside. They tried to prevent farms from being seized by the courts. The national government had a very difficult time stopping the rebellion, and people began to think that the government was too weak to protect them.
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Constitutional Convention 1787
Delegates from 12 states meet in Philadelphia to revise the Articles of Confederation. They quickly decide to throw out the Articles and start over. They made George Washington the head of the convention and decided to keep everything they were doing secret during the convention.
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Make sure you finished the Declaration of Independence Assignment, and answer these questions on a separate sheet of paper afterwords. 1) How does the article describe the character of Daniel Shays? 2) Why did Shay’s end up leading a revolt about taxes? 3) What is the articles point of view on the men in the Oregon rebellion? (Use ACE!) 4) What differences are there between the Oregon Militia and Shays Rebellion? (Use ACE!) 5) How do you think the Oregon “Militia” will be remembered in history?
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Two Competing Plans Virginia Plan: supported by states with a large population 1. Bicameral legislature 2. Representation based on population: large states have more representatives and more power. New Jersey Plan: supported by states with a small population 1. Unicameral Legislature 2. Equal Representation: 1 state, 1 vote
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Compromises Delegates from the small states threaten to leave the convention Great Compromise/Connecticut Compromise 1. Bicameral Legislature 2. Senate with equal representation 2 per state 3. House of Representatives with representation based on population Three-fifths Compromise 1. Southern states want slaves to be counted as part of their population. Northern states opposed to this because it makes slave states more powerful 2. Decide that three out of every five slaves will count in a state’s population
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Trade/Commerce Compromise
1. Northern states want the national government to be able to regulate trade. Southern states concerned that this regulation will include taxes on exports and laws against the slave trade 2. National government given the power to regulate trade, but cannot put a tax on exports. Also cannot pass new laws about the slave trade for 20 years.
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Presidential Compromise
Who will choose the President? 1. Constitution writers do not trust regular people to make a good choice about the Presidency 2. Answer the question with the Electoral College State legislatures choose electors who meet together to decide the President. -Other issues – south vs. north (slavery) factored into the Presidential vote
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Ratification of the New Constitution
Ratify = Approve ¾ of states (9 out of 13) must ratify the Constitution before it will take effect Federalists: Group that supports ratification. Named for the concept of Federalism a system of government where the national a state governments share power Anti-Federalists: Group that opposes the Constitution. Anti-Federalists believe the Constitution makes the national government too powerful and does not adequately protect citizens.
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Finally Ratified… After a year of arguing, the Federalists agree to add a Bill of Rights to the Constitution if the Anti-Federalists will support ratification July 21, 1788: New Hampshire becomes the 9th state to ratify the Constitution and it becomes the official plan of government for the USA. NC did not ratify until over a year later. We were the next to last of the original states to ratify.
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Government and the People
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Need for Government Government is the ruling authority for a community or a society. Governments have existed for as long as there has been society
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What Governments Do: It’s most important job is to pass laws or rules of conduct. Government helps prevent conflicts and settle conflicts that come up They provide security to citizens. (police, military) Provide services to the public (libraries, fire protection, hospitals)
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Types of Democracy Democracy – people rule themselves
This was used in Ancient Greece Types of Democracy Democracy – people rule themselves Direct Democracy – all citizens meet and vote on issues This was used in Ancient Greece Representative Democracy – people elect representatives to rule for them America is a Representative Democracy Constitutional Monarchy – A democracy that also has a King of Queen Great Britian, or England, is a Constutitional Monarch
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Democratic Principals
Voting – fair and competitive elections determine who rules. One person, one vote Voters have choices – people chose between different ideas and points of view Majority Rule – whatever most people want, that is what happens
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Other types of government
Oligarchy – rule of the rich Authoritarian Monarchy – a ruler with unlimited power to rule as they wished Very few countries in the world today have authoritarian monarchs Dictatorships are similar to authoritarian monarchs, except they usually take power by force Usually, they rely on military or police to stay in power Totalitarianism governments control almost every part of a persons life. Totalitarianism usually tells people what they can read, where they go to church, what they watch on tv, among other things What are the benefits and drawbacks to each type?
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