1. What is Civics?
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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2. The U.S. Capitol Building
What is Civics?
-Civics
-Study of Citizenship and Government
Rights and duties of citizenship
-Citizen
Owe loyalty to government
Expect protection from government
Accept government authority
-Government: ruling authority for a group of people
The White House
The U.S. Capitol Building

3. 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”?

4. Provide security, guide the community
Why We Need Gov’t?
-Make laws
Provide security, guide the community
-Keep Order
-Provide Services
-prevent anarchy
-the absence of any form of government
Water Treatment Plant

5. Levels of Government
-National
President, U.S. Congress, Supreme Court
-State
Governor, General Assembly, State Courts
-Local
County
School board
City
City council

6. Why is democracy a challenge?
-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?

7. -form of government led by a king or a queen
Monarchy
-monarchy
-form of government led by a king or a queen
-absolute monarchy
King/Queen has all the power
-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.

8. 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.

9. Communist
-communist
Type of government where the government owns and controls all aspects of life for its citizens

10. 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 freedom or opposition is allowed
-oligarchy-Government that is ruled by a small group of people

11. Type of government that is ruled by religious leaders
-theocracy
Type of government that is ruled by religious leaders
Pope Benedict XVII rules over the Catholic church and the smallest country in the world, Vatican City.