1. **Take Cornell notes as we go through the lesson
WHY GOVERNMENT?
**Take Cornell notes as we go through the lesson

2. What do governments do? Taxes Elections Manage Economy Banking Laws
Supply $$
Help businesses (tax breaks)
What do governments do?
Random Cool Stuff
Funds the arts
Parades & ceremonies
Scientific & Medical Research
National Parks
Explore space
Enforce Laws
Police
Courts
Prisons
Taxes
Regulate Businesses
Protect consumers (food)
Environmental laws
Protect workers (labor laws)
Elections
Foreign Affairs
Trade
Diplomats
Immigrants/border control
Peace talks
Embassies
United Nations
Social Services
Schools
Streets
Firefighters
Help people in need
Sewers
Defense
Wars
Train soldiers
Intelligence (a.k.a. spies)
Make Laws
Crime
Marriage/Divorce
Public safety

3. Check up (Vocabulary)
Legitimacy: Citizens believe their government has the basic right to make laws
Rule of Law: Everybody follows the same laws, even those in charge
Transparency: The government does not operate in secret
Freedom: Individual rights, such as free speech, are protected
Equality: All citizens enjoy the same basic rights and opportunities
Sovereignty: The government operates free of outside powers

4. Help Wanted Representative Senator President Age 25 30 35 Citizenship
Representative
Senator
President
Age 25 30 35
Citizenship
US Citizen for at
Least 7 years
Us Citizen for at least 9 years
Born in the United States
Location
Live in the state
You represent
Lived on US soil for at least 14 years
Term
2 years
No term limit
6 years
4 years
two-term limit
Salary
174,000
400,000

5. Legislative Branch 2 Houses of Congress make up this branch
Congress can fire a president
(hasn’t happened)
Congress can override a presidential veto with a 2/3 vote
Senate approves/rejects presidential nominees for Supreme Court
Congress can fire a justice (hasn’t happened)
#1 job: Make Laws
UPPER HOUSE
Senate: 100 Members (2 per state)
LOWER HOUSE
House of Representatives: 435 members (varies by state population)

6. The president heads this branch.
Executive Branch
The president heads this branch.
Leads National policy & signs bills into laws
President can veto, or turn down, a bill that has passed Congress
President names Justices to the Supreme Court
In charge of:
Military
Foreign Affairs

7. Judicial Branch 9 Justices of the Supreme Court
Ensure laws fall in line with the Constitution
Supreme Court can strike down laws declared Unconstitutional

8. Responsibilities as a citizen
Civic participation: Voting, influencing policy, paying taxes, serving on juries, protecting the United States of America
Voting: does your vote matter? YES!
Public policy: a plan of action taken by government to achieve a goal.
What is your role in this?
Stay informed about how these policies affect you and your family.
Contact your representative and let them know if you support these policies or not.
Suggest new policies, yes you can do this.
Take advantage of your ability to participate as a citizen. In some countries, citizens are not allowed to vote or otherwise participate in the policy making of their governments.