1. LEARNING ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
CIVICS STANDARD ONE (b): Students will analyze the different functions of federal, state, and local governments in the United States and examine the reasons for the different organizational structures each level of government displays.
LEARNING ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
Why does a government have certain powers?
(2) What different needs should be addressed by the
different levels of government?
(3) Has the idea of what is an appropriate power of
government changed or remained the same over time?

2. UNIT IV: CIVICS AND GOVERNMENT

3. BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT

4. I. Constitution
Divided into three main parts:
1. Preamble (opening statement)
Six Goals:
to form a more perfect union
to establish justice
to ensure domestic tranquility
to provide for the common
defense
to promote the general welfare
to secure the blessing of liberty

5. Articles
divided into seven sections
purpose – create the framework for
our government
3. Amendments
only 27 formal changes
(amendments) have been made to
the Constitution over the past 200
years

6. Limited
Government
Popular
Sovereignty
Individual
Rights
Seven Basic
Principles of the
Constitution
Separation of
Power
Checks
and
Balances
Federalism
Republicanism

8. II. Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship
A. What is a citizen?
citizen:
Person who owes loyalty to a particular nation
and is entitled to all its rights and protection
2. To be a United States citizen, you must
fulfill one of three requirements…
You are born in the United States, or one of your parents is a citizen of the U.S.
You were naturalized, that is, you have
completed the official legal process for
becoming a citizen.
You were 18 or younger when your parents were naturalized.

9. voting obeying the laws defending the nation serving on a jury
B. Responsibilities of a Citizen
CIVIC RESPONSIBILITIES:
voting
obeying the laws
defending the nation
serving on a jury
serving the community
being informed

10. III. Changing the Constitution
A. Amendment Process
1. two ways:
proposed by 2/3 of both the
House of Representatives and
the Senate (Congress)
national convention called by
Congress at the request of
2/3 of the state legislature
(never been used before)

11. B. Amendment Ratification
1. two ways:
approved by the legislatures of ¾
of the states
approved by special conventions in
¾ of the states

12. C. Later Amendments
1. Civil War Amendments
13th – abolished slavery
14th – guaranteed citizenship to
former slaves
15th – states may not deny the
right to vote to any citizen
on the basis of race, color,
or previous conditions of
servitude

13. 2. Nineteenth Amendment (19TH)
gave women the right to vote
3. Twenty-Sixth Amendment (26TH)
lowered the minimum voting age
from 21 to 18

14. IV. Federalism A. Levels of Government
federal government (United States):
deals with national issues
state government (Delaware):
power to meet more local needs
each of the 50 states has a constitution that sets forth the principles and framework of its government
3. local government (Smyrna):
the administration of a particular town,
county, or district, with representatives
elected by those who live there

15. STATE
LOCAL
BOTH

16. STATE LOCAL BOTH operate state firefighters parks police in charge of
infrastructures
garbage collection
education
license
professionals
provide libraries,
parks, cultural,
and recreational
facilities
maintenance
maintain law
and order
highways
and roads
provide public
health and
welfare programs
conduct safety
inspections of
buildings and
restaurants