practical u.s. government - continental academy

Practical U.S. GovernmentPractical U.S. Government

By: Rene Choyv 1.0

By: Rene Choyv 1.0

PRACTICAL U.S. GOVERNMENT

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I N S T R U C T I O N S

Welcome to your Continental Academy course “Practical U.S. Government”. It is made up of 7 i ndividual lessons, as listed in the Table of Contents. Each lesson includes practice questions with answers. You will progress through this course one lesson at a time, at your own pace. First, study the lesson thoroughly. Then, complete the lesson reviews at the end of the lesson and carefully cheek your answers. Sometimes, those answers will contain information t hat you will need on the graded lesson assignments. When you are ready, complete the 10-question, multiple choice lesson assignment. At the end of each lesson, you will find notes t o help you prepare for the online assignments. All lesson assignments are open-book. Continue work ing on the lessons at your own pace until you have finished all lesson assignments for this course. When you have completed and passed all lesson assignments for this course, complete the End of Course Examination. If you need help understanding any part of the lesson, practice questions, or this procedure:

Click on the “Send a Message” link on the left side of the home page

Select “Academic Guidance” in the “To” field Type your question in the field provided Then, click on the “Send” button You will receive a response within ONE BUSINESS DAY


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About the Author…

Mr. Rene Choy is a 2004 honors graduate of Florida International University in Miami, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts [B.A.] in

Economics and a Certificate in Latin American and Caribbean Studies. He has a temporary teaching certificate from the State of Florida and has been

cleared as a social sciences teacher (grades 6-12) by the Miami Dade County Public Schools. He is currently an independent economics

consultant and sales advisor. Mr. Choy has extensive experience as a private tutor and has classroom observation experience. He has far-reaching research in consumer market preferences and United States

economic policy. Mr. Choy currently lives in Miami, Florida with his wife.

Practical United States Government SS30 Editor: Reid Friedson, M.A.

Copyright 2008 Home School of America

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

The Continental Academy National Standard Curriculum Series

Published by: Continental Academy 3241 Executive Way Miramar, FL, 33025


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The Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights and the inter-relationship of government, society, and the economy are introduced. Branches of federal, state, and local government, political parties, interest groups, as well as contemporary issues are all detailed. Rights, responsibilities, and duties of citizens to the democratic process, along with career opportunities in government services are featured.

Student will know what is civic life, politics, and government

Student will know the foundations of the American Political System

Student will know how the government embodies the purposes,

values, and principals of American Democracy

Student will know the relationship of the United States to other

nations and to world affairs

Student will know the roles of citizens in American Democracy

Student will know when and how the three worlds meet

Student will know when colonization and settlement occurred

Student will know the Civil War and Reconstruction period

Student will know the emergence of modern America

Student will know the Great Depression and World War II period

Student will know how the United Stats was postwar

Student will know Contemporary United States

Student will understand the world in spatial terms

Students will understand the characterizations of human systems


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Lesson Subject Page Lesson 1 Government of the United States and the 7 United States Constitution Lesson 2 Political Organization 25

Lesson 3 The Decision-Making Process 43

Lesson 4 The Evolution of the American Form of Government 57

Lesson 5 United States Government History 69

Lesson 6 The American Way of Life 93

Lesson 7 Individual Responsibilities Toward Our Society 109 End of Course Review 123


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Lesson 1 Government of the United States and the United States Constitution

Introduction:

In this lesson, you will learn about the parts of Government of the United

States. You will learn more about national, state and local governments.

You will learn about the important sections of the United States

Constitution. This is the most essential document in the history of

Government of the United States.

Why Study Government of the United States? We must first define important terms to study Government of the United

States. A state is basically the same as a country. It means political unity

over a territory. States are organized into a government. Governments

make and enforce laws. The term the “United States” was first used in

1776. Thirteen British colonies declared independence from the British

Empire. The term nation is used to describe people with common territory,

economic life, culture and language. The people of nations and states

often intertwine.

States have:

Government: Every state in the world has some sort of government or

social institution to provide services. Governments enforces laws and

decisions. Some countries such as the United States are composed of

federal, state, and local governments.


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Sovereignty: The state has absolute authority or sovereignty within its

boundaries. It has the right to make laws and shape policy. In the U.S.,

this characteristic is delegated to various levels of government (federal,

state, or local).

Territory: Each country is separated by boundaries. The U.S. has

3,618,770 square miles. The U.S. territories include the continental U.S.,

Alaska and Hawaii. Territory can be lost or gained as a result of wars,

concessions, or purchases.

Population: The population of each country shares similar and different

beliefs political and social. States shape economics and governmental

ideals. There are two basic types of governments in existence today. Unitary governmental systems give all control to a central or national

government. This central government has power over state matters. Single

government systems can rule by a single person or a group. Single

government systems can divide the territory into sections. Control is kept

by the central state. Decisions are made only in a centralized matter.

Federal systems divide the power of government between national

(federal) and state (provincial) levels. Each part has sovereignty over

certain matters. Countries with federal systems include the U.S., Canada,

Mexico, and others.


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Governmental organizations include communist countries. Many

communist countries call themselves socialist, people’s republics, or

democracies. Communist countries are organized as single government

systems. The central government holds power over all matters. Usually

they organize the decision process into plans. Five or ten year plans

include allocation of resources, political processes, and labor movements.

Countries with such organizations include the old Soviet Union, Cuba, and

North Korea.

Government can become an all powerful entity with an all powerful leader.

Such organization restricts individual rights. Common citizens often do not

participate in law making. Citizens can not vote for their leaders. Many

communist leaders tend to stay in power for years. Fidel Castro (Cuba)

has been in power since 1959. Most, if not all, the examples of

communism have turned into dictatorial governments. Dictatorial

governments become unlimited governments. They do not respond to

anyone but themselves.

Democracies are organized to give power to common citizens. Individual

rights are assured by a constitution. Common people are allowed to vote

for local, state, and federal leaders. This kind of system is better at

distributing goods to citizens. Consumption is not restricted by the system.

Citizens have the right to buy or sell what they want. This does not exist in

communist societies. The state plans all production. It tells citizens what to

eat, buy, or consume. The Government of the United States is organized

as a democracy.


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Learn about our government to be informed. The right to vote is extremely

important. It helps us keep our individual rights. Citizens have to use their

rights to maintain the system. Our Constitution makes sure no part of our

government is too powerful. This allows for parts of the government to

serve as counter- weights to others.

Each American has civic duties. They include knowing our laws and way of

government. It means participating in the democratic process.

Democracies can take one of two forms. In direct democracies, people

have the right to govern themselves by voting directly on issues. This kind

of democracy exists in small nations where people can meet to decide. It’s

still present in small states and in some provinces and towns. In an

indirect or representative democracy, the people elect representatives.

The people’s reps then have the power to make laws. A meeting of

representatives is a legislature or council. It may also be a congress or

parliament. An indirect democracy is used in cities and places where

population is too large for all people to meet in one place. Most places in

Florida use this kind of democracy.

Limited government as used in the United States means the constitution

limits the power of government. It restricts its actions. It lists its powers and

duties. Our Constitution safeguards the government and people against

abuses of power. An example of how one might be affected by misused

power is Richard Nixon in 1974. After the Watergate scandal, President

Richard Nixon had to resign when he faced evidence he acted secretly and

lied to the people.


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Introduction to the United States Constitution

The United States Constitution is the guide to Government of the United

States. It’s the Supreme Law of the Land. The United States Constitution

is the world’s oldest constitution of its kind. It was the first time this form of

constitutional-democratic government was used.

The United States Constitution was ratified on September 17, 1787. The

experiment has lasted more than 200 years. Many other countries have

imitated our form of government with different rates of success. A copy of

the entire text of the United States Constitution can be found in the web site

of the House of Representatives at:

(http://www.house.gov/Constitution/Constitution.html).

The Constitution is separated into parts. The first part is the Preamble

which states the purpose of the Constitution states the six reasons why it

was created:

The Preamble:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union,

establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common

defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty

to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for

the United States of America.


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The parts that follow the Preamble include the Articles and sections.

They explain the parts of government and their powers, duties, and

responsibilities. After the Articles, we find Amendments. The first ten

amendments to the Constitution are the Bill of Rights. Amendments to the

Constitution are changes made over time. Changes to the United States

Constitution are rare. They happen on special occasions to preserve rights,

powers, or responsibilities.

The idea of natural rights is integrated into the Constitution and Bill of

Rights. Our ‘Founding Fathers” believed people had natural, undeniable

rights. The Bill or Rights establishes undeniable rights under the United

States Constitution. They were added to the Constitution. They became

rights not to be denied by government. Such rights include freedom of

religion, speech, press, and peaceful assembly. These rights have been

used by anti-discrimination and libertarian movements.

The Preamble says the Constitution was established to “secure the

Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.” Securing liberty

includes electing the people’s form of government and securing property.

These ideas come from the writings of the English philosopher John Locke

in the 1600s. His ideas seem to fit the American colonists. Leaders such

as Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison felt strongly

in favor of natural rights. Locke believed people were born equal and

independent. They had the right to live freely. Thus people should form

governments to defend their rights. They should not succumb to tyrants

who take them away.


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The United States Constitution creates three [3] separate branches of

government. The Executive branch is composed of the President, Vice-

President, and Cabinet. The Legislative branch is composed of the Senate

and House of Representatives. The Judicial Branch is composed of the

Supreme Court and Lower Courts. This separation of government and

power creates a system of checks and balances. It does not allow for any

of the part of government to become too powerful or alienate others.

The concept of popular sovereignty is native to this form of government.

The people must be able to govern themselves. They must assure no part

of government becomes omnipotent.

John Locke wrote:

Freedom of men under government is to have a standing rule to live by,

common to every one of that society, and made by the legislative power

vested in it; a liberty to follow my own will in all things, when the rule

prescribes not, and not to be subject to the inconstant, uncertain unknown,

arbitrary will or another man.

Men being, as has been said, by Nature, all free and equal and

independent, no one can be put out of this Estate, and subjected to the

Political Power of another, without his own Consent.

(John Locke, Two Treatises of Government (1690)


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The government of the United States was formed on premises such as

these. This is what makes our way of government so great. It does not

allow a totalitarian system. In that system, rights are not guaranteed.

National, State, and Local Governments

The United States government is a federal system. Power is divided into

national and state governments. The phrase “the Federal government”

often refers to the national government of the U.S. in Washington D.C.

States have their own different constitutions. National and state

governments have powers and duties that should not conflict with one

another. A clear example of this is the national government is it is the only

one allowed to tax citizens directly on incomes. State governments are in

charge of taxing sales and house properties. Matters of real estate are

handled by each individual state.

A copy of Florida’s Constitution can be found on the web site of the Florida

Senate at www.flsenate.gov. The direct link to the Internet address is:

(http://www.flsenate.gov/Statutes/index.cfm?Mode=Constitution&Submenu

=3&Tab=statutes. The Florida Constitution is more complex than the

United States Constitution. It follows the same basic principles. It

addresses other kinds of rights, duties, and powers that do not pertain to

the national government.

Other smaller sections of government called counties, cities, and towns

also exist. The power of the national or federal government is supreme

over the state; the state power is supreme over counties and so on.


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The smaller governments do not have the power to change laws related to

state matters. Local governments have to report to the state to make

changes in their institutions. Smaller sections of the state constitution were

created to deal with localized dilemmas. Furthermore, they serve as a way

for the state government to be able to better serve the public. They allow

local matters to be handled locally. A clear example to how local

governments affect individuals is building codes. Miami-Dade County,

Florida sees so many hurricanes, building codes are constantly made

stricter. Houses are now safer than they were before 1992 [Hurricane

Andrew]. Windows, roofs and exterior walls have to be stronger than they

were.

Only the national government can choose the currency of the states.

Furthermore, the national government is the only one able to take

measures regarding international policy and negotiation. The organization

of armed forces is the responsibility of the national government. Matters

between states are handled on the national level. Matters concerning the

entire nation that affect each individual are handled by the national

government. State-related matters are handled by state government.

Local matters are handled by local governments who refer to the state.

State governments regulate business, labor, and professions. States have

the right to establish laws dealing with ownership, privacy or property. They

deal with contracts, forming corporations, management, and torts. A tort is

an unlawful act. It may result in a lawsuit. States have the right to regulate

banking activity as well as insurance permits and regulations. They set the

rules concerning public utilities and they set standards for business


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activities. States are in charge of administering natural resources within

their boundaries. The state also has police powers. The state protects

consumers and producers from unfair practices. The states are pioneers in

the creation of legislation on working conditions. State governments are in

charge of workers compensation regulation.

Workers compensation is payment for those who are temporarily

unemployed due to illness or injury from job activities. Unemployment compensation is temporary payment for the reallocation or loss of a job.

Environmental concerns are part of state legislation. States have two main

concerns: the expansion of economic growth and environmental

protection. Economic growth amounts to better standard of living. It

often means destruction of the environment. More factories, cars and

expansion of real estate often cause environmental damage.

Criminal laws are for the most part within the state’s jurisdiction. Each

state has the right to its own system of punishment. States makes sure life

and property are protected. Law enforcement agencies collaborate with

one another to capture law-breakers. They often flee from one state to

another. Individuals fleeing from justice from one state to another may be

extradited. Extradition is when a criminal is sent to another state to be

judged in the state from which he/she fled. Criminals may face sentences

from one or more states. Most states honor extradition procedures. Some

are reluctant depending on the severity of the crime and individual behavior

after committing a minor crime.


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Police forces serve local and state governments. Most law enforcement

offices serve local governments. The Miami-Dade Police Department

serves only Miami-Dade County. Law enforcement officers of different

forces collaborate. They are subject to different jurisdictions. The highway

patrol units are part of the states. They can operate within all counties of

their state. State police help local enforcement officers with services local

police may not have. They provide crime laboratories, information gathering

and sharing services, and criminal testing. Training academies may also

belong to the state police. The officer may end up working for a local task

force.

The police power of the state includes the power to defend. It also

includes encouraging public health, safety, and welfare of residents. The

states regulate medical licenses, requirements for school vaccinations, as

well as educational facilities. Public schools are usually controlled locally.

State governments establish local school districts, which govern local

school regulation. Federal programs help individuals obtain an education.

An example of a state program helping education is the Florida Bright

Futures program. The Florida Bright Futures program takes money from

the state lottery profit. It provides money for high school graduates who

have a high academic standing. Other programs include the

implementation of state financial aid for those students in financial need.


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Critical Knowledge: Lesson 1

Refining your Vocabulary:

Refining your writing, reading and speaking skills usually only takes patience and attention to detail. To help your vocabulary, the first step is

to always keep a dictionary handy. A dictionary can be your best friend.

You can always research the meaning of words. Good dictionaries even

have examples of how to use a certain word in a sentence. Certain words

can be used figuratively; so you must be able to discriminate between the

meanings. Other words can be idiomatic, meaning they are used on one

place, but not by the general population.

The second step you need to remember is to always research something if you don’t know about it. Make sure you write down words

you are not familiar with in a chapter, so that you can research them later.

If you do not understand the meaning of a sentence because of a certain

word, find out what it means. It could be an important sentence.

This skill will help you on your daily life as well. Contracts, business

letters, workplace situations, technical conversations and others require

you to be informed and know the meaning of words. Ambiguous

knowledge about a subject can cause you to have the wrong idea of the

topic. Increasing your active vocabulary is a good idea. On job interviews,

office environments and other conversations, you can impress peers by

including some of your newly learned words.


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Furthermore, learning new words helps you understand and build your

study skills level. If researching the new word the first time you encounter

it, then you will no longer have to do it again. This skill can be helpful when

writing papers. If writing a term paper, you may not want to repeat words

over and over. When searching for the meaning of a word, some

dictionaries provide you with other similar words that can be used it their

place.


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Practice Section: Lesson 1 (Pick the best answer to the question)

1) States throughout the world share some essential parts. They are:

a. Unitary government, territory, population, sovereignty

b. Government, territory, sovereignty, population

c. Territory, population, federal government, nation boundaries

d. Limited government, population, territory, democracy

2) The system in which the power is divided into national and state

powers is called:

a. Federal system b. Limited government system

c. Unitary government system d. Democracy

3) The governmental organization in which citizens are allowed to vote for

local, state and federal members of government is called.

a. Communism b. Sovereign country

c. Democracy d. Federal system

4) In a communist society:

a. People are not allowed to vote for their leaders

b. The government may become unlimited governments

c. Allocation of resources is in the hands of the government

d. All of the above


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5) The term nation is:

a. A way to describe a group of people with common territory,

economic life, as well as culture and language.

b. Basically the same as Country

c. A way to describe a group of individuals with common religions,

territory, and government.

d. All of the above

e. A and B only

6) What is the United States Constitution?

a. The Supreme Law of the Land

b. The most important part of the American form of government

c. An integral part of the success of the American experiment

d. All of the above

e. A and B only

7) The U.S. Constitution was written to:

a. Form a better union.

b. Provide for the defense of the common states

c. Promote welfare and domestic peace

d. All of the above

e. None of the above

8) What is the Bill of Rights?

a. The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution

b. The Preamble to the United States Constitution

c. The same as natural rights

d. All the amendments to the United States Constitution


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9) The President is part of what branch?

a. Executive b. Legislative

c. Judicial d. None of the above

10) Who said “Men being…by nature, all free and equal and

independent…?”

a. Thomas Jefferson b. Benjamin Franklin

c. John Locke d. James Madison

e. Is part of the Preamble

11) Florida, as a state, is allowed to:

a. Maintain an active army

b. Choose its own currency

c. Have its own tort laws

d. All of the Above

e. None of the Above

12) What power is NOT delegated to the states?

a. Criminal laws

b. Interstate commerce decisions

c. federal tax laws

d. Police agencies

e. A and B only


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13) State health assistance payment for those temporarily unemployed

due to work related injury is called:

a. Unemployment compensation

b. Workers compensation

c. Workers Injury compensation

d. Work Injury compensation


14) How can you refine your vocabulary skills?

a. Always keep a dictionary handy

b. Always write down words you don’t know to research later

c. Always write as many research papers as possible

d. A and C only

e. A and B only

15) Why do you need to increase your vocabulary skills?

a. It can help you study better and quicker

b. It can help you at work

c. It will help you write better

d. All of the above

Answers Practice Questions 1

1. B 2. A 3. C 4. D 5. A 6. D 7. D

8. A 9. A 10. C 11. C 12. B 13. B 14. D 15. D


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LESSON 1 THINGS TO REMEMBER

Government, territory, sovereignty, and population are some of the

essential parts states throughout the word share

The Federal system (Federalism) is the system in which the power is

divided into national and state powers

A communist society is one in which the allocation of resources is in the

hands of the government, the people are not allowed to vote for their

leaders, and the government may become unlimited governments

The US Constitution was written to provide for the defense of the

common states, to promote welfare and domestic peace, and to form a

better union

The Bill of Rights is the first ten amendments to the U S Constitution

John Locke is credited with saying, “Men being…by nature, all free and

equal and independent…”

Federal tax laws are not delegated to the states

No state can maintain an army or print currency

The Preamble to the American Constitution begins with the phrase, “We

the people”

The President of the United States of America is the Chief Executive

and the Commander in Chief of armed forces


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Lesson 2 Political Organization

Introduction:

In this lesson, we will go in great detail inside the United States

Constitution. The United States Constitution is foundation for our form of

government. Our political organizations, all branches of government, come

directly from the Constitution. Learn how our simple but effective

Constitution organizes the American way of life. It is essential knowledge

for every U.S. citizen.

Inside the United States Constitution

The Constitution the “Founders” created more than 200 years ago is in use

today. It is the plan for our form of government. It is the Supreme Law of

the Land. Compared to constitutions of other countries it is extremely

simple and short. The small details were left unfilled for generations to

apply. The entire text is divided into three parts: The Preamble, the

Articles (its sections), and the Amendments. The Preamble explains the

reasons the Constitution was written.

Article I explains the Legislative branch (Congress). This branch

separates into two parts The Senate and The House of Representatives.

Members of the House of Representatives are elected every two years.

They must be 25 years old and have been a U.S. citizen for seven [7]

years. Also, they have to be a resident of the state they represent.


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Currently there are a total of 435 members. The amount of members per

state depends on the population of the state. Every time there is a census,

the amount of members of each state is adjusted. Senate members are

elected every six years and each state has two of them.

Senators must be 30 years old and be citizens for the U.S. for nine [9]

years and residents of the state they represent.

All members Congress, the House or Senate, are in charge of making and

passing laws. The Constitution clearly explains people have to vote to

appoint the members of this branch. An important power of the House of

Representatives is the power to impeach officers of the Executive Branch

(impeach: to accuse the president or another executive officer of violating a

law)

Article II is about the Executive branch. This branch includes the

President and Vice-President. The President and Vice-President are

elected for four [4] year terms and may serve a maximum of two [2] terms.

To be President or a Vice-President, one must be born in the United

States. One must be at least 35 years old and a resident of the U.S. for

fourteen [14] years. The Constitution states people must vote for the

President and Vice-President. The current method of election uses the

Electoral College. There are a total of 538 electors; the number is

determined by adding the members of the House, the Senate, and 3 for the

District of Columbia. Each state has the same amount of electors as it has

members in the Senate and the House.


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To be elected President or Vice-President the candidate must win at least

270 votes of the 538. In this system, the winner of the popular vote in the

state will take all the electoral votes of the state.

One of the most important powers of the President is commander in chief

of all U.S. forces. The president has the power to veto laws coming from

the legislative branch, unless 2/3 of the Senate and the House override the

presidential veto. The president is also in charge of international relations.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt met with Allied leaders in WWII and

President Woodrow Wilson headed the American delegation to Paris at the

end of WWI. Many international negotiations do not have to be approved

by the Senate.

Article III explains the Judicial branch. This branch includes the Supreme

Court of the United States and the Lower Federal Courts. Judges in the

U.S. Supreme Court are appointed for life unless impeached or convicted.

They are appointed by the President of the United States with approval of

the Senate. The Judicial branch is in charge of revising unconstitutional

laws.

Cases may be accepted or dismissed by the Supreme Court. Only the

most important cases make it to the Supreme Court. Decisions made by

the Supreme Court may change laws made in the future and may trigger

changes in current laws. In Brown v. Board of Education (1954) the

Supreme Court concluded that laws allowing segregation of schools were

unconstitutional. This decision cleared the way for the end of segregated

schools.


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In Miranda v. Arizona (1966) the Supreme Court decided that the police

acted unconstitutionally. This gave way to the current “Miranda rights” to

check police inquiries.

Others Articles are important too. Article IV talks about the relationship

among states. It talks about how states should behave. It explains the way

a state can be added to the Union. Article V is about the amendment

process. Article VI talks about the national government. It mandates the

supremacy of the national government over state governments. Article VII

is regarding the ratification of the Constitution. After the Articles, we find

the Amendments.

Amendments are changes to the Constitution. They occur rarely. The First

ten amendments are called the Bill of Rights and provide undeniable

rights to citizens under the Constitution. Some of the rights under the Bill of

Rights are the freedom of religion, speech, press and peaceful assembly,

the right to bear arms, and the right to deny unreasonable searches or

seizures. They also explain that accused people are innocent until proven

guilty. It also explains the right to a speedy trial and not receive a cruel or

unusual punishment.

One can see how the Constitution was written to create a government to

protect the people. The Constitution protects one part of government from

the other parts. This system prevents the abuse of power by having

different power delegated to each branch. No one section of government

has complete power over others. With the inclusion of the Bill of Rights into

the Constitution, the rights of the people are secured. The vigilant


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citizenry also has the power to select who will govern and lead the

country. Citizens are able to make changes to the government on almost a

yearly basis with limited term requirements. A judicial system separate

from the other branches of government is an advantage. An independent

judicial system allows people to have a fair trial and to be treated equally

under the law.

The Constitution of the State of Florida is similar to the United States

Constitution. It is more thoroughly written to include smaller details about

laws and regulations that apply only to the state. One important factor

about the constitution of all states is that they can not deny any of the rights

given to citizens by the U.S. Constitution. Furthermore, states can not

implement laws that are against national laws. The organization of the

state is similar in nature to the federal government. This means that

Florida has also a legislative, executive and judicial branch.

Government Decisions and the System of Checks and Balances

Our U.S. Constitution limits the power of the central government by dividing

power between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. This is

called division of control. Each separate branch has its own

responsibilities. Our founders thought this system would allow people to

feel certain the central government would never exert tyrannical control.

The “Founding Fathers” added a system of checks and balances. In the

system of checks and balances, each branch has some control over the

other branches. When the national legislature, Congress, passes a law,


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the nation’s chief executive, the President, can check the decision of

Congress. The President may not agree with the Congressional legislation.

He has the power to veto the law. Veto power means the president can

reject the law without consideration. He also has the power to kill

legislation by simply not acting on it. This is called a pocket veto. If the

president vetoes a bill, Congress can override the President. It can pass

the law if two thirds of both houses of Congress vote to approve the bill.

The Federal courts, the Judiciary, can restrain Congress by analyzing the

legislation and ruling on whether or not it is constitutionally acceptable.

The power of the judicial branch is balanced by the Constitutionally

mandated presidential power to appoint Federal judges. The presidential

power is balanced. Congress can approve or disprove the presidential

appointment of federal judges.

Judicial review is the power federal courts have to declare actions

committed by national, state or local governments unacceptable The

Supreme Court and all federal courts can act on legislation and decree it

unconstitutional. All courts at the Federal level have this power. The

Supreme Court of the United States has the last call on contentious

matters. This power comes from the Constitution, the Supreme law of the

land. Anything contrary to it must be void. This review power is the only

way a decision by a court can be overruled. A related court must change its

mind on the matter.

On the other hand, Congress can adjust or change the law declared

unconstitutional by the court and make it the law spoken of in the decision

fit appropriately.


31

The following chart will help clarify the powers of each branch of government:

Social and political environments affect courts. Times change. Different

expectations of government change. Decisions made by the courts change.

The Supreme Court has said the Constitution means one thing. In following

The President may veto legislation, call for special sessions, recommend legislation, or appeal to the people

EXECUTIVE BRANCH (The President)

The President appoints Federal judges

Congress creates all agencies and programs, can give or take away funds, may

override vetoes, and remove the President from office through impeachment.

The Senate also approves treaties and presidential appointments of officials

Judges are appointed for life. They are not supposed to be controlled by

the executive Branch. Courts can void actions

coming from the Executive branch if they are found unconstitutional

Courts can declare acts of Congressunconstitutional

LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

(Congress)

JUDICIAL BRANCH (Supreme Court and all Federal Courts)

Congress can create Lower Courts, and can remove judges with the power of

Impeachment

The Senate, approves and appoints Federal

office


32

years, it reverses or change its view. For example, in 1896, the Supreme

Court ruled that separate public facilities for African Americans were

constitutional. They had to be equal to the “White” ones. Half a century

later, in 1954, the Court reversed its position. It denied the constitutionality

of separate facilities for African Americans. The Court called for the

integration of facilities.

When the Constitution was ratified, the “Founding Fathers” anticipated the

Constitution would have to be adjusted. For this reason, they allowed for

amendments to be made to the Constitution. In Article V, they provided

the way to change (amend) the constitution. Amendments may deal with

any topic, except with taking away states representation without the state’s

consent. Amendments must be proposed and ratified. The proposition will

be made at a national level, but they must be ratified at the state level.

Amendments can be proposed in two ways:

1) The amendment is proposed by two thirds of each house of

Congress. Many resolutions are proposed to Congress each year,

but very few are passed.

2) A national convention is called by Congress at the request of two

thirds of the states.

The ratification process can happen through two [2] possible methods

from which Congress may choose:


33

1) National legislators in three fourths of the states ratify the

amendment, or

2) Each state calls for a ratifying convention. The amendment becomes

part of the Constitution if three fourths of this national ratifying

convention decides to pass it.

Notice that either way, Congress makes the rules. Congress decides on

the ratification process and has the last word on how long a state can take

to ratify an amendment. Currently the time a state can take to ratify is set

at seven [7] years.

The following are the first ten Amendments to the Constitution, also known

as the Bill of Rights:

The Bill of Rights

Amendment I: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment

of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom

of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to

assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Amendment II: A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of

a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be

infringed.

Amendment III: No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any

house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner

to be prescribed by law.


34

Amendment IV: The right of the people to be secure in their persons,

houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures,

shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause,

supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be

searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Amendment V: No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or

otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a

grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the

militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any

person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or

limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against

himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of

law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just

compensation.

Amendment VI: In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the

right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district

wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have

been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and

cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him;

to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to

have the assistance of counsel for his defense.

Amendment VII: In suits at common law, where the value in controversy

shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and

no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any court of the

United States, than according to the rules of the common law.


35

Amendment VIII: Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines

imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

Amendment IX: The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights,

shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Amendment X: The powers not delegated to the United States by the

Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states

respectively, or to the people.

Our constitutional system allows for a government to adapt to change. It

must keep individual liberties and freedoms protected. It also keeps one

part of government from becoming too powerful. It keeps in check all

branches of government which constantly interfere and change each

other’s decisions. Separating powers has always been the strength of the

United States’ system. Therefore, separating powers by national and state

jurisdiction is as important as keeping each branch of the national

government in check.

The Constitution gives express, implied, and inherent powers to the

national government: All these powers are collectively known as delegated powers.

Express powers (also called enumerated powers) are those directly

expressed or stated in the Constitution. These are found in the first three

articles of the


36

Constitution. Implied powers include those that the national government

has to keep or carry out the expressed powers delegated in the

Constitution. These are not specifically listed but depend directly on

expressed powers. The basis for the government to have implied powers

is the necessary and proper clause (also called the “Elastic Clause”)

Congress shall have the power…to make Laws which shall be necessary

and proper for carrying into Execution the Foregoing powers, and all other

powers vested…in the Government of the United States….

Article I, Section 8

The final power is called the “inherent power.” This power is the one the

national government can exercise simply because it is a government. One

example of this is immigration and the establishment of diplomatic

relationships with foreign governments.

The powers allocated to state governments are called “reserved powers.”

These powers are not listed in the Constitution. They are granted by the

Tenth Amendment to the people or states. These powers include all those

not delegated to the national government, nor prohibited by it.


Synthesizing Content:

Synthesizing information includes incorporating information from different

sources. You must develop the ability to merge information because this

can help you see a clearer picture of the topic at hand. With the ability to

synthesize information, you will understand better. When merging

information first you must make sure sources are comparable.


37

Source A should give you more information or new information on source

B. If you decide they are comparable, then you can write in your own

words about the merged information. This skill will become important when

writing notes in class or about a topic. Outlines, comments, and

observations about a topic can be compared to information obtained from a

different source by synthesizing.

To practice this skill you can write notes and comments about topics

introduced to you in this textbook. You can compare and analyze the main

idea by adding important information gathered from one unit to the other.

After you collected the information from this textbook, try to compare it with

other sources.

Practice Section: Lesson 2

(Pick the best answer to the question)

1) The U.S. Constitution is separated into how many branches?

a. Its all one piece b. 2

c. 3 d. 4

2) How many electors are there in the Electoral College method in the

U.S.?

a. 538

b. 270

c. 535 (the three from D.C. do not count on the Electoral College

method)

d. 270 times 2



38

3) If the president elects not to pass a law then Congress can not pass it

regardless of how many times it tries.

a. The statement is absolutely true

b. It can pass it if they override the veto with 3/4 of Congress in

favor

c. It can pass it if they override the veto with 2/3 of Congress in

favor

d. It can pass it if the U.S. citizens vote yes on the law in a special

election

4) Who appoints Supreme Court Justices?

a. The Legislative branch does all the work

b. The President appoints them and Congress ratifies the

appointments

c. The Judicial branch does all the work

d. They are not appointed; they are elected by the people

e. None of the Above

5) What does the system of checks and balances mean?

a. It means the U.S. can not spent too much money without it

balancing

b. It means the necessary and proper clause is not effective

c. It allows one branch of government to become very powerful

d. It means that each branch has some power over the other

e. B and C only


39

6) An amendment is:

a. An official change to the Constitution of the United States

b. The result of a judicial review

c. Proposed by votes in a special ballot section

d. All of the above

e. A and C only

7) The powers delegated to the national government are:

a. Expressed, Implied, Necessary and Proper powers

b. Inherent and Reserved powers

c. Necessary and Proper clause powers

d. Expressed, Implied and Inherent powers

8) Article VII is:

a. The article that has the Legislative branch information

b. The article that has the ratification of the Constitution

c. The article that explains the Judicial branch information

d. The article that contains the Bill of Rights


9) Brown v. Board of Education was a case that:

a. Ended segregation of Black and White schools

b. Ended the abuse of school powers over black children

c. Established an intervention that allowed the Miranda Rights to

take place

d. Was decided during the 1950s

e. A and D only


40

10) What is synthesizing information?

a. Analyzing one information source

b. Interpreting one information source

c. Collect information from different unrelated sources

d. Merging similar information from different sources.

Practice Section Lesson 2

1.C 2.A 3.C 4.B 5.D 6.A 7.D 8.B 9.E 10. D


41


The U.S. government has 3 branches; executive, legislative, and

judicial

The American Electoral College has 538 electors

Congress can over-ride a presidential veto with a 2/3 vote in favor

Supreme Court Justices are appointed by the President and approved

by Congress

The system of checks and balances provides for each branch having

some power over the other

An amendment is an official change to the U S Constitution proposed by

Congress or a national convention

The powers delegated to the national government are Expressed,

Implied and Inherent powers

Article VII of the US Constitution explains ratification of the Constitution

Brown vs Board of Education ended segregation of Black and White

schools and was decided in 1954

Merging similar information from different sources is called synthesizing

information


42


43

Lesson 3 The Decision-Making Process

Introduction:

In this lesson, you will learn how individuals and interest groups influence

the decision-making process in our government. We will introduce you to

developments in social and political events from this century. You will learn

about the civil rights movements and how they changed our country.

Students will understand the conflict between the majority and minority.

This conflict has always presented a problem in decision-making and

political process.

Civil Rights Movements

The American Civil War (1861-1865) was a terrible event in the history of

the United States. Over 620,000 Americans died in this war. It was the

struggle between the North and the South of a union with different ideas

about slavery. Fortunately, by May 1865, the war was over. In January of

1865, the United States Congress passed the XIII Amendment which

abolished slavery. Immediately after the war, on December 6, 1865, the

Thirteenth Amendment was ratified and added to the Constitution.

Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for a

crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within

the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

Amendment XIII, Section 1


44

By the late 1800s, close to half of the states, mostly in the South, required

segregation, based on race, in public and private facilities. This included

schools, public transportation, and hotels or restaurants. Laws allowing

such discrimination were called “Jim Crow” laws. Laws that classify

people unreasonably are said (nowadays) to discriminate. Discrimination

exists when individuals are treated unfairly solely because of their religion,

sex, race, ethnic group, age, physical handicap. This definition of

discrimination was established only later during the civil rights movement of

the 1960s.

The Thirteenth Amendment ended slavery in the United States and any

territory under its control. Involuntary servitude was no longer legal (except

for those convicted of a crime). Since this Thirteenth Amendment was

added to the Constitution in 1865, the U.S. Supreme Court established a

separate but equal doctrine in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896). The Supreme

Court held that separate facilities for Black and White people were

acceptable under the Constitution as long as the facilities were equal. This

legal precedent allowed for segregation to continue and spread across the

United States.


45

In June 13th 1866 (ratified on July 9th 1868), the United States Congress

passed the XIV Amendment.

This amendment states:

All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the

jurisdiction thereof , are citizens of the United States and of the State

wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall

abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor

shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without the

due process of law, nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal

protection of the laws.

Amendment XIV, Section I

This amendment was created hoping to end the discrimination against

anyone who was declared a United States citizen. This amendment

included Black people and allowed them to have equal protection. This

amendment was intended to prevent states from denying African

Americans their civil rights. Unfortunately, the Fourteenth Amendment did

not prohibit the segregation of races in America.

This separation of Blacks and Whites by law came to an end in 1954 with

the Brown v. Board of Education (1954) decision. In this case, an African

American student was denied access to an all-White school near home and

was required to attend a distant all-Black school because of his race.

Thanks to the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of

Colored People), the student’s family appealed all the way to the Supreme

Court. They won the case there.


46

The Supreme Court Justices voted unanimously to abolish the “separate

but equal” doctrine. These decisions took the United States into a long and

arduous process of desegregating schools, and by 1970 many public

schools all over the country were desegregated. Still, many sections of the

country’s schools remain segregated. Many schools are populated by a

large majority of Black kids or White kids.

After the Brown v. Board of Education decision, many Whites and African

Americans worked together to end segregation in the United States by

creating a civil rights movement. The most important leader of the civil

rights movement was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He was a Baptist

minister from Atlanta, Georgia. He knew that it was important for African-

Americans learn how to use federal courts and economic boycotts. He also

led many non-violent protests against the segregation of Blacks. American

public policy was forever influenced by the civil rights movement. In 1964,

Congress passed a major civil rights law called the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

This act made it illegal to discriminate against people in public places such

as parks, theaters, restaurants, and hotels. Furthermore, it provided equal

employment opportunities for all, by making it illegal to discriminate against

individuals. Notice that this law not only included Blacks and other

minorities, but also women.

The creation of a way for people to become citizens while guaranteeing

equal rights to all citizens was an important step toward equal rights. With

the naturalization of the Bill of Rights, all United States citizens, in all parts

of the country, had the same rights and responsibilities. Nowadays, this

might not seem too important because those rights are a “given.”


47

In the past though, rights were not the same for all. In many places in the

world, rights were different for the aristocracy (the upper class) and the

common people (the peasants). In the past, state governments here in the

U.S. denied the right to vote to minorities and practiced various forms of

legal discrimination against them. Since we now apply the rights given to

all citizens by the Constitution, such kinds of discrimination practices are

generally no longer tolerated. Today, it is important to become a citizen of

the United States, so an individual will have all the rights any other citizen

has.

The Influence of Citizens and Organizations

As citizens we have certain responsibilities toward our country. One of

these responsibilities involves knowing about our rights under law. The

ability for someone to exercise his or her own rights depends heavily on

alertness to those rights. Interest groups, political parties, the media, and

you can change the course of our way of life. You can decide who the next

President will be, who will represent you in Congress, and which laws will

be passed or rejected in the future. Responsible citizens know about our

rights and laws. They respect the laws. They are aware of our rights. This

is crucial for the development of society. Nowadays a number of

organizations help people learn about their rights, the laws, and

government. Many states require government rules and regulations to be

written in everyday language so people can understand.


48

Being a citizen is not just about the title. A good citizen is a participant in

society. Through participation, U.S. citizens govern society govern

themselves. Participation is a learning process. It teaches us how a

democracy works. It’s about majority rule, individual rights, and the rule of

law.

The most common and important way to participate is to vote. Recently in

the 2004 elections the U.S. experienced one of the greatest voter turnouts

ever. George W. Bush Jr. was elected by the greatest amount of votes ever

received by a Republican president. Likewise, Senator John Kerry lost. He

had the greatest amount of votes ever for a Democratic candidate. By

voting, we apply our consent to be governed by the person who we chose.

It’s the person the majority chose really. In the year 2000, we learned how

important is to vote. The election was extremely close. If some of those

voters would have decided not to vote, the election might have been

different.

There are other ways to participate and demonstrate interest.

Campaigning for your candidate, distributing pamphlets, and working to

speed up the election process are forms of participation. You can support

special interest groups who influence legislation. You can discuss topics

with your legislator. Offices of legislators and other zone representatives

are close to you. Make sure you know where you can find your

representatives. To find out more about Florida representatives, visit the

following Internet site: (http://www.leg.state.fl.us).


49

If you do not have the time to visit them, you can always write them a letter,

or write to a newspaper or T.V. channel which will then help you get in

contact with your legislators. Exercising your rights is the only way to

guarantee the strength of democracy.

Every candidate can not win an election. Therefore, in a democracy, we

use a system of majority rule with minority rights. As is the case in our

democracy, people accept the decision made by the majority of voters.

Minority rights are protected. They are difficult to maintain. Society has

always been under stress to protect minority rights despite majority

opposition. For example, during WWII, many Germans, Japanese and

other Europeans in America were sent to concentration camps for

suspicion of involvement with foreign powers. Most of these individuals

had nothing to do with the war. Many of them were as patriotic as U.S.

citizens themselves. Today, other minorities such as women, Hispanics,

and others suffer from lack of protected rights.

Only recently are we noticing an increase in Hispanic and other minorities’

involvement in the political arena. This extra effort to get involved in the

American way of life will guarantee more protected rights in the future.

Special interest groups are usually a minority as well. They are a group

of individuals united to fight for a common goal. They often take to the

streets, press, or Internet to protest or support a certain decision. They are

vaware of certain problems such as the environment and job discrimination.

These groups are not afraid of presenting their case and letting their voices

be heard by the ruling majority.


50

Political parties are also extremely important in the democratic process. A

political party is a group of individuals with wide ranging common interests

who get together and choose a candidate for office. They win elections,

carry out government policy, and determine public guidelines. There are

many political parties in the United States and while they may all compete,

we basically have a two party system. Republicans and Democrats are the

major participants. The rivalries between parties seem to make elections

more meaningful. Republicans and Democrats seem to focus on different

topics. They are both quick to point out the errors made by the other

party’s candidates. Furthermore, the parties make concise points about

their own candidacy and what they say they will do in the future. This

allows citizens to make educated decisions and support the candidate of

their choice.

The media is an important part in the learning process of voters. The

media can cause people to make a change of opinion simply by pointing

out the mistakes of following another point of view. The media exercises a

great deal of influence over people who read, hear, or watch it. Most of the

media in the U.S. appears to have a balanced opinion with regard to the

political process, but in the end it is up to the voters to decide which

perspective is best. The media is indeed the communication channel

between the candidates, interest groups, or individuals. In the end,

democracy prospers if most people accept the values of individual rights

and liberties and majority rule. But, we must have equality for all. In this

case, it’s public opinion that has the last word on the case.


51


Chronology and Sequencing:

Interpretations of historical events always include chronology and

sequencing. Events tend to happen due to something that happened

before them. This is rel ated to cause and effect which you w ill learn on

Unit 4. The use of periodi zation i s central while explaining events. The

Civil Rights Movement might have never occurred if the North had not won

the Civil War. The North was generally in favor of equality for Blacks and

Whites. The civil rights movement wa s only a step toward that equality.

Nowadays there i s much l ess discri mination in workpl aces. Many law s

have been created to protect the equality between Blacks and Whites. The

striving toward equality has helped create a better soci ety based on real

equal rights under the l aw. To und erstand chronology, try to write dow n

events in a time line. This will help you understand sequencing. In history

chronology is everything. For example there were many events which took

place before WWII even got started. You will learn more about it in lessons

to come.


52

Practice Section Lesson 3 (Pick the best answer to the question)

1) Laws that allowed the segregation of Blacks and Whites were called:

a. “Jim Crow” laws

b. Separate but equal laws

c. Thirteenth Amendment

d. Discrimination laws

e. Majority vs. minority laws

2) Which court case helped in the creation of the “separate but equal”

doctrine?

a. Miranda v. Arizona

b. Plessy v. Ferguson

c. Brown v. Board of Education

d. Fourteenth Amendment

e. B and D only

3) The leader of the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and Sixties was:

a. President Abraham Lincoln with the Emancipation Proclamation

b. CORE

c. Martin Luther King Jr.

d. A Baptist minister

e. C and D only


53

4) The Civil Rights movement was important because:

a. It allowed better facilities for Blacks even if separate from

Whites

b. It made segregation between Blacks and Whites illegal

c. It leads to the Civil Rights Act of 1964

d. B and C only

e. A and C only

5) The Fourteenth Amendment is:

a. The rights of citizens

b. Part of the Bill of Rights

c. Part of the “separate but equal” doctrine

d. A and B only

e. B and C only

6) Knowing about our rights and laws, as well as voting is a citizen’s:

a. Prerogative

b. Initiative

c. Responsibility

d. Liability

e. C and D only

7) To resolve disputes in a democracy, we use a system of:

a. Unitary government intervention

b. Federal government intervention

c. A majority rule v. minority rights

d. A Republican v. democratic system



54

8) A political party is:

a. A group of individuals with common interests who choose a

candidate for office.

b. The Republican Party for example

c. The Democratic Party for example

d. A get together between political enemies

e. A, B and C only

9) Political parties are good for a democracy because:

a. They allow an understanding of ideas during the celebration

b. Allow citizens to make educated decisions about candidates as

the parties debate different topics

c. Makes the government spend less money by organizing one big

party

d. They are not good for a democracy

10) Writing down events in a time line allows you:

a. To understand the chronology and sequencing of an event or a

group of events

b. Better your own vocabulary skills

c. The “cause and effect” theory

d. B and C only

Answers Practice Questions 3 1. A 2. B 3. E 4. D 5. A

6.C 7. C 8. E 9. B 10. A


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Laws allowing segregation of Black and Whites were referred to as “Jim

Crow” laws

Plessy vs Ferguson was the court case that helped in the creation of the

“separate but equal” doctrine

Martin Luther King Jr., was the individual leader of the Civil Rights

movement of the 1950’s and 1960’s

The Civil Rights Movement led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and made

segregation between Blacks and Whites illegal

The Fourteenth Amendment is the equal rights of citizen’s amendment

Knowing about our rights and laws and voting are a citizen’s

responsibility

The concept of a majority rule versus minority rights is used to resolve

disputes in a democracy

A political party such as the Republican Party, or the Democratic Party

are examples of a group of individuals with common interests who

choose a candidate for office

Political parties suit democracy because they allow citizens to make

educated decisions about candidates as the parties debate different

topics

Writing down events in a time line allows you to understand the

chronology and sequencing of an event or a group of events


56


57

Lesson 4 The Evolution of Our Form of Government

Introduction:

In this lesson, you will learn about early American forms of government .

You will know how we were directly influenced by these ideals. You will

learn about the legacy of these early civilizations. In this lesson, you will

also be introduced to objectives needed for further enhancement of

comprehension. You will reflect on topics using different sources of your

choosing. You will also learn how to analyze the validity of sources.

History of Government

In the United States, all people have the right to a fair and speedy trial.

Many parts of the Bill of Rights protect people accused of a crime. For

example, Amendment V protects the rights of accused people. The

amendment states that no person can be tried for a serious crime unless a

jury has found reason to believe that the accused may be guilty.

Furthermore, it explains that a person found not guilty of a crime can not be

tried again for the same reason. If the person is found guilty, he/she may

appeal the decision. This amendment is also important because it states

that one can not be forced to incriminate himself. It states that no one can

be deprived of freedom without a fair hearing. The power of eminent domain is also explained. The government may take private property from

the people for public use. It must also pay fair price for such property.


58

Amendment VI establishes the right to a speedy and fair trial. The

accused person must be informed of the charges against him/her.

Witnesses must be brought against the accused. Furthermore, the

accused has the right to be represented by a lawyer. In America, people

who can not afford a lawyer are provided one by the government to defend

them in proceedings. Amendment VIII allows people to pay their way out

of jail until the trial. This is called a bail and one is entitled to bail out of jail

as long as the accused assures that he/she will appear for trial. Bail may

be denied depending on how serious the crime is, or to those who are likely

to flee from trial if bailed out of jail. The Bill of Rights also protects the right

to free speech, press, assembly, and religion [Amendment I], to bear arms

[Amendment 2], and to be safe from non-specific searches

[Amendment 4].

All legal systems are not the same. Our legal system is based on the

English common law . Our tradition mandates an accused person is

presumed innocent until proven guilty. Other legal systems are based on

Roman law. Thus, accused people are presumed guilty until proven

innocent. If we used the Roman interpretation of law, the accused would

stand alone against the state, the police, and other citizens. If presumed

innocent, the person will be treated equal under the law. The common law

system was developed in medieval England and is still used here in the

U.S., England, and other places. Basically this system allows the

establishment of some laws after a decision by a court is repeated by other

courts as well, a principle known as precedent.


59

The United States is described as a country of laws. In the United States,

no person, in spite of position is above the law. The American form of

government does have some of its roots in Greece and Rome.

The Greeks were one of the first to develop a concept of law. They were

able to separate this concept from everyday religious beliefs. Before this

contribution by the Greeks most civilizations had laws pertaining to their

gods and their beliefs. Greeks believed laws should be made by the people

for their betterment. The first Greek written code of law came in the

seventh century B.C. It was written by Draco. Under this code of law, the

penalty for most offences was death. Solon a hero and poet of Athens

devised a new code of law. He was entrusted with revising the political,

social and economic structure of Athens. He remained with the tradition of

trial by jury. Debtors could not be enslaved for their financial obligations.

With his work, Solon set Athens on a firm footing toward a democratic path

of governance. Under Solon’s law, citizens were able to serve in the

assemblies.

A concept the Greeks contributed to the Romans was the concept of

“natural law.” This concept is used today as part of the United States

Declaration of Independence [1776]. It was referred to as the “laws of

nature.” All legal systems in use today in the Western world may be traced

back to Greek and Roman foundations. Also influential was the more

ancient Babylonian concept of “an eye for an eye” or equal compensation

for damages. Egyptian, Persian, and Hebrew beliefs of law as a moral code

for goodness were influential.


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During the sixteenth and seventeenth century in Europe, times were hard.

Philosophers still, as in ancient times, pondered what the best form of

government was. The “natural law” of individuals and the “divine right of

kings” still stood as contrasting, important ideologies. These two different

concepts led some philosophers to believe the best way to govern was

through autocracy (also called monarchy or rule by one person).

Autocrats were kings who ruled with absolute power over his kingdom. His

word was law and his decrees could not be disobeyed. They believed that

only with absolute and strong power a king could keep society together.

These autocratic monarchs believed they had a divine right to rule.

Jacques-Benigne Bossuet (1600s) stated the king ruled by the divine will

of God. Therefore, to oppose the king was to oppose God.

In contrast, Martin Luther’s Reformation taught individuals to challenge

religious authority in the 1500s. This caused people in religion, science,

trade, and politics, to question all structures of power. Thomas Hobbes in

England introduced the idea of a “social contract” between the king and

the people. the king still had the right to do what he thought best for his

people. The idea was further developed during the seventeenth and

eighteenth century by John Locke in England and Jean Jacques Rousseau in France during the Enlightenment. Both men believed the king

could not ignore the rights of the people no matter what the king thought.

The American and French Revolutions do show the power of the people to

refuse to be oppressed by a king. The scarcity of food, the high taxes and

the extreme high national debt were some of the factors that contributed to

both revolutions. In both cases, the masses overthrew the absolute power


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of monarchies and the “established” church. The Enlightenment promoted

knowledge, ethics and rationality manifest in both revolts. The Church lost

control of the truth. Truth was now scientific. Today, we question the

concepts of truth, justice, and righteousness in government in the same

ways. The world today is just more scientific and material and less spiritual.

Related Topics and Knowledge Objectives In order to understand transformations in history you need to understand

the process of “cause and effect.”

Effect

Cause

Effect

Cause

Effect

Cause

This table explains there are events that must happen before the next one

can occur. Furthermore, it shows the continuity of all events and how the

decisions one makes in life will change the future in different ways. An

easy example is to show that if monarchy would have been a better way of

government (cause), then the French Revolution might have not happened

(Effect). Notice that one cause may end up with many effects, or many

causes may cause one effect. You can learn how to interpret events and

how a certain policy will affect a country.


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To do so first try to define what the policy concerns. Then gather empirical

evidence of what policies such as that have done in the past. Finally,

determine potential consequences, whether positive or negative, that you

think will arise from the policy. Then you are ready to make an educated

guess of what might happen if the policy or event takes place. This is how

governmental policy-makers make important decisions.

One of the advancements of the Enlightenment was the desire to interpret

information for ourselves. The student must develop a sense of self-

knowledge and discovery. For this reason, one must always try to check the information provided using many sources. The Internet is usually a

good source of information. Doing a basic search one might be able to find

information on many topics quickly an easily. Apart from that, if you are

going to the Internet as an information source, always remember that

someone must have written the information. You must be able to

differentiate between reliable sources and not so reliable web-pages. All

governmental web-pages are supposed to have extremely reliable

information, but all sources have bias. Personal web-pages are usually not

as good. They were written by the creator. The author may be imposing

his/her opinion instead of using facts.

Primary sources are written by witnesses or participants in the events

under question. Individuals who dedicate their lives to research and writing

books are very reliable secondary sources. Publishers of secondary

often check and double check their authors and publications to minimize

errors, but you still should question all information you encounter. Use

many sources to expand your knowledge on the topic you are researching.


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You must be able to synthesize information. Then you can draw

conclusions. This will then take you to your own conclusions. The best way

to draw good conclusions is to seek the best evidence for a variety of

perspectives on a research question before you commit to an opinion.

As taught in the Enlightenment period, one must acquire and interpret

knowledge using one’s own skills. Using the computer technology

available today, you can do much good with your research skills. With the

use of today’s technology, you will be able to expand your vocabulary while

writing simple assignments.

For example: when using common writing software you have a “spell

check” option that can help you check for mistakes. It will usually run if

asked to, but it will prompt you to know whether or not you want to make a

change. There is also another neat operation that can be performed while

writing.

This is the “thesaurus” option. This allows you to substitute words you

have used over and over in a text, with other words similar in meaning.

While you can do this without much effort, you are urged to pay more

attention to those words. This will allow you to increase your vocabulary

without much effort. In such a way, you can augment your writing skills.

Also, remember to proofread for grammar and punctuation errors.


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Selecting the Appropriate Research Tool:

To be able to research quickly and efficiently, and understand the meaning

of ideas, you have to select the appropriate research tools. Different ways

to convey information include almanacs, publications, microfiche,

newspapers and other information services such as the Internet.

To select the appropriate tools, first identify the comparability of sources

gathered.

Then think of the best way for you to learn the information and to be able to

explain it to yourself later on.

For example: suppose we need to investigate law arguments and

Supreme Court cases. The best way to learn objectively about court cases

is to examine government publications. Government publications tend to

be non-biased as opposed to Internet articles or newspaper stories.

Government publications will include the actual body of the case. You may

want to add some chronology analysis in order to have a clearer view of the

events that took place before and after the case was resolved.

This research skill is connected to analyzing the information itself. As a

participant in society, you must be able to analyze the information

presented in order to make informed decisions on the topic. First identify

the topic being discussed. Second, determine the evidence presented by

the author and whether or not the evidence is objective. Finally put the

argument or idea in your own words. Practice this skill throughout this

textbook and you will learn how to be able to understand information much

better.


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Practice Section Lesson 4 (Pick the best answer to the question)

1) What is the eminent domain power of the government?

a. The power that explains the government may take any property

from the public without paying.

b. The power that explains the government may take any property

from the public but, it has to pay fair price for it.

c. The power explained in Amendment I

d. B and C only

2) The places where an accused person is guilty until proven innocent use:

a. English common law methods

b. Roman law methods

c. The same method used in the U.S. today

d. A and C only


3) What was the Enlightenment period?

a. A period of increasing religious fanaticism

b. A period after the 1800s

c. A period of renewed individual knowledge, ethics, and scientific

rationality

d. Promoted only by Christian beliefs


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4) Thomas Hobbes introduced the idea of:

a. social contract b. Enlightenment

c. The Reformation d. Amendment V and non self-

incrimination procedures

5) The concept that one event will happen only if a previous, or series of

previous event(s)) took place is called:

a. Enlightenment concept b. series of events concept

c. sequential chronology d. cause and effect process

6) The Internet is never a reliable source of information:

a. True b. False

7) Primary and secondary sources are all extremely reliable:

a. True b. False

8) Spell Check and Thesaurus are part of today’s computer programs.

a. True b. False

9) To research quickly and efficiently, you must learn how to select the

appropriate research tool

a. True b. False

10) Monarchs use the idea of divine right to control people.

a. True b. False


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Answers Practice Exercises 4 1. B 2. B 3. C 4. A 5. D

6. B 7. B 8. A 9. A 10. A


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Eminent domain is the power of the government explained in

Amendment I to take any property from the public but having to pay a

fair price for it

The concept that an accused person is presumed guilty until proven

innocent is based upon old Roman law (This is opposite to English

common law and U.S. law where a person is presumed innocent until

proven guilty)

The Enlightenment was a period of renewed individual knowledge,

ethics, and scientific rationality

Thomas Hobbes argued for Social contract

Cause and effect process is where one event will happen only if a

previous (or series of previous events) takes place

The Internet can be an accurate, reliable source of information, but be

careful

Spell Check and Thesaurus are helpful tools to use when using word-

processing programs

To research quickly and efficiently, you must learn to select the

appropriate research tool

Monarchs use the ideals of divine right to control people


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Lesson 5 United States Government: A History

Introduction:

In this lesson, we will learn about the newly created United States. It

evolved from thirteen British colonies. We will study events leading to the

creation of a separate and independent United States. Furthermore, we

will travel in time to analyze other important events in the history of

America. We will learn about WWI, WWII and the Post-War era since

1945. Finally we will talk about topics in government facing us in

contemporary America.

The Beginnings of U.S. Government

In 1607, the British commercial settlement of Jamestown was founded in

Virginia. During the rest of the 1600s people from Spain, France,

Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, the U.K., Africa and others

settled in the newly discovered territory of North America. By the time

many of these colonists settled in these territories, they accepted the

English system.

The idea of limited government was first established with the signing of

the Magna Carta by King John in 1215. This document established that

the monarch only had limited power over property-owning Englishmen.

This document worked as a primary foundation for other documents to

come. It provided protection against punishment, loss of life, liberty, and


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property. This document also required some popular consent when it came

to establishing certain taxes. Originally it only applied to nobility. Later it

included all citizens.

In 1689, the English Parliament established the English Bill of Rights. It set the limits of the power of the government over people. This document

was extremely important since it applied also to the newly colonized

territories of North America. It thus applied to the inhabitants of the thirteen

British colonies. This document and the rights colonists had were why

there was an American Revolution against the British Empire.

Colonists had the strong belief the government was denying them the rights

established for them under the English Bill of Rights. Meanwhile, British

colonists in North America were using a system of representative government. This system allowed common folk to elect individuals to

represent them in making laws and conduct governmental activities.

Jamestown, Virginia established the first representative legislature in North

America in 1619.

From 1607 to 1733, the English founded 13 colonies on the Eastern coast

of North America. The systems the colonists used to govern themselves

was foundation for the ones we use nowadays. Each colony had its own

governmental body which included a governor, legislature and court

system. On the other hand, the British believed that each colonist owed

allegiance to the British crown. All colonists agreed with this philosophy

until the Crown began taxing them without their consent One of the key

features of the colonial governments, was that they wanted to govern


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themselves according to some written plan or constitution. The first one of

this kind in the area was The Mayflower Compact. The Mayflower

Compact was written by a group of pilgrims. It was signed in 1620 by

members of the pilgrim family. They also agreed that they would choose

their own leaders and make their own laws for their own benefit. They

would have “home rule.”

During the 1760s, England decided to tighten the grip of power over the

colonies. In the eyes of the Crown, the colonies existed for the purpose of

serving it. For many years, the colonies served as the center of raw

materials for the economic development of Britain. In 1764-65, during the

government of King George III, The Sugar and Stamp Acts were passed.

These Parliamentary acts imposed direct taxes on the colonies. The

colonials felt strongly against the act, and thus were repealed. But, the

Parliament passed other tax laws to substitute. The Boston Massacre of

1770s showed how Americans did not like a standing army and

propaganda could make revolutionaries into martyrs.

In 1773, a group of colonists dressed as Indians dumped British tea [the

only kind England would let them buy legally] into the Boston Harbor. This

rebellion was later called The “Boston Tea Party.” In retaliation, the

Parliament passed a further set of taxes called the Coercive Acts (the

colonists called them Intolerable Acts). Delegates from all colonies,

except Georgia, attended to a meeting held in Philadelphia: The First Continental Congress. They agreed that they would impose an embargo

against Britain and would not use British goods.


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Most of the individuals who attended felt strongly that taxes should not be

imposed against the colonies. The colonists themselves did not have

representation in the British Parliament. This became known as “taxation without representation.” It was the principal reason the colonists decided

to separate from the British Empire.

On April 19, 1775 the Redcoats (the British Army), occupied Boston and

collided with the colonial militia at Lexington and Concord in

Massachusetts. These were the first battles of the American Revolutionary

War. Within weeks, delegates from the colonies united in Philadelphia as

the Second Continental Congress. It assumed the power of a central

government. On July 4th 1776, the thirteen colonies passed The Declaration of Independence. By early August, most representatives

signed it. The writer of the Declaration of Independence was Thomas

Jefferson. You can find a copy and further analysis on the Declaration of

Independence at: http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/. One of the most

important parts of the Declaration was the initial section:

When in the Course of Human Events, it becomes necessary for one

people to dissolve the political bonds which have connected them with

another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and

equal station to which the Laws of Nature and the Nature’s God entitle

them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should

declare the causes which impel them to separation.

The Declaration of Independence: July 4, 1776


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This lesson expressed the feelings of the colonials to separate and

explained the reason why they had decided that they would no longer

tolerate the rulings of the British Empire.

In 1777, the committee that united the Second Continental Congress

created a plan for government called The Articles of Confederation. This

system had only a weak central government composed of a Congress. It

had no central court system or executive branch. Congress had only the

powers expressed in the articles, but they were mainly used for lawmaking.

The main flaw of the Articles was that they did not create a standing central

government. In the Articles, each state maintained almost complete

sovereignty. Congress could not require anyone to follow its rules and it

did not regulate commerce between states. Thus, many strong economic

disputes developed between the states. Finally, Congress could not raise

money on its own. It had to rely on the desire of the states to give them the

money. The colonies noticed the problems that existed with the articles

and decided to meet in what became known as The Constitutional Convention. This work began on May 25, 1787. The Virginia Plan was

presented on May 29, 1787. A counter proposal was called The New

Jersey Plan and was presented on June 15, 1787.

Finally The Great Connecticut Compromise presented a Congress with

two houses, The House of Representatives favored states with larger

populations. A Senate had one representative from each state. It favored

smaller states. They compromised on counting the black population with

what they called the three fifths compromise. Three fifths of Blacks

would be counted for taxes and representation purposes.


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This concession appeased the Southern colonies. These colonies were

concerned about domination by the North.

The debate over the ratification became apparent when the colonists

divided into two groups: The Federalists and the Anti-Federalists. The Federalists favored the strong or balanced central government. The Anti-Federalists argued that the central government might become too powerful

and become tyrannical like the British Empire.

The settlement of this dispute was a promise to include a Bill of Rights with

the Constitution. The Bill would guarantee rights to citizens and limit the

powers of the central government. James Madison introduced 12 amendments to the Constitution. The states ratified 10 of them as The Bill of Rights. In order to win the battle for the Constitution in the colonies,

Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay published over eighty

papers defending the merits of the new Constitution. Later on, they

organized all the papers into a book called The Federalist. Although the

Constitution was ratified on September 7th 1787, Federalists had to

promise Congress would attach a Bill of Rights to the document at the first

session of Congress.

With the newly ratified Constitution, the role of government could take on a

progressively important role. The newly formed national or federal

government increased in importance as compared to the one established

under the Articles of Confederation. Furthermore, the new Constitution

allowed for the government to expand or contract as the need arise.


75

The supreme power of the federal government allowed for the unification of

the current states and all other states that joined the union after that.

Before and after World War I through World War II

From the beginning, this kind of Government of the United States was a

completely new experience for the world. The President might be the

commander in chief. Congress has the power to declare war. During the

early periods, Congress only did so in 1812 against Britain, in 1846 against

Mexico, and in 1898 against Spain. In 1898, the United States fought

Spain in the Spanish-American War. As a result of the war the U.S.

acquired the Philippines, Guam and Puerto Rico, later the United States

Annexes Hawaii (1898) and Samoa (1900). This was the beginning of the

“American Empire.” During the twentieth century, Congress made the

decision to declare in World War I in 1917 and in World War II in 1941.

There are other instances when the President might send troops and

military operations might take place. This would not to be considered a full

state of war since the economy is not converted to full war production.

Such conflicts have included the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the

Iraq Wars of 1990-1 and 2003-07.

World War I and World War II were extremely important. On June 28, 1914

the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s Archduke Franz-Ferdinand was

assassinated. This was followed by the mobilization of troops in Russia

and Serbia. There was as system of dual diplomatic alliances seeking a

global “balance of power.” By August 1914, the Central Powers were

composed of Bulgaria, Turkey, Germany and Austria-Hungary.


76

On the other side, the Allied Powers were composed of France, England,

Russia, Japan and Italy.

In the United States, President Woodrow Wilson asked Congress to remain

neutral in the conflict. His ideas reflected the ideals of most Americans

who believed America should not be involved in the conflicts of our

European counterparts. United States’ first president, George Washington implored future generations to steer clear of “entangling

alliances.” Nevertheless, by 1915, Germany was sinking non-military ships

all over the Atlantic Ocean who were seeking to trade with its enemies. In

January 1917, President Wilson (who was re-elected in November of 1916)

made a proposition that both European powers should cease the war, even

though there was no winner.

The United States had the feeling that they should isolate themselves from

the rest of the world. Many other countries had the same feeling. On the

other hand, the United States was clearly helping its Allies by sending

supplies, weapons and food to England and other countries. The United

States also helped the Allies by financing loans for their war effort to be

repaid after the war.

This definitely did not sit well with Germany who decided to contact Mexico

in February 1917. Germany proposed if Mexico joined the war the

Southwestern part of the United States, annexed during the Mexican-

American War in 1846, would be returned. By April 2, 1917 the president

decides to ask Congress to enter war.


77

The President felt that the United States should enter the war and end it as

soon as possible to diminish the problems that would originate from

inactivity. Furthermore, it was obvious at this point that the United States

was backing up the Allied powers. Te next step was only to join the war

with troops. The war in Europe was stalemated and all sides were

exhausted.

Neutrality is no longer feasible or desirable where the peace of the world is

involved and the freedom of its peoples, and the menace to that peace and

freedom lies in the existence of autocratic governments… We shall fight for

the things which we have always carried nearest our hearts-for democracy,

for the right of those who submit to authority to have a voice in their own

governments, for the rights and liberties of small nations, for a universal

dominion of right by such a concert of free peoples as shall bring peace

and safety to all nations and make the world itself at last free…

President Woodrow Wilson, April 2, 1917

During WWI, the power of the American national government expanded

dramatically. In order to organize the country for war, the government

created laws and regulations to organize the war effort. Factories were

converted to war production. Contracts were extended for machinery,

weapons, uniforms, etc. A great deal of integrated infrastructural

communication took place. Railroad companies worked together to quickly

transport supplies to the East coast to them to the front line.


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It was the first time the federal government used its power to impose such

a massive effort. Everything did not go smoothly. Nonetheless, the U.S.

effectively affected the war in the Allies favor.

World War I was a costly war. More than 20 million people died as a result,

directly or indirectly, of the war. Civilians died during bombing and naval

attacks. Soldiers died from chemical warfare and machine gunfire. Finally

the Central Powers had to admit defeat,. By the eleventh day of the

eleventh month of 1918, Germany had to surrender. This day was later

remembered as Veterans Day. Germany and the Central powers in

general would now have to pay war reparations to the Allied powers in

Europe. These war reparations would then pay for the loans the United

States gave to the Allied countries. America was the greatest credit

furnishing power in the world. Furthermore a new map of the world was

drawn. Germany lost a great part of its territory. The Central powers their

colonies.

Following the war, the United States kept to its policy of isolationism. The

policy of isolationism was nothing new; it was implemented back in 1823 by

President James Monroe, who established the Monroe Doctrine. Europe

was in devastation from Napoleon’s wars. Most economies had to be

rebuilt. Cities lay in ruins and the losing countries had to be physically

rebuilt and they had to pay reparations. This only created great resentment

against the Allied powers. On the other side of the Atlantic, the United

States stood as the world’s greatest power. Industry was booming, Britain

was no longer the world leader and Germany was reconstructing.


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The dollar became a globally trusted currency. By 1920, the U.S. reached

it highest level of export.

The average person in the U.S. now had access to loans. The banks

started making them. Buying on credit was part of the newly found

affluence American citizens enjoyed. The average American started

looking at the stock market as a meter for economic performance. More

people moved into urban areas for work. With the problems everyone

faced in the war, the United States started focusing inward. The U.S.

decided not join the League of Nations.

In 1929, the United States faced its gravest economic depression in its

history after a decade of “good times.” President Roosevelt introduced a

series of controlling new ideas he called the “New Deal” to prop up the

failed economy. By 1931, the depression spread to Europe and many

countries like Germany, stopped making their war reparation payments.

The United States is so involved in dealing with the Great Depression that it

can not deal with impending signs of war from Europe and Asia.

By 1939, WWII had engulfed Europe. Germany had been arming under

Hitler since 1933. He wanted revenge for the West’s punishment of

Germany after WWI. Other world powers, allowed Germany to occupy

territories lost in WWI without a fight during the thirties. This appeasement

was seen as a way to avoid another world war. The United States took the

same approach it took in WWI. It allowed Germany to occupy central and

eastern Europe.


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Again ships of supplies, ammunitions and machinery were shipped into

England. This time most ships were disguised as merchant or people’s

transports.

Germany quickly swept next through western and northern Europe. By late

1941, The Axis powers (primarily Germany) controlled Czechoslovakia,

Poland, Denmark, Norway, France, Belgium, Luxemburg, Netherlands,

Holland, Romania, Yugoslavia and Greece; as well as other countries who

decided to join the Axis in order to keep their governments.

On December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.

Japan wanted all Western powers to remove themselves from their colonial

presence in the Pacific. To this unprovoked military attack, President

Franklin D. Roosevelt made a speech the following day asking Congress to

declare war:

Yesterday, December 7th, 1941, a date which will live in infamy, the United

States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air

forces of the Empire of Japan… Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the

fact that our people, our territory, and our interests are in grave danger… I

ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly

attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7th, 1941, a state of war has

existed between the United States and the Japanese empire.”

President Franklin D. Roosevelt, 8 Dec 1941


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From this point on, the United States was suddenly pulled into the war.

Again all production was shifted to war. Quotas were established and

many companies turned completely to war production. This time the effort

was even greater than in the previous world war. This time all Americans

would contribute to the war cause. Women replaced men in factories. Men

served in the armed forces. Companies worked together to create logistics

to produce efficiently. Tanks, ships, weapons, uniforms, food and other

goods were produced at an extremely efficient speed.

In World War II, the Axis Powers were composed of Germany, Italy and

Japan. The Allied Powers were composed of France, Great Britain,

Russia and the United States. Other countries such as Canada were also

involved in a limited way on the Allied side. Later on, as the United States

became increasingly involved in the ground war. Power shifted toward the

Allies. On June 1944, the Allied invasion of Europe took place. The D-Day

invasion was the most massive assemblage of troops ever.

By May 1945, Allied victory in Europe was declared. The Allies defeated

the Axis Powers (Germany). Unfortunately for the United States, the war

was not completely over. The war in the Pacific against Japan continued.

Fearing further loss of life and property, the United States took a bold move

against Japan in order to end the war. On August 6, 1945 the first atomic

bomb was dropped in Hiroshima, Japan. On August 9, 1945 a second

atomic bomb was dropped over Nagasaki, Japan.


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Finally by September 2nd 1945 the Japanese signed an unconditional

surrender to the United States and WWII ended with the defeat of

totalitarian fascist powers defeated. Their military-based governments were

destroyed by the United States.

Post WWII

Immediately after WWII, the United States realized it should not turn its

back from the world. Therefore, the United States adapted a new policy of

internationalism. After WWII the United States and many other countries

created and joined a series of international organizations. The World Bank

and the IMF were created.

Penalties, like reparations, were not imposed after WWII. The winning

countries realized that making someone pay for war reparations will only

make them angrier and will probably lead to another war. The United Nations (UN) was another organization created after WWII to promote

peace in the world. Its mission is to maintain world peace, develop good

relations between countries, and promote cooperation in dealing with

problems and increasing respect for human rights. The UN is formed by

many small and large countries who agree to abide by its rules and

cooperate with one another.

The United States emerged from WWII as the leader of the free world and

United Nations. This created conflict with the other great world power of

the time, the communist Soviet Union. Immediately after WWII, many

countries in Eastern Europe fell under the power of Russia which wanted to


83

be sure it had a buffer zone against further invasions from the region. In

1949, Communism took over China. This advance of Communist nations

over others convinced the U.S. that t was a threat to capitalism and

freedom’s way of life.

Thus the Cold War began. The Cold War is the term used to describe the

increased arms race and hostilities between the United States and the

Soviet Union (and other communist countries). This type of war was

characterized by the attack of words between the two countries as well as

the clash of ideologies.

Our government was convinced that Communism was a threat and it took

action against it. In 1947, President Harry S. Truman helped pass the

Marshall Plan which provided aid to needed countries in Europe, who

were threatened by totalitarian governments.

This was part of a containment policy. This policy dealt with the

expansion of communism by stopping its spread. This became known as

the Truman Doctrine.

The increased tensions led to an arms race. The Soviet Union and the

United States tried to maintain a weapons advantage over each other.

Both countries started to make more deadly weapons. A few wars

developed as a consequence of the Cold War; the Korean War (1950-1953) and the Vietnam War (1954-1975). In both cases, the United

States intervened indirectly to reduce the threat of the spread of

communism. Policy-makers believed that if communism spread to more


84

countries, the Western way of life would be in danger. The Vietnam War in

particular was a failure. The United States failed to achieve its goal and in

1975 Vietnam was re-unified under communist control. This war claimed

about 58,000 American lives. The Vietnam War was a political disaster for

the U.S. It created many international as well as local protests, and the

anti-war movement in general.

From 1964-68, President Lyndon Johnson made social welfare

improvements on what he called “The Great Society.” The public greatly

supported his ideas and thus in 1965 Congress passed the first national

law to aid education. This law was called the Elementary and Secondary

Education Act. He also passed the 1965 Clean Water Act, which provided

regulation towards the protection of Americas waterways. This was a

period of increased government intervention in domestic matters. The

government felt the need to redistribute income to less fortunate

individuals. It did so by a series of laws and regulations introduced to the

country. President Johnson firmly believed he could wipe out poverty in the

U.S. He had the belief that a truly great nation would take care of the poor

among them.

Over the following years Americans slowly began to notice that even

though there were differences between communist nations and

democracies, this was not a reason to be uncooperative. Cooperation could

help them to realize the benefits of “the American way of life.” President

Nixon introduced a new diplomatic concept of détente. He called for a

relaxation of tensions in the 1970s. The president has the power of being

the commander in chief. Also the president can appoint representatives


85

called ambassadors. Ambassadors are officials who represent the

country in matters of diplomacy. Most of the time, they are used because

the president himself can not be in charge of all diplomacy. Currently the

United States keeps active embassies in many countries in the world. The

president also receives ambassadors from other countries. Formal

agreements between nations are called treaties. Ambassadors have an

important role in the realization of such agreements. During the 1990s, the

world enjoyed an increase in trade. This economic boom led to further

collaboration between countries. Because of the increased collaboration,

in 1994 NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) was formed. This

agreement removes most barriers of trade and investment between the

United States, Canada and Mexico. The proliferation of regional and

international treaties and trade agreements continues.

By the late 1980s, it was clear that the Soviet Union was no longer a

Communist super-power. Between 1991 and 1992, the former Soviet

Union disintegrated into fifteen separate countries. Nowadays, the only

standing communist governments are North Korea and Cuba. China is

also a communist country. It has formed its economic basis on the market

economy. Thus it is considered a mixed economic system.

Dissipation of the Cold War in the 1980s was in part due to President

Ronald Reagan. He proposed a series of changes in the size of the federal

government. He proposed many decreases in federal spending as well as

federal tax cuts. This decreased the overall size of the federal government.

The ideas of cutting spending were directed at lowering the level of national

debt and cutting back on federal over-spending. In actuality, he greatly


86

increased the federal deficit by spending large amounts of money on

defense. The increase in arms finally ended in the bankruptcy of the Soviet

Union, which was no longer capable of keeping up with the United States.

As the Cold War ended, President George H. W. Bush Sr. decreased

defense spending. Many important defense agencies such as the CIA, FBI

and others dealt with lower budgets. This allowed the federal government

to save on the budget and by the middle of the 1990s, the federal

government was saving money thanks to President Bill Clinton’s effective

balancing of the budget.

In 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait, a small country to its south. Ruler Saddam

Hussein wanted to keep control of oil production in Kuwait. The United

Nations, led by the United States, acted quickly to stop the invasion.

Operation Dessert Storm and Dessert Shield were launched against Iraq.

The war ended with the defeat of Saddam’s army. The ruler would stand for

another 12 years.

On September 11, 2001, the United States was attacked by terrorists from

foreign nations. One of the nations found to harbor terrorists was

Afghanistan. In late 2001, the United States launched a war against

Afghanistan to remove the terrorist-connected Taliban from power. In

2003, the United States launched a war against Iraq to remove Saddam

Hussein from power. President George W. Bush Jr. stated Iraq was hiding

weapons of mass destruction. He said they presented a threat to national security and international well-being.


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National security refers to the determination of a nation to remain free of

influence or invasion by other powers.

The views of many people and countries around the world have changed

due to these wars. This was clearly visible during the 2004 elections.

Many Internet votes were counted and they concluded that the rest of the

world was not in favor of George W. Bush Jr. being the president of the

U.S. Most of the people cited stated he launched attacks against Iraq

without being sure of the facts. In the Unites States, the people decided

that George W. Bush Jr. should continue to be the President. He was re-

elected in 2004 even though no chemical or biological weapons of mass

destruction were ever found. The U.S. Government’s claimed they were

there. The conflicting views is nothing new.

The changes since September 11, 2001 are apparent. Since then, the

government has been working on unifying intelligence into one Cabinet-

level organization, the Department of Homeland Security. It has increased

collaboration between government agencies. This was not the case in the

1990s. The president has proposed changes in the federal budget and has

increased intelligence and defense spending. The increase in spending

has increased the U.S. debt to a historical high.

It appears the United States has entered another period of closed national

borders with less freedom for labor and migration.


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Evaluating Conflicting Sources of Material:

When it comes to historical events there are usually at least two sides to

the story. You must learn to evaluate conflicting sources in order to make

an informed decision for yourself. First, analyze the information being

presented and check it for validity. Secondly you can compare the

information and analyze which one might be more objective. Finally make

an informed decision about which of the two best represents the event and

the actual consequences that followed.

Notice that many times you will have to settle somewhere in the middle of

the two sources. This is because no one source is completely right. You

will learn about the Great Depression in the following unit. The skill of

evaluating conflicting sources is related to determining fact from opinion.

To determine facts from opinion, first read the information carefully. Then

reflect on what kind of evidence is supporting the statement. If the

statement refers to a situation, whether the author is explaining which

situation was desirable, important, or significant, then it’s probably an

opinion. For example: George W. Bush Jr. won the presidential election of

2004 (this is a fact). His performance during his first term of 2000-2004 was

essential to the war against terror (this is an opinion).


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Practice Exercise 5 (Pick the best answer to the question)

1) The first settlement in English North America was/is:

a. New York c. Maine

b. Jamestown d. New England

2) The English Bill of Rights was passed:

a. in 1215 by King John

b. in 1689 by the Parliament

c. in 1787 with the U.S. Constitution

d. in 1776 with the Independence of the thirteen colonies

3) The first kind of written agreement for any Government of the United

States was called:

a. The Mayflower Compact

b. The United States Constitution

c. The Articles of Confederation

d. The Declaration of Independence


4) After independence in 1776, the U.S. governed itself using:

a. The United States Constitution

b. The Mayflower Compact

c. The Articles of Confederation

d. The Constitutional Convention Resolution


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5) The colonist had many reasons to be against English ruling of the

colonies, but most colonials were against:

a. The Boston Tea party d. Taxation without representation

b. “Home rule” e. None of the above

c. Freedom

6) What countries were part of the Allied Powers in WWI?

a. Germany, Austria-Hungary

b. England, France, Japan, Italy, Russia

c. United States, Russia, Germany

d. Italy, Germany, Japan

7) What countries fought against the Allied Powers in WWII?

a. Italy, Germany, Japan

b. Russia, Germany, Italy

c. Japan, Russia, Germany, Italy

d. England, France, Canada

8) What president declared that the U.S. could no longer be neutral on

WWI?

a. Abraham Lincoln d. Harry S. Truman

b. Franklin D. Roosevelt e. None of the above

c. Woodrow Wilson


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9) What caused the U.S. to actively join military action WWII?

a. The attack on New York City

b. The speech by President Truman

c. D-day invasion

d. None of the Above

10) The Cold War took place between:

a. England and Russia c. U.S. and Russia

b. U.S. and Japan d. U.S., Europe v. Russia

Answers Practice Exercise 5 1. B 2. B 3. C 4. C 5. D

6. B 7. A 8. C 9. B 10. C


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Jamestown was the first English settlement in North America

The English Bill of Rights was instituted in 1689 by Parliament

The Articles of Confederation was the first written agreement for any

Government of the United States

After independence in 1776 the U.S. governed by using the Articles of

Confederation

Most colonists were against taxation without representation

England, France, Japan, Italy, and Russia were part of the Allied Powers

in WWI

Italy, Germany, and Japan fought against the Allied Powers in WWII

President Woodrow Wilson declared that the U.S. could no longer be

neutral on WWI

The attack on Pearl Harbor caused the US to enter WWII

The Cold War of 1945-1990 was between the U.S. and Russia


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Lesson 6 The American Way of Life

Introduction:

In this lesson, you will learn about social transformations that took place

during the 1920s and 1930s during the Great Depression. You will learn

about important policy changes following the Great Depression. You will

learn how, in our economy, political, personal and economic rights tend to

reinforce each other. You will also learn how policies affect all parts of the

economy in general. Groups, businesses, and regions as well as

individuals are affected by changes in policy. The Legacy of the Great Depression

During the 1890s and early 1900s, there was a fantastic revolution in the

United States. Railroads, streets, buildings, factories were all on the rise.

Population continued to move into cities. Production was booming. The

government was using classical economic theory to help the markets

develop. This theory developed in 1776 by Adam Smith called for non-

intervention of the government in markets.

By the 1890s, the U.S. iron production was higher than Britain’s. By the

early 1900s American steel production surpassed Britain’s. The United

States excelled in heavy industry. The most important industries were electric and oil, fuel power, steel, and iron.


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By the early 1900s, the United States was the greatest industrial nation in the world. The banking industry was not as well developed as in other

countries. Most of the U.S.’ finances came from European nations. In

1907, there were bank panics. Many people and corporations were going

bankrupt. By 1913, the government decided to create the Federal Reserve

Bank to regulate and stabilize the American banking system. The Federal Reserve Act of 1913 created the American organization of banks as it is

today. The FED did not work as a central bank. It was instead a system of

coordination.

As a part of this industrial revolution, businesses grew extremely large. An

example of these industries was the newly formed car industry. From

1910, Henry Ford (vice-president and chief engineer) developed the idea

of the assembly line. He incorporated standardized and interchangeable

parts, division of labor, and a continuously moving assembly line for the

production of the famous Ford Model T. These innovations in the Ford

factory allowed Ford to dramatically lower the price of his cars. He

envisioned that the common man would be able to purchase a car. Cars

were the wave of the future. These innovations revolutionized the car

industry in the world.

In 1914, World War I broke out in Europe. A world economic panic took

place. It spread to the U.S. People were afraid that the war would spread

and started taking their money out of the banks and stock exchanges. The

financial and banking systems were in chaos. In November 1914, the New

York Stock Exchange had to close. It was not fully re-opened until April

1915. The war was a beneficial economic event for the United States.


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By mid 1915, the U.S. was in a full economic war boom with industrial and

agricultural output going way up. The Federal Reserve allowed banks to

make loans to European banks buying weapons from the United States to

fight the war. By 1917, the U.S. entered the war on the side of the Allies.

The United States Government temporarily took control over key industries

to fully convert them into the war effort. It was the first time such central a

strong economic intervention occurred in America.

Buying on credit was one of the new ways to obtain expensive items. This

was the beginning of car loans, house loans, credit cards, and other loans.

During the 1920s, the United States citizens enjoyed good times. One of

the reasons for the Depression of 1929-41 was the decline in the

construction industry from 1925 -1928. This was important because the

construction industry involves transportation. It’s labor intensive and

requires movement of money. All are parts of economic development.

The second problem came with the decline in the agricultural sector.

The agricultural sector had a decline during the 1910s and 1920s.

Apparently it was extremely important for the economy. In 1929, there was

also a decline in durable goods sales. All this would have not been so

integral had it not been for the total collapse of the stock market as well.

On October 1929, the stock market crashed. This was a halting of

progress for businesses in the market. People measure business

development by the behavior of the market, and this collapse created

widespread hysteria and loss of faith in the future. People thought the

economy was about to collapse. They started withdrawing their money from


96

banks. Even a rumor that a bank was going to fail would cause the amount

of people taking their money out to increase. Thus many banks went

bankrupt just on pure rumor. As common people had less employment and

money, they stopped paying their loans to banks and other creditors.

At the same time, Germany and other nations stopped paying their war

reparations. Thus the Allies did not pay the U.S. for their WWI loans.

Unemployment went up to 33%. More than 2298 banks had to close.

People lost their money since deposits were not insured. Wages were cut

and production went down. The problem quickly spread to Europe and

there was no way to stop it.

Clearly the market was not going to fix itself. This gave way to the new

movement. It said that the government should intervene when the market is

failing. This was called Keynesian Economics, named after Maynard Keynes. He argued that the government could help the development of

the country by spending tax money or giving tax cuts. In November 1932, the American people elected a new president Franklin D. Roosevelt, who

took office in March 1933. He had new ways to cope with the Great

Depression. His plan to end the Depression was called the “New Deal.”

Roosevelt immediately lowered tariffs and increased Federal aid to the

unemployed. He declared a bank holiday and closed all banks. He passed

the Emergency Banking Act, and then re-opened only sound banks. He

extended the lending power of the Federal Reserve to help banks stay in

business.


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He cut government excess spending and devalued the dollar to increase

exports. He created the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) to put

people to work, passed the Agricultural Adjustment Act to help farmers,

and extended federal loans to them. Roosevelt pushed through the

Federal Securities Act. It established regulations on the work of the stock

exchange. The Glass Steagall Act of 1933 created the Federal Deposit

Insurance Corporation (FDIC). It would slow bank failures and raise the

minimum deposit requirements. The FDIC currently insures all deposits up

to $100,000. The Minimum Deposit Requirement controls the amount of

cash the banks have to keep in their vaults to deal with extractions. In

1934, the Reciprocal Trade Act is passed. This allowed for the U.S. to

lower tariffs if other countries will do so as well. This is the first time the

government completely intervened to help the economy. From this point

on, it will do so every time there is a need for it.

By 1935, people started to think about how to improve the way of life for

everyone in society, even the less fortunate. They started thinking about

social welfare. On August 14, 1935, the government passed the Social

Security Act. This act established a system for old age benefits for U.S.

workers. It also created benefits for victims of working accidents,

unemployment insurance, aid for mothers and their children as well as the

physically handicapped. This act set new standards for government’s role

in society.


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The government was now responsible for the social welfare of society. In

1938, minimum wage laws were passed. First the minimum wage was 25

cents an hour, but it was to be raised to 41 cents an hour in subsequent

years.

Governmental and Economic Decisions

Governmental decisions, whether political, economic, or any other, have

repercussions through all sectors of the country. Many decisions can be

localized, like zoning and housing regulations. Other decisions though can

be wide reaching like the implementation of a different tax regulation.

Nowadays federal tax laws are extremely complex. They are nonetheless

important.

The majority of the income the federal government receives comes directly

from taxable income. An income tax is the one applied to individuals or

business. It is directly related to the amount of earnings the individual or

business has in a certain period of time, usually one year.

There are other types of taxes as well. Excise taxes are the ones charged

to manufactured goods, transportation, sales, and the consumption of

goods and services. In today’s world, excise taxes are also applied to

gasoline, oil, tires, cigarettes, liquors, airline tickets and others. Tariffs are

taxes imposed on imported goods. Tariffs and other types of importing

taxes are imposed to increase revenue, but they also help protect local

industries from external competition. Quotas are restrictions on imports.

With a quota, the government restricts the amount of a certain good that


99

comes into the country’s borders. About twenty years ago, President

Reagan decided that taxing was too confusing for Americans, and thus he

helped pass the Tax Reform Act of 1986. This reform introduced a

simpler way of taxing individual and business. Decisions such as tax

reforms involve everyone in the country.

The government nowadays is capable of successfully affecting the

outcome of economic cycles. With the use of United States Federal Bank

(Central Bank) monetary policies, the economy can be manipulated.

Important issues such as tax policy affect individuals, groups, and the

country’s regions.

Policy may be equal for all. Still, regions have different businesses. In

Florida, for example, there are immense orange plantations providing year-

round orange products to all the United States. Northeastern regions are

quite popular for industries. Detroit, Michigan, for example, is considered

the center of United States automobile industry. The area of the Great

Lakes in general is quite industrious in nature. Furthermore, areas close to

Canada serve as ports for other destinations within the U.S. Port cities are

used as communicators for products which travel all over the country.

Furthermore, they are used for introduction of sea food.

Regional differences were even greater before the Civil War. During the

Civil War, (1861-1865) there were extreme differences between the North

and the South of the United States. The North was so different in outlook,

the South wanted to separate from the Union. The South’s primary industry

came from the huge plantations Black slaves used to work. In the North,


100

there were ever growing industries. Such differences were extremely

noticeable. The North did not allow slavery. The South depended heavily

on slave labor. The South left the union to maintain the philosophy of states

rights. They believed states in a confederacy should be more powerful than

any national government they may create.

In the case of the Civil War, the differences separated the nation. Apart

from that, many differences pulled regions together. Cars produced in one

part of the country in this century were transferred all over the nation by

rail. Orange juice produced and cultivated in Florida ended up in

supermarkets in many parts of the country. The differences allow for the

production of infinite goods. This, in turn, allows U.S. consumers (like you)

to buy the goods and services you need or want.

Americans come from different cultures. We are all able to live together.

Religion is one of the examples of how Americans differ. Currently there

are more than twenty different religions present in the United States. As a

matter of fact, our religious background is so diverse that most forms of

religions are present all around us. Major groups in this country are:

Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism. But there are also

the small groups including: Sikhism, Scientology, Humanism, Taoism, and

Eckankar. Similarly, there are individuals who do not believe there is a

God. Even with all the different religious backgrounds, Americans are able

to form and maintain a nation. In other parts of the world, such differences

are not as easy to resolve, usually due to a low tolerance for different

ideals.


101

United States law includes basic freedoms such as different religious ideals

are easily tolerated.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or

prohibiting the free exercise of freedom thereof; or abridging the

freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably

to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

First Amendment: United States Constitution

This amendment is central because it allows Americans to exercise any

religion they wish to exercise. It also denies the government the power to

establish a religion and thus deny rights to others who do not belong to

such religion. Since the establishment of the Constitution rights such as

the one in the first amendment have created an ambience of

perceptiveness towards others and their way of life. This perceptiveness is

an essential part of the “American way of life.” It’s important to notice

how these rights reinforce each other. The right to belong to any religion is

a personal right, but at the same time is political and economical because it

does not discriminate against you. You may a Democrat or a Republican

and you may be Christian, Jew, or Muslim, but the law requires you to be

treated no differently than any other citizen.

The American way of life insures that all citizens are equal under the law.

This means that one citizen will not be discriminated against because of a

particular preference. Other amendments such as amendment fifteen have

helped equal rights opportunity, by allowing Black citizens the right to vote.


102

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or

abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or

previous condition of servitude.

Amendment XV, Section 1: United States Constitution

Additionally, Amendment IXX gave female citizens, Black and White, the

right to vote. The amendment called for women’s suffrage.

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or

abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex…

Amendment IXX: United States Constitution

Today’s United States government is significantly more involved in

everyday life than it was years ago. This is quickly changing and adapting

just like everything else in an ever adapting democracy. One of the main

changes worth noticing is the direct involvement of the government in the

economic development of the country. Before the Great Depression of

1929, the United States had the policy of creating competition to benefit the

consumer. Apart from that it did little to avoid economic downturns. As part

of the legacy of the Great Depression, the government tries to keep

economic downturns to a minimum. This is accomplished through the use

of policy which affects the economy positively. The government is now

responsible for the well-being of all citizens, even those with disabilities,

special conditions, and the elderly.


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Federal programs such as Social Security and Medicare help the needy,

State programs such as Medicaid help the poor. Social Security is basically a retirement pension, which gets subtracted

from income. This secures a certain amount of income for the individual on

retirement. Retirement age restrictions may alter current or future

coverage of social security benefits. Medicare is a program that

complements social security. It covers most medical expenses with some

restrictions such as prescription or over the counter drug coverage. Both of

these programs will apply on retirement, subject to a certain age restriction.

All states have another program which usually complements federal

government sponsored coverage. It is called Medicaid. Medicaid helps the

poor deal with financial responsibilities. This coverage might not have an

age restriction because many people can temporarily receive this coverage

depending on financial need or disability.

Even though the government has endless restrictions on the coverage,

usage or requirements for social programs, the fact that they exist at all is a

good sign. Many governments around the world do not have such

programs. In other cases, the government might have the program in place

but many of them do not provide for minimum living conditions. The United

States government is committed to the welfare of all citizens, even those

who can no longer work, but worked for their country when they were

needed.


104

Some social democracies such as Sweden provide extensive socialized

medicine benefits provided by the government but at the high cost of

personal and business taxation.


Selecting Strategies to Understand the Information:

Information will be presented to you in many ways. To make informed

citizen decisions you must learn how to confirm if what you read what

actually the information wanted to be conveyed. First read the statement

again. Second, find a graph, map, or other source to compare it to your

understanding of the information. Then analyze if the information

presented in the illustration is the same as what you understood from the

text. To practice this, re-read the previous section and take a look at the

graph below.

After reading the text again, do you agree that the Great Depression was

so significant? You may also want to take into account that in today’s

standard an unemployment rate of 10% is unacceptable in the U.S.

Unemployment Rate

05

101520253035

1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937

Unemployment


105



1) The theory that called for no intervention of the government in the

economy is called:

a. Classical economic theory

b. Federal Reserve non-intervention

c. Keynesian economics.

d. Pre Great Depression economics

2) The big downturn which caused the Great Depression took place on:

a. 1928

b. 1929

c. 1930

d. 1933

3) Who insures bank deposits for up to $100,000?

a. The state government

b. The Federal Reserve

c. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

d. The U.S. Deposit Insurance Corporation


106

4) The action that established old age benefits is:

a. The Social Security Act of 1935

b. The 1938 minimum wage laws

c. The Tax Reform Act of 1986

d. The Glass-Steagall Act of 1933


5) What is a tariff?

a. The same as a quota

b. A restriction on inter-state trade

c. An increase on international trade

d. A tax on international trade

e. B and D only

6) The First Amendment does NOT include which right?

a. The right to freedom of speech

b. The right to a speedy trial

c. The right to choose our own religion preference

d. Right to peaceful assembly

e. All these rights are part of the First Amendment

7) The amendment that gave women the right to vote is:

a. The First Amendment

b. The Nineteenth Amendment

c. The Fifteenth Amendment

d. The Fourteenth Amendment

e. Its part of the Bill of Rights


107

8) Which of these is a state sponsored aid:

a. Social Security

b. Medicare

c. FDIC insurance payments

d. Medicaid

e. All of the above are state sponsored

9) Since we live in the same country (The United States of America), all

states and regions are basically equal and have no primary differences

which one can observe.

a. True b. False

10) Using the graph in Critical Knowledge Unit 6 answer: what year was

the unemployment rate the highest during the Great Depression period

in the graph?

a. 1931 d. 1939

b. 1929 e. 1945

c. 1933

Answers Practice Exercise 6 1. B 2. B 3. C 4. A 5. D

6. B 7. B 8. D 9. B 10. C


108


The Adam Smith Theory called for non-intervention of the government in

the economy

The big downturn of 1929 caused the Great Depression

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insures bank deposits for up

to $100,000

The Social Security Act of 1935 established old age benefits

A tariff is a tax

The Nineteenth Amendment gave women the right to vote

Medicaid is a state sponsored program

States and regions of the United States have many observable

differences

The highest rate of unemployment during the Depression was in 1933


109

Lesson 7 Individual Responsibilities towards Our Society

Introduction:

In this lesson you will be introduced to the process for how a non-citizen

can become a citizen. You will learn how citizens have the right and

responsibility to monitor governmental processes. You will study how to

make use of your rights as citizens. You will know, by using these rights,

you help the American democracy and way of life. You will develop an

understanding of some of the issues of personal concern with our

government. You will learn the importance of civil liberties and

compromises that derive from our way of life. Finally, you will develop a

sense of how to become more involved and determine which political

beliefs or tendencies you have.

The Citizenship Process

The citizens of the United States are members of a democratic and political

society. Therefore, each citizen has rights and responsibilities to the

system. Important duties include obeying the laws and regulations, paying

taxes to support the government and maintaining loyalty towards the United

States government. To participate in our government citizens have to be

informed. They must respect the rights of others and different opinions in

our society. They must exercise the right to vote. Good citizens must

cherish their rights and exercise their responsibilities.


110

Being a citizen is based on a legal principle. Citizenship encompasses

more than just legality. Good citizens must respect one another. They

must follow the rules of law and timely participate in the political process.

There are three ways to become an American citizen. One is by being

born on U.S. soil, another is by the process of naturalization, and the third

is by having American citizens as parents. A citizen by the law means being born in the territory. This grants citizenship to almost every person

born on United States soil. This is the most common way of obtaining

citizenship. Many, if not most other, countries also use this law to allow

individuals to obtain citizenship. Not everyone born in U.S. soil is an

automatic citizen. All those individuals subject to the jurisdiction of another

country while on U.S. soil are not granted citizenship. For example:

children of foreign diplomats, a child born on foreign ships staying in a U.S.

port, or the children of foreigners merely passing through the United States.

Another way of becoming a United States citizen is by the law of having U.S. citizens as parents. Again, not all children born of U.S. citizens are

automatically U.S. citizens themselves. The laws governing this law of

citizenship are quite complex. One section is quite clear. If a child is born

on foreign soil from U.S. citizens as parents, to grant citizenship to the

newborn, the parents must meet one requirement. At least one of the

parents must have been a permanent resident of the United States at one

point in his/her life. Finally, foreigners can become United States citizens

by naturalization.


111

All foreigners who want to become U.S. citizens can do so by

naturalization. At the end of this process, they will have almost all rights

given to U.S. born citizens. The major right not given is that a naturalized

citizen can not be President or Vice-President of the United States.

Congress has defined specific steps one must follow to be a naturalized

citizen. Such steps include specific steps for permanent residency.

Immigrants who want to become citizens must meet these requirements:

1) They must have entered the U.S. legally,

2) They must be of “good moral character.”(The definition of good

moral character is complex),

3) They must declare support for the principle of government of the

United States,

4) They must prove they speak, write and read English (This part has

recently become more difficult by harder tests. There are

exceptions to this requirement), and

5) They must show basic knowledge of American history and

government.

These steps will not guarantee citizenship acceptance. Members of

communist parties, deserters of military service, and evaders of draft

callings might be denied citizenship. Those engaging in anarchist acts and

others might be denied the process. One goes through the process. The

immigrants being naturalized are asked to attend the oath of allegiance ceremony. The current oath requires new citizens to renounce loyalty to

foreign governments. They must defend the United States Constitution.


112

They must be willing to bear arms in the name of the United States. After

the ceremony, a certificate of citizenship is granted to the individual.

Important naturalized Americans include governor of California Arnold

Schwarzenegger, scientist Albert Einstein, and Cuban born music artist

Gloria Estefan. Some acts of Congress may also grant citizenship. These

acts are not common. They may only apply in special circumstances. One

example is the annexation of new territory.

All other individuals who live in the country, but are not citizens of the

United States, are aliens. A person who is a citizen of another country, but

has established legal residency in the country is a resident alien. These

apply to all new immigrants and all those in the naturalization process. A

non-resident alien is a foreigner and is expected to stay in the U.S. for a

specific short period of time. Finally, an illegal alien is an individual who

comes into the country without a legal entry permit. Most illegal aliens

cross borders without being identified. This category also applies to those

who stay in the country after their legal permit has expired. In

contemporary America, the issue of illegal aliens has become an important

one. Many argue that they are taking away jobs from people legally

residing in the country. Apart from the category of alien, these individuals

enjoy most of the benefits of legal residents. They may own property and

are guaranteed protection under the law. Aliens are in turn expected to pay

taxes, obey the law, and share the responsibilities of maintaining the

American way of life. The most important right they are not guaranteed is

the right to travel outside the United States’ borders. Furthermore, aliens in

general are subject to deportation.


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Many career opportunities are available for those interested in serving the

United States. Most honorable of all is serving in the United States military

forces. Our active military forces include the U.S. Army, the U.S. Air Force,

and the U.S. Navy. We also have the reserves. Careers within the military

may not carry the requirement of being a U.S. citizen or resident. Other

federal government careers will have the requirement of being a U.S.

citizen. Government work opportunities should be considered by all.

They offer competitive salaries, many long term benefits, and most

importantly the great sense of pride that comes from knowing that you work

while serving your country. Federal jobs include serving in the Central

Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), the

Bureau of Labor Statistics, the National Security Agency (NSA), and many

others. Employment with local governments is also available. Many career

opportunities with local governments can be found on their local website.

For Broward County, Florida go to: http://www.broward.org/welcome.htm

for Miami-Dade County, Florida go to: http://miamidade.gov/wps/portal.

Careers on local governments include clerical jobs, management and staff

support, accounting and financial positions, as well as law enforcement in

general. Local governments are able to match your skills to a certain job.

Most government opportunities do not require a degree, but will require

some experience on the job. Careers within the government are highly

respected in the private sector. They will certainly be of much help if you

want to apply for another job in the private market later on in your life.

Many jobs in this market develop a high sense of belonging. Many

government workers have flexible schedules which allow for career


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advancement and development of further educational degrees.

Governmental work is extremely competitive and allows you to challenge

your skills while serving the public.

Citizens Rights and Responsibilities

All individuals living within the United States have rights and responsibilities

to maintain in order to ensure the prosperity of our way of government.

The responsibilities for citizens are important and should be observed by all

members of society. In Lesson 3 we introduced you to some of the ways

citizens and entities can influence the political process. This influence is

not only important but also necessary. If our representatives in the

government do not know the way we feel about certain laws, then they can

not help us change them.

Therefore, it is our responsibility as citizens to let representatives know how

we stand on a certain issue. Our own political behavior can determine the

outcome of the future of our country. Elections, for example, are extremely

important. Democrats and Republicans alike must exercise their right to

vote. We must all realize that participating on elections is the most

important democratic right we have. Choosing our local and state

representatives, Members of Congress, presidents, governors, are the

guarantee that our way of government will continue to flourish.

Our form of government is ruled by the majority decision. This means

that we must express our political feelings, even though we might not win.

Besides, how do you determine if your candidate can win or not? If you do


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not exercise your right to vote, and many others like you do not do as well,

then there is no way of knowing if your candidate could have won the

election.

Participation in the voting process has steadily declined through the years

until the 2004 election in which a record number of voters lined up to make

their opinions count.

Many elections have been decided by close votes. The 2000 election

which ended with George W. Bush Jr. winning the election over Albert A.

Gore Jr. was a close one. Votes in the state of Florida were too close to

call. They had to be counted and re-counted by election officials. The

determination of who won was made. Many Democrats who did not vote

felt they could have made a difference in the outcome.

Florida offers early voting process. Voters can elect to vote before election

date. This alleviates the amount of voters who elect to vote during Election

Day. We have in Florida the process of absentee ballots. Individuals who

can not or do not wish to go and vote can do so by mail by filling out a form.

These processes were put in place to help. They were suggested and

passed by voters like you.

You can always influence or monitor public policy. An easy way to do so is

by writing letters, e-mails or other forms of communications to your local

representatives. Local representatives are there to help the public. Many

of them have offices widely accessible to the public. You may also choose

to support your candidate with either money or help. Candidates are


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always looking for individuals willing to campaign in their favor.

Campaigning is a way of showing your support for the democratic cause

and for our system of government. You can get in touch with the policies

the candidate will implement upon winning the election.

This can help develop your own political beliefs and tendencies. You can

always stay in touch with what your candidate can do for you after the

elections. You can learn about their points of view. You can learn how they

will deal with issues that concern you. An easy way to do so is by watching

the debates offered during the election period.

Debates are important, chiefly for those individuals who are still undecided.

Undecided voters are those who at the last moment still do not have a

clear view of what one candidate or the other will do. They are usually the

ones who decide close elections. You can also find out which views are

more close to your own by finding out what political party you can relate to.

It is important to be informed about who you will vote for. It will be a shame

if you decide to vote for a candidate simply because someone told you to

do so. In order to be a good citizen you need to be informed and make the

best decision to support the candidate who best matches your own political

inclination.

-For information on the Democratic Party go: http://www.democrats.org/.

-For information on the Republican Party go: http://www.rnc.org/.

-For information on the Independent Party go: http://www.usiap.org/.


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Being part of one party of another does not mean the opposite party is your

enemy. In our democratic form of government conflicts of interest are

important in the process. It will be interesting to have everyone on one side

or the other in all conflicts. As we all know this is usually not the case. In

order to resolve conflicts we come to a compromise. A compromise is

resolution of the conflict by including important parts of both sides.

Examples of such compromises are laws which initially do not pass the

approval of the president or congress but are later revised and passed.

Initially there were twelve amendments in the Bill of Rights. Only 10

passed the approval of the majority. Local laws also apply to this case.

Many local laws are passed only after they have been revised of some

conflicts that arose during the approval process. This collaboration, while

respecting everyone’s rights is quite essential to a democracy. Political

compromises help maintain majority rule while preserving minority rights.

The constant monitoring of the political process and society events by

concerned citizens keeps our democratic form of government. It is thanks

to informed and concerned citizens like you that our democracy keeps its

power. For example: helping election officials catch individuals who

commit fraud is part of our duty. We can help the police locate criminals

who break the law and help prosecute them. We thus make sure our

government remains strong. Every time you are watching and reporting

suspicious activity in your neighborhood you are helping police protect the

public. Maintaining law and order, protecting others privacy rights and

helping your community are some of the steps that make American citizens

so unique.


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American citizens are a strong community of individuals who respect each

other and who have concern for common safety as well as individual rights

and liberties.

Critical Knowledge: Lesson 7 ------ Geographical Questions:

Usually the best way to understand events is to have a complete

understanding of the surroundings. This includes all related material as

well as geographical orientation. The following is a map of the political

world:

Map provided by the National Geographic Society

(http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/atlas/)


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To have a better understanding of the material presented make sure you

always have a map of the region at hand. Analysis of geographical

regions is quite important for the interpretation of events and how they may

affect policy. Using the map locate the United States, Europe and Japan.

Do you see how some Americans could not be familiar with events of WWII

unfolding in these distant territories? Can you picture the reason why at

the beginning of U.S. history there were only 13 colonies and they were all

located on the East Coast. The world has become increasingly small with

the information technology age and the long range of current weapons.

In today’s world no place is too far, when it comes to a war. For this reason

the United States is constantly helping the United Nations deal with

increasing world conflicts. The idea is to avoid the problem before it starts,

so it does not become another world disaster such as WWI or WWII.



1) There are how many ways to obtain the U.S. citizenship:

a. 1 b. 2 c. 3 d. 5 e. None of these above

2) Foreigners who immigrate into the United States usually obtain the

U.S. citizenship by:

a. Naturalizing d. U.S. Citizenship process law

b. law of having U.S. parents e. None of the above

c. Immigrant citizen’s law


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3) Which of these is NOT a requirement to become a citizen for those

immigrants who want to do so?

a. Enter the U.S. legally

b. Be of good moral character

c. Must have basic knowledge of American History and

Government

d. Must be able to speak and write English and some Spanish

(Spanish because Puerto Rico is a commonwealth of the U.S.)

4) All those individuals who live in the U.S. illegally can be defined as:

a. Non-legal aliens d. Illegal resident aliens

b. Illegal aliens e. None of the above

c. Non-resident aliens

5) Which of these may cause a resident to be denied citizenship?

a. Previous desertion of military service

b. Previous membership in a communist party

c. Previous evasion of draft service

d. All of the above

e. None of those reasons may cause citizenship denial

6) Which is the most important democratic right/freedom given to

citizens?

a. Freedom of speech d. Freedom of religion

b. Freedom of peaceful assembly e. The right to bear arms

c. The right to vote


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7) In Florida, individuals are allowed to vote from home if they can not or

do not want to go to a polling office, This is called:

a. Early voting d. Non-present voting

b. Absentee ballots e. Non-present voting participation

c. Non-present ballots

8) Individuals have the right to elect representatives, but they may not

monitor public policy until the next election.

a. True b. False

9) To have a good understanding of events you must have a good

geographical orientation.

a. True b. False

10) The participation of voters is always important in a political decision.

But last minute decisions from _______________ usually decide the

election

a. Early voters d. Democratic voters

b. Absentee ballots e. Young voters who usually do not vote

c. Undecided voters

Answers Practice Exercise 7 1. C 2. A 3. D 4. B 5. D

6. C 7. B 8. B 9. A 10. C


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There are 3 ways to obtain U.S. citizenship

Foreigners immigrating into the U.S. usually obtain U.S. citizenship by

naturalizing

Being able to speak and write English and some Spanish is not a

requirement for U.S. citizenship

Individuals who live in the U.S. illegally are defined as aliens

Desertion of military service, membership in a communist party, or

evasion of draft service may cause a resident to be denied citizenship

In Florida, and some other states, individuals are allowed to vote from

home if they cannot or do not want to go to a polling office by obtaining

an absentee ballot

Individuals can indeed monitor public policy

In order to have a good understanding of events you must have a good

geographical orientation

Last minute decisions from undecided voters usually decide the election


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END OF COURSE REVIEW

The Federal system (Federalism) is the system in which the power is

divided into national and state powers

John Locke is credited with saying, “Men being…by nature, all free and

equal and independent…” Locke, Rousseau, and Hobbs developed the

concept of Social contract

“Natural Law” was derived from the Greeks: the first civilization to use

laws to govern themselves

The U S government has 3 branches; executive, legislative (the Senate

and the House of Representatives), and judicial

The President can overrule Congress’ approval of a bill by the power of

veto or by not acting on it (a pocket veto) Congress can over-ride a

presidential veto with a 2/3 vote in favor

Laws allowing segregation of Black and Whites were referred to as “Jim

Crow” laws

The representatives of the US Government to foreign countries are

called ambassadors

Plessy vs Ferguson was the court case that helped in the creation of the

“separate but equal” doctrine

The Fourteenth Amendment is the equal rights of citizen’s amendment

The First Amendment does not include the Right to a speedy trial

The right to vote is the most important democratic right/freedom


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Political parties suit democracy because they allow citizens to make

educated decisions about candidates as the parties debate different

topics

Writing down events in a time line allows you to understand the

chronology and sequencing of an event of a group of events

Eminent domain is the power of the government explained in

Amendment I to take any property from the public but having to pay a

fair price for it

The Enlightenment was a period of renewed individual knowledge,

ethics, and scientific rationality

Thomas Hobbes argued for Social contract

Cause and effect process is where one event will happen only if a

previous (or series of previous events) takes place

Jamestown was the first English settlement in North America

The colonists expressed their desire to separate from the British Empire

by writing the Declaration of Independence

The Articles of Confederation was the first written agreement for any

Government of the United States

Most colonists were against taxation without representation

England, France, Japan, Italy, and Russia were part of the Allied Powers

in WWI

Italy, Germany, and Japan fought against the Allied Powers in WWII


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President Woodrow Wilson declared that the US could no longer be

neutral on WWI

The attack on Pearl Harbor caused the US to enter WWII

The Cold War of 1945-1990 was between the US and Russia After

WWII, the US policy was intervention and containment with regard to

communist regimes

The Adam Smith Theory, also called classical economic theory, called

for non-intervention of the government in the economy

The big downturn of 1929 caused the Great Depression Afterwards, the

US government was motivated to handle economic factors as the best

way possible

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insures bank deposits for up

to $100,000

A tariff is a tax

Medicaid is a state sponsored program

There are 3 ways to obtain US citizenship

Foreigners immigrating into the US usually obtain U.S. citizenship by

naturalizing Anyone not a citizen and living in the U.S. illegally is called

an alien

Being able to speak and write English and some Spanish is not a

requirement for U.S. citizenship

Individuals who live in the U.S. illegally are defined as aliens


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Desertion of military service, membership in a communist party, or

evasion of draft service may cause a resident to be denied citizenship

In Florida, and some other states, individuals are allowed to vote from

home if they cannot or do not want to go to a polling office by obtaining

an absentee ballot

Individuals can indeed monitor public policy Government decisions can

be influenced by the people, the media, and political parties

Last minute decisions from undecided voters usually decide the election

President Bush Jr., launched attacks against Iraq and Afghanistan,

because he considered them a threat to National security

The U.S. made war without congressional approval many times

The best way to objectively learn about court cases is to use

government publications which tend to be non-biased


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