unit 1 – principles of american democracy what are the (4) major responsibilities of government?...

Unit 1 – Principles of American Democracy

What are the (4) major responsibilities of government?

1) Make Laws

2) Enforce Laws

3) Military

4) Taxes


What are the (2) Basic Styles of Government?

1) AuthoritarianEx…Absolute Monarch , Dictatorship, Oligarchy2) DemocraticEx…Direct Democracy, Representative Democracy, Constitutional Monarch


The above timeline shows the progression of government from ______________ to ____________.

1) Absolute Monarch

2) Representative Democracy


What were the motivations for colonies?SALUTARY NEGLECT

1) England- Cheap raw materials- Mercantilism – increase wealth of nation- Export>Import2) Colonists- Religious freedom- Economic Opportunity- Political freedom


Identify the importance of the following documents…1) Declaration of Independence - colonies break from GB - Social Contract 2) Articles of Confederation - 1 Branch – Congress – making laws, no power to

tax - weak central gov3) US Constitution - 2nd Constitution - create a stronger central government

Unit 2 – Structure & Function of Federalism

Fill in the Basic Info for the circle of Government

Unit 2 – Structure & Function of Federalism

CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLES 1) Federalism - enumerated (fed), reserved (states), concurrent (both)2) Separation of Power - legislative, executive, judicial3) Checks & Balances - powers each branch over the other 2 branches4) Popular Sovereignty - the people rule (voting)5) Rule of Law - all people must follow the law, even those that make them6) Flexibility - ability of the government to adapt and to change

Unit 3 – Resolving Conflict1) Fill in the Political Spectrum.

Liberal – the government should be more active to solve social problems.Conservative – the government should be less active

Republican – major political party - conservative

Democrat – major political party - liberal

Moderate – in the middle; may favor more or less gov involvement. Depends on issue

Radical – far ends of the spectrum. Very conservative or liberal

Unit 3 – Resolving Conflict2) How do the following influence public opinion?

- Mass Media – Able to reach large audience. By what they report & how they report, influences how people view an event, etc…

- Interest Groups – Organizations have large number of members that vote. Use money to run ads, newsletters, etc… - PACs (Super PACs?) – Raise $ to get candidates elected. Also

run political ads to shape public opinion.

- Lobbyists – Work in DC & State Capitals. Influence lawmakers, and laws that are passed.

Unit 3 – Resolving Conflict3) What is Suffrage, and how was it changed by the following Amendments to the US Constitution? (Suffrage = right to vote)

- 15th Amendment – Cannot deny vote on basis of race.

- 19th Amendment – Cannot deny vote on basis of gender.

- 23rd Amendment – DC residents can vote in Presidential election. DC given 3 electoral votes.

- 24th Amendment – Abolished poll tax. Cannot make person pay to vote.

- 26th Amendment – Lowered voting age to 18.

Unit 3 – Resolving Conflict4) Identify the following elections…

- Primary Election – Political parties choose candidates for the General Election.

- General Election – Person who wins vote will hold political office. (except President)

- Electoral College – officially elects the President & VP. Each state w/ as many votes as members of Congress.

- Recall – State vote to remove politician from office.

- Initiatives, Propositions, Referendum – all (3) are forms of direct democracy. Issues are put on ballot to approved by voters.

Unit 3 – Resolving Conflict5) How have the following impacted elections in the US?

- PACs – Raise $ to get candidates elected. Run ads, etc… to support or to oppose candidates. Since Citizens United case this has been magnified. Very little limitations are put on these organizations.

- Citizens United – Supreme Court case in which the argument made was that giving money to a campaign was a form of Freedom of Speech. Group won case, and has led to an enormous increase in campaign spending.

Unit 3 – Resolving Conflict6) Identify the Basic Steps in How a Bill Becomes a Law

- Introduction – Must have Sponsor, which is a member of Congress or the General Assembly. - Committee Consideration – Both houses split into small groups based on topic. Will study bills dealing with topic. Can kill bills, change bills, or pass on to full house. - Voting & Conference Committee – Each house must pass bill by a simple majority. Conference Committee – irons out differences in bills from 2 houses. - Presidential/ Governor Action – Sign into law. Veto. Hold for 10 days (pocket veto or pass w/out signature). - Override Veto – Congress 2/3 of both houses.

General Assembly 3/5 of both houses.

Unit 4 - Citizenship1) What are the (3) categories of Rights?

Security, Equality, Liberty2) What are the (5) Duties of US citizens? Obey Laws, Pay Taxes, Jury Duty, Register for Draft, Attend School3) What are (5) Responsibilities of US Citizens? Be Informed, Vote, Participate in Government, Respect Other’s Rights, Respect Diversity4) What is a natural born citizen? Naturalization?

Born in 50 states, DC, parent(s) are citizens, born on US military base.

Process of becoming a US Citizen (5 step process)5) What are denaturalization & expatriation? Losing citizenship

due to fraud in naturalization process. Losing citizenship to become citizen of another country.

Unit 4 - Citizenship1) Bill of Rights – Group Quiz

2) Suffrage Amendments15, 19, 23, 24, 26

3) Civil War Amendments13, 14, 15

Unit 4 - Citizenship1) Supreme Court Cases – Identify the importance of the

following…

- Marbury v Madison – established judicial review - Plessy v Ferguson – separate but equal is constitutional - Brown v Board of Education – separate but equal unconstitutional. - Miranda v Arizona – Police must inform suspect of 5th & 6th

Amendment rights. - Tinker v Des Moines – Schools must show reasonable disruption to learning environment to limit rights. - Gideon v Wainwright – Indigent defendants must be provided

counsel in felony cases.

Unit 5 - The Law & You1) What are the following types of law in the US?

- Criminal Law (misdemeanors, felonies) - prevent people from harming each other or property. - Civil Law - involves disputes between people or groups of people. - Constitutional Law - involves rights guaranteed in the Constitution. - Administrative Law - rules & regulations the executive branch must carry out. - Statutory Law - laws that regulate behavior.

Unit 5 - The Law & You2) Legal Protections – Powers denied to Congress

- Suspend the Writ of Habeas Corpus - police must bring suspect before a judge and inform suspect

of charges, and evidence.

- Pass Bills of Attainder - a law that punish a person w/out a jury trial.

- Pass Ex Post Facto Laws - cannot punish a person for an action that was not illegal at

the time the action took place.

Unit 5 - The Law & You2) Legal Protections – Amendments

- 4th Amendment - search & seizure - 5th Amendment - rights of the accused - 6th Amendment - rights in a criminal trial - 8th Amendment - cruel & unusual punishment - 14th Amendment - equal protection of the law

Unit 5 - The Law & You3) Civil Cases – Explain the following…

- Plaintiff – Complaint (bringing lawsuit)

- Defendant – Summons, Response (being sued)

- Settlement – agree out of court to settle case

- Trial – 2 sides argue before judge or judge & jury

- Verdicts – responsible/not responsible

Unit 5 - The Law & You4) Criminal Cases – Explain the following…

- Prosecution – government (state or federal) - Defendant – accused of violating law

- Arrest – police book suspect - Preliminary Hearing – brought before judge, informed of

charges. - Indictment – formally accused (judge or grand jury) - Arraignment – enter plea (Guilty – plea bargain) or not guilty - Trial – Verdicts (guilty or not guilty) (hung jury)

Unit 6 - The Free Market & The Role of Government

1) Basic Economic Terms – Identify the following (Arctic Survival Activity)

- Economics – study of survival - Scarcity – Trade-off, Opportunity Cost – resources limited,

must make decisions. Decisions have costs. - Division of Labor, Specialization, Productivity

splitting up work into smaller tasks increases output.3 Basic Economic Questions

What, How, For Whom?

4 Factors of ProductionLand, Labor, Capital, Entrepreneurship


1) Basic Economics & Economic Systems

Place the following on the Spectrum - Command Economy (Communism) Left = Total Gov Control

- Market Economy - Right = No Gov Control (Supply/Demand)Adam Smith (Laissez Faire & the Invisible Hand

- Mixed Economy (Mixed Market, Socialism) Center – Shared between gov & individual controlSocialism = Further Left; Mixed Market = Further Right

(US = Mixed Market)


1) What are 6 Characteristics of the US Economy?

- Limited Government Involvement

- Private Property

- Profit Motive/Incentive

- Freedom of Choice

- Freedom of Enterprise

- Competition


2) Supply & Demand

s d

Identify the following… - Supply, Demand, Laws of Supply & Demand, Market Price

- What is a shortage & surplus? - shortage = D>S – Price will increase- surplus = S>D – Price will decrease


3) Business- Identify each, and positives & negatives each type of business organization.

- Sole Proprietorship- 1 owner – most common – many form an LLC

- Partnership- legal joining of 2 or more – least common

- Corporation- recognized as legal person (sue or be sued) (raise $

by selling stocks/bonds)


3) Competition

- Why is competition important in a market economy?- lower prices/ better quality

- Identify the following types of competition. - Perfect Competition

- so many sellers none control price (does not exist) - Imperfect Competition

- business has some control over price (3 types) Monopoly - most drastic form – 1 seller controls market

- US has laws to prevent (anti-trust legislation)


3) Labor - What is a labor union?

- organization of workers that try to improve wages and working conditions of its members

- Identify tactics used by labor unions to improve conditions for workers. - collective bargaining- mediation/arbitration- strike/picketing/boycott- Owners = Lockout


4) Business Cycle

E C

Label the following…Expansion, Contraction

Identify Economic Indicators used to measure the business cycle.- GDP, CPI, Labor Hours, Building Permits, etc…


4) Monetary Policy & the Federal Reserve

- Explain the 2 problems of inflation & recession- Inflation (too much); Recession (too little)

- Define Monetary Policy- control the nation’s $ supply.

- Explain Loose & Tight Monetary PolicyLoose = (Recession) want to increase Tight = (Inflation) want to decrease

- 3 Tools (Discount Rate, Reserve Requirement, Government Securities)


4) Fiscal Policy

- Define Fiscal Policy- Government policy toward taxing & spending

- Revenue- Money coming in – most in form of taxes

- Expenditures- Programs the government runs & spends money

- Balanced Budget, Budget Surplus, Budget DeficitBalanced – (Revenue = Expenditures)Surplus - (Revenue > Expenditures)Deficit - (Revenue < Expenditures)

Unit 7 – International Trade1) International Trade

- Import – good bought from another country

- Export – good sold to another country

- Free Trade & Reasons to Support – trade without barriers- lower prices, better quality, political cooperation

- Trade Agreements (NAFTA, EU, WTO)

- Protectionism & Trade Barriers – Barriers = (tariff, quota, embargo) protect domestic industries, environment

Unit 7 – International Trade2) Globalization & The United Nations

- Developed Countries(1st World) - technology, health care, education, transportation, etc…

- market economy & democratic governments- Developing Countries (2nd World)

- moving from 3rd to 1st

- Underdeveloped Countries (3rd World)- high levels of poverty, poor health care- traditional economy, authoritarian government


- Globalization Issues

- Environmental Concerns- increased consumption, less gov regulation to protect

the environment

- Worker Exploitation (Human Rights)- 1st world companies – taking advantage of cheaper

wages, less worker rights, etc…


- United Nations- Goal = prevent war

- Declaration of Human Rights- rights that should be universal- similar to US Bill of Rights

Unit 8 – Personal Financial Literacy

1) Personal Financial Planning & Goals

- Education, income, career (what is the correlation?)- higher ed, higher income, better career

- Budget- Income (Gross Pay/Net Pay)

Gross – before taxes, etc…; Net – after taxes- Expenses

House, Car, Insurance, Food, Entertainment, etc…- Retirement

401K, 403B, IRA, etc…


2) Savings & Investing

- Accounts- Savings/Checking- CD/Money Market

- Interest- Compound Interest – Rule of 72

- Investing- Stocks, Bonds, Mutual Funds- Risk/Reward


3) Credit

- Credit – Borrowing to pay back later - Credit Card - - Credit Score – evaluates risk in terms of ability to pay back

loan. Higher score = lower interest rates when borrow.

- Interest – Annual Percentage Rate (APR) - Compound Interest – Must interest on interest that has accumulated.


4) Consumer Protection

- Consumer Protection Laws- laws to protect consumers. Warning labels, ingredients,

etc… - Government Regulation

- Insurance - Medical

- Life

unit 1 – principles of american democracy what are the (4) major responsibilities of government?...

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