Chapter 2 Lesson 2
United States Government
Page 50-57
Government – a system of leaders and laws for making decision for a community,
state, or nation
Constitution – plan of government
Democracy – people can elect leaders to govern them
Republic – a government that gets its power from the people
The first 3 words of the Constitution are: WE THE PEOPLE
The Constitution says the government:
*should treat all Americans fairly and protect their freedom
*has the right to have an army, to declare war, and to make peace
*can make paper money and coins
The form of government the United States has is a republic, a government that
gets its power from the people
There are 3 kinds of government: National, State, and Local
National government = federal government
The 3 Branches of Government:
*Legislative
*Executive
*Judicial
Legislative Branch
*Makes laws
*Congress (2 parts of Congress Senate and House of Representatives)
Senators – people in the Senate
2 senators elected from each state
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House of Representatives – the number of House of Representatives depends on
the state’s population
States with a large population have the most representation.
South Dakota Senators are: John Thune and Tim Johnson (until Nov. 2014 when
he retires)
Senators are elected every 6 years.
South Dakota House of Representative: Kristi Noem
Representatives are elected every 2 years.
Executive Branch
*carries out laws that Congress makes
*leader of Executive Branch is the President of the United States
*Voters elect a President every 4 years
The President promises to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the
United States.
The President takes an oath (promise) as a reminder that the Constitution is the
highest law in our country.
The President deals with other countries, must obey the Constitution, and is the
leader of the United States military.
Presidential Seal:
*50 stars stand for 50 states
*Bald eagle is our national bird
*Bald eagle holds an olive branch, a symbol of peace
*Bald eagle holds arrows to show that the nation will defend itself
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Judicial Branch
*made up of the Supreme Court and other courts.
*job is to make sure the laws agree with the Constitution and sees that
laws are carried out fairly
Supreme Court is the nation’s highest court.
Supreme Court has 9 judges called justices that are chosen by the President and
approved by Congress.
Supreme Court judges, once approved, may serve for life.
Checks and Balances – keeps one branch of government from becoming too
powerful
Majority rules – whoever or whatever gets the most votes wins
Voting age – 18 years old
Voting is important in a democracy because in a democracy the people elect
their leaders by voting. Democracy is based on a majority rules. When people
vote, they are using their power to govern themselves
Bill of Rights is part of the Constitution.
The Constitution lists rights and freedoms that describes the duties of American
citizens
Rights
right to petition
accused person has right to a trial jury
to choose leaders by voting
Petition - a signed request to ask for a new law or change an old law
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Freedoms
Freedom of speech (allows people to express their opinions)
Freedom of press (allows people to publish newspapers and websites)
Freedom of religion (allows people to worship as they like)
Freedom to gather in a public place (allows people to gather for parades and
celebrations)
Jury – decides if a person is innocent or not
People who are accused of crimes tell their side of the story and let a jury decide
whether they are guilty
Constitution gives government the right to collect taxes to pay costs of things.
Taxes pay for training soldiers, rebuilding after floods and natural disasters,
roads, bridges, schools, parks
Washington, DC is the nation’s capital.
Washington, DC is not part of any state. Maryland and Virginia each gave land
for the national capital land.
George Washington picked the exact spot where the city of Washington, DC was
built.
Washington – named in honor of George Washington, our nation’s first President
DC =District of Columbia; the letters DC honors Christopher Columbus