Chapter 1: the American People

Chapter 1: The American People

Section 1: The Diversity of Americans

1. What is civics?
2. The study of the rights and duties of citizens
3. Dates back 2500 years to Greece and Rome
4. More than just living in a country
5. E Pluribus Unum – “out of many, one”
6. Many diverse or different groups of citizens have come together to make a single, strong nation
7. All started with the migration of people over the land bridge in the Bering Strait approx. 40,000 to 50,000 years ago
8. A nation of immigrants
9. Until mid 1900’s most came from Europe (now from Latin America and Asia)
10. Spanish first settlers
11. Florida, California and Southwest
12. 1600’s - France and England
13. French in Canada and English on east coast
14. Late 1600’s and 1700’s – Germans, Netherlands, Ireland, Scotland and Sweden
15. 1830’s – 600,000 immigrants to 1850’s – 2,000,000 immigrants
16. 1860 – 1890 – 10,000,000 immigrants from Europe
17. 1890 – 1924 – 22,000,000 immigrants
18. Italy, Greece, Poland and Russia
19. Slaves
20. 1619 – 1808 – 500,000 people brought to the US as slaves
21. From western and central Africa
22. By force or through trade, taken and sold in the Caribbean or North and South America
23. A Diverse Population
24. American population is hugely diverse in ethnic or racial backgrounds
25. Most Americans can not identify themselves as members of a single ethnic group
26. Rough tabulation of ethnicities in the US
27. 234,000,000 Europeans
28. 37,000,000 African
29. 12,000,000 Asia or Pacific Islander
30. 2,800,000 Native American
31. 39,000,000 Latino (from Spanish speaking countries of the western hemisphere)
32. Religious diversity
33. 200,000,000 Christianity
34. Many others practice Jewish, Muslim Buddhist or other religions freely
35. Also, agnostics and atheists
36. Traditions
37. Many “old country” traditions become part of American culture
38. Transforming America
39. 1830 – 1930, America’s population grew from 12,000,000 to 120,000,000.
40. 40,000,000 were immigrants
41. Movement to the west
42. Mid-1800’s, move from rural areas to cities
43. More work (factories), less dangerous, blue and white collar workers
44. By 1920, half of all Americans lived in cities or towns
45. In the past 40 to 50 years (roughly), move from manufacturing/industry jobs to service jobs (teachers, doctors, lawyers), to a service economy
46. More women and at-home jobs
47. After the Civil War, mass migration of blacks from the South to the North, seeking jobs and a better life
48. Where the North used to hold the highest population now the South, and increasingly the West, is the most populous
49. Major Migrations review:
50. Farms to the cities: more jobs, safer, fashion
51. North: many former slaves moved North after the Civil War
52. South and west: older population moved South and Southwest
53. Other trends
54. People living longer
55. Better health care
56. Lower child mortality rate
57. Fewer children being born
58. More college and graduate degrees
59. Latinos are the fastest growing ethnic group
60. American values and institutions
61. Values
62. Made up of the general principles or beliefs used to make judgments
63. Broad ideas about what is good or desirable, shared by people in society
64. Influence the way we act
65. American Values
66. Freedom
67. Equality
68. Opportunity
69. Justice
70. Democracy
71. Unity
72. Respect
73. Tolerance
74. Shared American Values based upon
75. Common civic and political heritage based upon key documents
76. Declaration of Independence
77. Constitution
78. Bill of Rights
79. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness
80. Popular sovereignty – the right to govern ourselves
81. A single language
82. Primary means of communication
83. Becoming more diverse in thinking one language as a common bond between Americans
84. Institutions
85. Ideas that people have about relationships, obligations, roles and functions
86. Most important is the family
87. Core of social life
88. Produces new generations
89. Socialize the young
90. Offers care and affection
91. Provides economic support
92. Transmits values to the children
93. Also: religion, education and social
94. Religion – churches, temples and mosques. Promote social unity, provide a sense of meaning and belonging
95. Educational – schools. Reflect culture, history and learning, create a common identity, promote personal growth and development
96. Social – clubs and volunteer service organizations. Sharing of common values
97. Governmental institutions

Section 2: Who are American Citizens?

1. Two ways to become an American citizen
2. By birth
3. Naturalization – legal process that foreign born people who choose to become citizens go through
4. Citizenship by birth
5. Born in any of the 50 US states
6. Born in an American territory (Puerto Rico, Guam, America Somoa)
7. US military base/Embassy grounds
8. One or both parents being American citizens
9. May hold dual citizenships
10. One parent an American citizen or being born in another country that provides citizenship with birth
11. Being born to foreign parents in America
12. Naturalization
13. Sign a Declaration of Intent – statement saying that you want to become an American citizen
14. Live in the US for 5 years (3 years if you are married to a US citizen)
15. Be 18 years old and live in a state for 3 months
16. Interview and Examination with a USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services)
17. Checking on moral character and if the person meets the requirements
18. Citizenship examination: questions on reading and writing, speaking English, US history and government
19. Oath of Allegiance
20. Attend a ceremony where the person pledges an oath of allegiance to the United States, loyal to our country above all others
21. Signs a document and thus are declared citizens
22. If they have children they automatically become naturalized citizens as well
23. Native Americans
24. Wasn’t until 1924 that all Native Americans became citizens of the United States
25. A Lifelong Privilege
26. Only the federal government can take citizenship away
27. States can deny some privileges (such as voting and gun ownership rights to convicted felons), but can’t deny citizenship itself
28. Federal government can strip naturalized citizenship
29. Through denaturalization (if improperly obtained)
30. Fraud or deception during naturalization
31. Lying when entering the country or applying for citizenship
32. Through expatriation (declaring citizenship in another country or denouncing one’s American citizenship)
33. Voluntary and involuntary (child’s parents accepting citizenship in another country)
34. Through being convicted of certain crimes (also usually being deported)
35. Rebellion, attempts to overthrow the government, treason
36. Native born citizens can lose citizenship through their own actions, it can’t be taken away nor can they be denaturalized
37. Pledging allegiance to another country
38. Denouncing one’s US citizenship
39. Aliens in America
40. Millions apply to come to the US every year but only 675,000 are accepted (quotas)
41. Usually let in people with needed skills receive the highest priority
42. Researchers, doctors (and their families)
43. Beginning to change to those that want to work, produce and contribute
44. People with particular skills, talents or money to invest in our economy
45. Illegal Aliens
46. Approximately 12,000,000 are living in the US today
47. Some applied and were denied
48. Some never applied
49. Come to the US for a variety of reasons
50. Temporary visitor who never leaves
51. Foreigners who stayed after their Visas expired
52. Most come to work and for a better life
53. No family or friends
54. Constant movement, many times with the growing seasons
55. No sure way to make a living
56. Illegal to hire illegal aliens to work for you
57. Face deportation back to their home countries
58. Legal Aliens
59. Resident alien – someone from a foreign country who has established permanent residency in the US
60. May stay as long as they want without becoming American citizens
61. Nonresident alien – foreigner who expects to stay in the US for a short, specific time period
62. Journalist covering an event or topic
63. Students coming to school
64. People coming to work for a period of time (athletes, actors, etc)
65. Refugees – people fleeing their country to escape persecution
66. Legal aliens live much like American citizens: can have jobs, own property, attend public schools and receive government services; they pay taxes and are entitled to legal protections (illegals are granted legal protections as well)
67. Can’t vote in elections, run for office, serve on juries, work in governmental jobs; they must carry identification cards

Section 3: Government and the People

1. The Need for Government
2. Any organization that has the power to make and enforce laws and decisions for its members
3. What do governments do
4. Provide and enforce laws
5. Also courts to decide guilt or innocence
6. Provide security
7. Establish armies
8. Establish agencies
9. Provide public services
10. Create and manage libraries, schools, hospitals, parks
11. Build and repair streets, bridges
12. Deliver mail
13. License doctors and other professionals
14. Agencies to help the needy and poor
15. Guide the community
16. Formulate public policy
17. Guide the economy, plan a budget
18. Devising foreign policy
19. Levels of Government
20. National
21. Legislative - Congress
22. Judicial – Federal and Supreme Courts
23. Executive – President, Cabinet and Offices
24. Highest authority by law (Constitution)
25. Provides the basic framework for government
26. State
27. Legislative – Congress
28. Judicial – State Courts
29. Executive - Governor
30. Local
31. Legislative – Municipal board, city council
32. Judicial – Municipal Courts
33. Executive – Mayor, offices
34. Types of Governments
35. Democratic
36. 2500 years old began in Athens Greece
37. Direct Democracy – all citizens met to debate and vote
38. Republic – a system of limited government where people are the ultimate source of power, oldest example is the US
39. Constitutional Monarchy – prime minister as head, king or queen as a figurehead with limited or no power and a congress of representatives
40. Democratic Principles
41. “Government of, by and for the people”
42. Power comes from the citizens
43. Citizens acting through their representatives run the government
44. Purpose is to make the US a better place for those who live here
45. Free and fair elections
46. “One person, one vote”
47. A choice among candidates
48. Majority rules
49. Authoritarian
50. Power is held by one or a group of people not accountable to the population
51. Absolute Monarchy
52. King or Queen is directly in control
53. No oversight, unlimited authority
54. Almost gone now except for parts of the Middle East
55. Dictatorships
56. Usually one person, may be a group
57. Take power not through inheritance but through power
58. Rely on police, military, secrecy
59. Totalitarianism
60. Government control extends to almost every facet of the people’s lives
61. Ban political opposition
62. Regulate food and consumable production
63. Suppress human rights
64. Use violence, propaganda and scare tacticss