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