united states government miss garrido’s 5th grade pocantico hills school sleepy hollow, ny
TRANSCRIPT
United States Government
Miss Garrido’s 5th Grade
Pocantico Hills SchoolSleepy Hollow, NY
What is Government?
• The organization people set up to protect the community and enforce its rules
Powers of Government
• Legislative: Power to make laws
• Executive: Power to carry out laws
• Judicial: Power to interpret laws
What is a Law?
• Official rules and regulations, generally found in the constitution
• Used to govern a society and control the behavior of its members
Kinds of Government
• Monarchy: kings and queens are rulers– King George III
• Dictatorship: government with one ruler– Cuba
• Democracy: people have power– U.S. Government
• Political system• Rule by the people• People have basic
freedom• Representative
Democracy
Democracy
The Mayflower Compact
• Mayflower carried Pilgrims from England to Massachusetts
• Before they left the ship, the passengers wrote a document called the Mayflower Compact
• Promised to pass only laws that were fair to everyone and good for the whole community
The Declaration of Independence
• British raised colonists taxes
• Colonist protested• Fighting began• Committee chosen to write
the document – Benjamin Franklin
– John Adams
– Thomas Jefferson
• Laid the foundation
for the nation’s future system of government
• Approved on July 4, 1776
• 56 people signed• John Hancock signed
first
Articles of Confederation
• First Constitution of the United States
• Adopted November 15, 1777• A preamble and 13 articles• State governments had most
of the power • Little power given to the
central government
The Constitution of the United States
• Document that tells basic rules and explain rights of a US citizen
• Written 200 years ago• Written to unite all the
13 colonies
Constitution
• 57 men helped write it in 1787
• Ratified by the states in 1788
• It has 7 sections called Articles telling how the government works
Three Separate Branches
• Each branch has power to check the others
• Legislative: Power to make laws
• Executive: Power to carry out laws
• Judicial: Power to interpret laws
The Bill of Rights• First 10 amendments• It guaranteed certain
freedoms and rights• Added after the
Constitution• Freedom of Speech• Freedom of Religion• Freedom to Assemble
Amendments
• Amendments change the Constitution
• 2/3 of both the Senate and House of Representative must approve
• 3/4 of all states must approve
Federal Government
• Federal government deals with matters that affect the whole country– Defense
– Transportation
– Postal Delivery
– Federal Taxes
Federal GovernmentExecutive Branch
• Executive Branch carries out national laws• The President is head of the Executive Branch • Commander in Chief of nation’s army • Elected to a four year term• Approves the laws that
congress makes• Proposed national budget• Can veto a bill
Federal GovernmentLegislative Branch
• Legislative branch makes laws for the nation
• Two parts of the Legislative Branch– U.S. Senate
– U.S. House of Representatives
Federal GovernmentLegislative Branch
House of Representative• Number according to
size of state’s population
• Representative must live in the state they represent
• 25 years or older• US Citizen for 7 years• Elected to 2 year term
Senate
• Each state has 2
• Senators must live in the state they represent
• 30 years or older
• Citizen of the U.S. for 9 years
• Elected to 6 year term
Federal Government Judicial Branch
• Judicial Branch interprets and applies national laws• Make up of the court system• Highest is the Supreme Court
- appointed for life terms• Lowest levels are
Justice of Peace • Gets its powers from
Article III of the Constitution
State Government
• State Government deals with matters within their own state– Schools
– State Roads
– State Taxes
– State Police
State GovernmentExecutive Branch
• Headed by the governor• Elected to 4 year term• Carries out laws of the
state• Proposes state budget• Commander of the state
militia• Can veto bills
State GovernmentLegislative Branch
• Makes state laws• New York Senate has 61
members - 4 year terms• New York assembly has
150 - 2 year terms• Chief Officer assembly
speaker• Legislature convenes in
January
State GovernmentJudicial Branch
• Interprets and applies state laws
• New York Court of Appeals - appointed for 14 years
• State Supreme Court - elected for a 14 year term
Other Kinds of Government
• County Government– NY has 62 counties
• City Government– controls an area with
large population
• Town Government• Village Government
The People
Provide Public Service
Protect the Safety of their
Citizens
Provide a System of
Justice
Protect the Rights of
Individuals
Promote the Well Being of their Citizens
Purpose of State & Local Governments
Establish local fire
departments
Patrol state highways
Build Roads
Sanitation facilities
Provide state funds for schools
Maintain state prison system
Pass local fair housing laws
What is a Citizen?• Two kinds of citizens• Native-born citizens
– Born here
– Children of American citizens born while visiting other countries
• Naturalized citizens– Have to be at least 18
– From other countries
– Lived here 5 years to qualify
– 3 years if they’re married to an American citizen
Citizen’s Rights• Countries protect their citizens and
give them rights • Naturalized and Native-born citizens
have the same rights, except one• Naturalized citizens can’t run for
president• Citizens can vote• Freedom of Religion• Freedom of Speech• Freedom of the Press
Citizen’s Responsibilities
• Duty to obey the law• Vote in elections• To pay taxes• If the country is at war,
citizens may be called to serve in the armed forces
• Serve on a jury if called
Patrick Henry
• Born May 29, 1736 in Hanover County, Va.
• Storekeeper and farmer• Member of the
revolutionary convention of Va.
• Died on June 6, 1799• “Give me Liberty or
Give me Death”
Thomas Jefferson• Third President of the
United States in 1801-1809
• Member of the second Continental Congress
• Drafted the Declaration of Independence in 1776
• Politician, Educator and an Architect
Alexander Hamilton
• Helped secure New York's ratification of the Constitution
• First Secretary of the Treasury
• Shot and killed in a duel with former U.S. vice-president Aaron Burr, a long-time political rival
John Jay
• Continental Congress • Commissioner Treaty of
Paris Continental Congress 1774-1775
• First Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
• Helped negotiate peace with Great Britain
• Governor of N.Y.
Thomas Paine
• Wrote Common Sense, which called for American independence from Great Britain
• Born in Thetford, England • 1774-Moved to Philadelphia• Influenced fighters in the
Revolutionary War• Buried in New Rochelle, NY
George Washington
• Born February 22, 1732• General in the French and
Indian War • General in Revolutionary
War• President of the
Constitutional Convention• First President of the United
States
Sam Adams
• Adams was born in Boston on September 27, 1722.
• After college was a success law student.
• Adams was a delegate to the Second Continental Congress
• also subsequently
James Madison
• From Virginia • Founding Father • Wrote Bill of Rights• Signed the Constitution • Married Dolly Madison • Congressman • 4th President of the
United States
Francis Scott Key
• Watched the bombardment of Fort McHenry, in Baltimore Harbor by the British in September 1814
• The fort withstood the attack, and the sight of the American flag at dawn inspired Key's verses, set to a popular English drinking tune
National Anthem
• “O say can you see...”• Hymn of loyalty to our country
• Designation as national anthem by executive order in 1916 was confirmed by an act of Congress in 1931
• Written by Francis Scott Key, a Washington D.C. lawyer
American Flag
• Symbol of our nation• Original had 13
alternating red & white stripes and 13 stars-one for each colony
• Now one star for each state (50)
• Legend is that Betsy Ross sewed 1st flag for George Washington
Pledge of Allegiance
• I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands: one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.