Our

Government

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The Purpose of Government

Our GovernmentEveryone knows that cars are supposed

to stop at stop signs. But what if drivers could decide they didn’t want to stop at the stop sign, and just kept going? The roads would be unsafe for everyone! That’s why we have a law that says drivers must stop at stop signs. Laws are made to protect people. A law is a rule that everyone in a community, state, or country is expected to follow.

Our laws are made by the government. The government is a group of people who work together to run a community. The government makes laws and provides services to help keep communities safe, organized, and healthy. A government service is work that is done to help everyone in the community.

Public SafetyGovernments provide services to keep

citizens safe from harm. The police department helps fight crime and works to make sure everyone is following the laws. Judges deal with people who have broken the law, and decide on their punishment. The fire department responds to many emergencies, including fires and medical problems. Paramedics offer first aid treatment and take people to the hospital by ambulance. The government also provides protection through the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard.

Public WorksGovernments provide services to keep

communities organized. Public Works departments make sure that clean water is available at all times. They also make sure roads and streets are kept clean and safe, and that street lights and street signs are kept in working conditions. The Public Works department is also responsible for picking up garbage and recycling.

EducationGovernments provide services to help

citizens improve their education. The government provides schools for children, and colleges for adults. Public libraries provide places for everyone to read, research, study, and learn. The government also does scientific research, like sending satellites to explore outer space.

HealthGovernments provide services to keep

people healthy. Hospitals care for sick people. The Health Department checks on restaurants and grocery stores to make sure they are clean. The Health Department also provides shots children need to avoid certain diseases like measles and chicken pox. Some doctors and scientists work for the government to discover new medicines. The government also helps people who do not have much money to buy things like food and medicine, and to pay for place to live.

Paying for Government Services Governments collect taxes from people to pay for services the community needs. A tax is

money that people and businesses pay to a government. When people buy things at stores, they have to pay a sales tax. People who own a home pay taxes every year to the city where they live. People also pay taxes on the money they earn at their jobs every year. Taxes pay for services that citizens need. Citizens are people who live in a community.

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We, the People

The Preamble to the Constitution explains who created the Constitution and the basic purposes of our government. “We the People” are the first words in the Preamble. These words are very important. They show that the power to govern belongs to the people, the citizens of the United States. The people of the United States established the Constitution. The people created a government to protect their rights and welfare.

The government of the United States is a democracy. In a democracy, people have the power to choose their leaders. Citizens choose their leaders by voting for them in an election. Those leaders make decisions for all of they people they represent, or speak for. When we elect people to represent us in government, we give leaders the power to be in charge of certain things like making laws.

People also have power in government because they can change government by voting for new leaders if they do not approve of the job the leaders are doing. They can also speak out about unfair laws.

When the United States became a country, our nation’s leaders had to come up with a new plan of government that would keep people safe and free. This plan is called the United States Constitution. The Constitution contains the most important laws that everyone in the country must follow. It tells how the government should be organized, and describes the jobs of each part of the government. The Constitution also explains the rights of the American people.

The Constitution is divided into three parts. The Preamble is the introduction. It tells the purpose or goal of the Constitution. The Preamble is followed by seven articles, or chapters. The Articles of the Constitution say how the government is set up, what powers and responsibilities each part of the government has, and how the Constitution can be changed. The authors of the Constitution knew that the Constitution would need to be useful for future citizens.

Even though the Constitution was written more than 200 years ago, it is still the plan of government for the country. The Constitution is flexible enough to allow for changes in America. The Constitution is called a “living” document because it can be changed.

The Amendments are the last part of the Constitution. The Amendments state the changes to the Constitution. An amendment can only become a part of the Constitution if many people support it. Three-fourths of the states must approve an amendment before it becomes part of the Constitution.

The first ten amendments are called the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights lists ten basic rights, or freedoms, all citizens have. They were added to the Constitution later because so many people thought they were important. For example, freedom of speech means that citizens are free to speak in public about their ideas and opinions. Citizens also have freedom of assembly, or the right to get together peacefully in a group. Freedom of the press allows people to write, read, and watch what they want. Freedom of religion means that citizens are free to practice any religion. Citizens also have the right to be treated fairly under the law.

Creating our Government

The Supreme Law The Constitution is the supreme, or most important, law of

the land. All states and people must follow it. No other laws can go against the Constitution.

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Branches of GovernmentThe Constitution divided the national government into three

parts, known as branches. The three branches work together to make the country run smoothly and fairly. Each branch has a different job, but the same amount of power. Because the branches have to work together, no person or group can ever have too much control or power. By limiting the powers of each part of the government, the Constitution makes government leaders fulfill their responsibilities without abusing their power.

The legislative branch is made up of two groups, the Senate and the House of Representatives. Together, they are called the Congress.

The legislative branch was divided into two parts because the small states were afraid they would be overpowered by the large states. The small states wanted all of the states to be equal and have the same number of votes in Congress. The Senate was created to make the small states happy. The Senate is made up of 100 senators, two from each state.

The large states said they should have more votes because they had more people. The House of Representatives was created to make the large states happy. The House of Representatives is made up of 435 people. Each state has a different number of representatives, depending on how many people live in the state.

The Job of CongressThe legislative branch is

responsible for making laws. Congress makes laws that must be followed by everyone in the United States.

Congress is also responsible for deciding how much money the government can spend and how much it can collect in taxes. Deciding how much to spend and how much to collect may be the most important work of the Congress. The people in Congress know that people need

money to buy things for themselves and their families. People do not want to pay too much in taxes. However, people do want the government to do many jobs, and paying for that work costs money.

Leaders of CongressThe House of Representatives chooses a

chief officer called the Speaker of the House. The Speaker is chosen by the political party that has a majority of seats in the House. A political party is a group of people who have similar ideas about government. Today, there are two major political parties, the Democrats and the Republicans.

The official chief officer of the Senate is the Vice President, but the Vice President can only vote to break a tie. The person who is really in charge of the Senate is the majority leader. The majority leader is selected by the party that holds the most seats in the Senate.

Becoming a Member of CongressA representative has to be at least 25 years old, have been a citizen of the United States for at least 7 years, and live in the state they represent. Representatives serve a term of two years. A senator must to be at least 30 years old,

have been a citizen of the United States for 9 years, and live in the state they represent. Senators are elected to terms of 6 years. Both senators and representatives can be elected as many times as the voters choose.

The Legislative Branch

The members of the Senate and House work in the Capitol Building in Washington, DC.

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The Job of the Executive BranchThe executive branch approves the laws

passed by Congress and makes sure that the laws are carried out. The executive branch is responsible for spending tax money the way Congress says it should be spent.

Different departments in the executive branch makes sure laws are carried out. The departments collect taxes, help with schools, and care for the poor. Other departments inspect the food sold in stores to make sure it is safe to eat. They also inspect airplanes and factories to make sure they are safe. People in the executive branch also help build bridges and highways and take care of our national parks. Some workers try to discover new medicines, or learn more about outer space.

Leaders of the Executive BranchThe President of the United States is the

leader of the executive branch. The President gets help from the Vice President and a group of advisors called the Cabinet.

The President is also the Head of State. The President meets with other world leaders. They find ways for our country and theirs to work together and get along. The President can

make treaties, or agreements, with other countries. Sometimes, other countries need money, food, or equipment. Sometimes, the United States help countries that need military protection from other countries.

The President is also in charge of all of the U.S. Military and is called the Commander-in-Chief. The President can order the military to defend the United States at any time.

Becoming PresidentThe President is elected for a four-year

term. To become President, a person must be a natural-born citizen of the United States, be at least 35 years old, and have lived in the United States for 14 years. The Framers of the Constitution didn’t put a limit on the number of terms the president can serve, but that was changed in 1951 when the 22nd amendment became law. That amendment says the president can only be elected to two terms.

The Job of the Judicial BranchThe judicial branch decides what the laws

mean and if the laws are fair. It also makes sure all laws follow the Constitution. The judicial branch is in charge of the court system. The highest court in the nation is called the Supreme Court.

Leaders of the Judicial BranchNine judges, called Justices, serve on the

Supreme Court. The leader of the Supreme Court is called the Chief Justice.

The Justices make decisions that affect the lives of all citizens in the United States. For example, in 1954, the Supreme Court said that schools couldn’t separate children by their race. Before that decision, there were laws that said that white children and black children had to go to separate schools. In a

decision called Brown versus the Board of Education, the Supreme Court said that those laws went against the Constitution.

Becoming a Justice

The Justices are appointed by the President, and serve for the rest of their life, or until they decide to retire. Usually, the people who are selected to be Justices have had special training. They usually spend many years studying and working with the laws of the United States.

The Executive Branch

The Judicial Branch

The President of the United States lives and works in the White House.

If the Justices say that a law doesn’t follow the Constitution, then it can no longer be a law. Once the nine judges make a decision, it is final. No other judge can change their decision.

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While each branch of the government has its own job to do, each branch also has some power over the other branches. This system, called checks and balances, was created to make sure that all parts of the government work together for the good of the American people. Checks and balances mean that each branch can check, or limit, the power of the other two branches to make sure the power is balanced. The other two branches can limit the power of the third branch if it tries to take too much control.

The power of each branch is checked by the other two branches in different ways. For example, the Supreme Court can check Congress by stating that a law does not follow the Constitution. If the Supreme Court says that a law is unconstitutional, that law can no longer be a law in the United States. The President can check the power of Congress, too. If the President does not like a law, he can veto, or refuse to sign, it.

But Congress can also check the power of the President’s veto. If Congress wants the law badly enough, they can vote for the law again. If two-thirds of the members of Congress vote against the President, the bill will become a law without the President’s signature.

Congress also has other checks on the President’s power. The President can make treaties with other countries, but Congress has to approve the agreements before they go into affect. Although the President has the power to choose people to be Supreme Court Justices, the heads of government departments, and members of the Cabinet, those choices, or appointments, must be approved by Congress before those people can take the job.

When a law is first suggested, it is called a bill. Anyone can make a suggestion for a bill--the President, a member of Congress, or even any citizen. The bill is then presented, or introduced into Congress by giving it to the Clerk of the House. The Clerk assigns it a number and sends it to be printed. Then the Speaker of the House sends the bill to a committee which discusses the bill, gets information, and makes recommendations.

Then the committee votes to either approve or reject the bill. If the committee votes to approve the bill, it is presented to the whole House where all of the Representatives discuss the bill and vote on it. If at least half of the House votes to approve the bill, it is sent to the Senate where it goes through the same procedure. Once both sides of Congress approve the bill, it is sent to the President. If the President agrees with the bill, he signs it and the bill

becomes a law. If the President doesn’t approve the bill, he can veto it. That means the bill won’t become a law. But it doesn’t stop there. The Congress can vote on the bill again and pass it over the president’s veto. In order to do that, this time each part of Congress has to get 2/3 of its members to vote yes. That means 290 votes in the House, and 67 votes in the Senate. That’s not easy to do.

Balance of Power

How Our Laws are Made

CHECKS AND BALANCESExecutive

Branch

President carries out laws

Checks on Legislative Branch

Can propose lawsCan veto lawsMakes appointmentsNegotiates treaties with other countries

Checks on Judicial Branch

Appoints judgesCan grant pardons to federal offenders

Legislative Branch

Congress makes laws

Checks on Executive Branch

Can override vetoApproves appointmentsApproves treatiesMakes the budget

Checks on Judicial Branch

Can remove judgesApproves appointmentsCan make amendments to overrule judicial decisions

Judicial Branch

Supreme Court interprets laws

Checks on Executive Branch

Can declare acts of Congress unconstitutional

Checks on Legislative Branch

Can declare acts of Congress unconstitutional

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The national government makes laws for the whole country, but each city and state can make its own laws, too. Each community is governed by its local government. A state is governed by the state government. The three levels of government work to keep people safe and to protect their rights. All levels of government provide government services. Each level must follow the Constitution of the United States.

Local GovernmentEach city and town has its own local

government. Just like the national government, the local government has three branches. The citizens of the community elect a mayor and council members. The mayor is the leader of a city or town. The mayor, as head of the executive branch, makes sure that local laws are followed and decides how tax money should be spent. The council is the legislative branch of city government. The council makes the laws for the community. The city council has meetings with the mayor to discuss the city’s needs and problems. The city council also works with the mayor to find ways to pay for all the things the city needs.

Each county also has its own government. A county is an area of a state that includes several communities. County citizens vote for officials, such a sheriff and county commissioners. Some counties also elect a county mayor. County governments have their own courts, too.

The local government makes laws only for that community. A city nearby might have different laws. In some communities, there is a law that says you cannot light fireworks. They are illegal, even on the Fourth of July. But in a neighboring community, they might have a law that says you can light fireworks.

State GovernmentEach state in the United States has its own

plan of government, called a state constitution. All state constitutions must follow the laws in the U.S. Constitution, but each state constitution has rules and laws that are special for that state. The laws in one state are not always the same as the law in another state. For example, the Florida Constitution has special rules about the Everglades.

Citizens of each state elect people to run their state’s government. State government works a lot like the federal government. Just like the federal government, each state government has three branches.

The governor is the leader of a state. As head of the executive branch, the governor is responsible for carrying out state laws and deciding how state taxes should be spent. Governors serve four-year terms in most states. To enforce state laws, governors hire people to run departments that are in charge of areas such as safety, the environment, and citizen’s health.

A state’s lawmakers make laws for the state. The state’s legislative branch is made of the State Senate and State House of Representatives. In some states, the legislative branch is called the General Assembly instead of Congress.

The state’s judicial branch is its court system, led by the State Supreme Court. Judges make sure laws are enforced fairly. They also make sure laws follow the state constitution. If a person breaks a law, judges decide the punishment.

Levels of Government

Bicycle LawsCommunities have different laws about where you are allowed to ride your bike. In some places, you can ride your bike on the sidewalk if there is no bike lane, but in other communities, you must ride on the street with the cars.

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We the People of the United States,

in Order to form a more perfect Union,

establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility,

provide for the common defence,

promote the general Welfare,

and secure the Blessings of Liberty

to ourselves and our Posterity,

do ordain and establish

this Constitution for the United States of America.

ResponsibilityThe most important

responsibility of a citizen is to vote. Every citizen is given the right to vote when they turn 18. When citizens vote, they are letting the government know what they think. Voting lets citizens choose people who will represent them in government.

Another important responsibility is to serve on a jury. A jury is a group of people that makes decisions about court cases.

Good citizens also have a responsibility to pay taxes to the government.

Civility Good citizens show civility

by being polite and treating others with kindness. Obeying the law shows your respect for others. Laws are made to keep people safe, so citizens show their respect for others by following the law.

Good citizens show civility when they cooperate with others. Cooperation means working together to meet goals.

Caring Good citizens also take

care of their community. They try to make their community a better place to live. Good citizens protect the

environment. They try to solve problems and to help others.

Good citizens often take care of their community by volunteering. Volunteering is doing work for others for no pay.

Actions of Citizens

To make a better country and form of government

Promise that everything in our country will be peaceful

Care for everyone

Give official approval and accept

Begin fairness for everyone

Everyone living in the United States

Give protection to everyone

Make sure freedom and fairness continue

For all of us and all of our children, and their children, and every one in the future

The Preamble to the ConstitutionWhat does it mean?

Every member of a community has rights. These rights are given to us by the United States Constitution. But all citizens also have responsibilities as members of a community. Responsibilities are things we must do to help our community. Good citizens have the responsibility to demonstrate their civic virtues. Civic virtues are people’s actions that show the character traits of good citizens.

Many citizens volunteer to clean up their community, to collect food for a food bank, or to work on other projects for the community.