2.3.2 Leadership in Government

Leadership in Government

Learners can: 

• describe at least two qualities of a good government leader

• identify positions of authority at the local, state, and national level

• identify the voting process

Vocabulary: authority- the power to make decisions and rules
election-the process of voting to choose government officials
candidate-a person who runs for government office in an election
campaign-a series of events and actions carried out by a candidate with the goal of being elected
ballot-a slip or sheet of paper used to cast a vote

Think about it...

Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of the United States, once stated in his famous Gettysburg Address that America is “a government of the people, by the people, and for the people."

His statement is a reminder that through the U.S. Constitution, the American government is a democracy.
The word democracy means “the people have power." It comes from two Greek words: dêmos, which means "common people," and krátos, which means “power."

In a democracy, the people have a say in how the government is run. They do this by voting for the leaders of the American government. When people vote, they are making an official choice for or against someone or something.

Leaders in a Community

Think about the leaders in your community.

A leader has an important job!

• They have authority, or the power, to make decisions and rules for groups of people.

• They help to solve problems.

• They are kind, respectful, and listen to others.

There are many different types of leaders. There are government leaders and nongovernment leaders.

• Government leaders are leaders who work for the government.

• Nongovernment leaders are leaders who do not work for the government.

Leaders have an important job. People look to them for guidance and trust them to make decisions.

• Some leaders, like parents or caregivers, become natural leaders who guide their children.

• Other leaders choose to take a leadership role, like a coach or a business manager.

• Some leaders, like government leaders, only become leaders when they are voted for and win an election.

In America, citizens have the right and responsibility to vote for government leaders they think show good leadership qualities.

Leadership in Government

Leaders have an important job. People look to them for guidance and trust them to make decisions.

• Some leaders, like parents or caregivers, become natural leaders who guide their children.

• Other leaders choose to take a leadership role, like a coach or a business manager.

• Some leaders, like government leaders, only become leaders when they are voted for and win an election.

In America, citizens have the right and responsibility to vote for government leaders they think show good leadership qualities.
Voters want government leaders to be fair and honest.

They want their government leaders to be willing to solve problems and put the people of their nation, state, or community first.
Being able to vote is one of the most important rights citizens have in the United States. It is what makes the government of America a democracy.

When citizens vote, they are sharing their voice in how they should be governed.
What does a good leader look like?
Good leaders communicate their goals and visions for the community
Good leaders listen to others before making any rules or decisions
Good leaders are respectful when communicating with others
Good leaders want to help the people in their community
Good leaders motivate and support the people they guide
Good leaders care about others

The Right to Vote

Many of your government leaders are voted into their positions by American citizens.

To vote in current federal, state, and local elections, a person must be:

• at least 18 years old;

• registered to vote (except in North Dakota); and

• a citizen of the community they are voting for.

However, the right to vote was not always available to all American citizens. When the Constitution was ratified in 1788, only white male property owners over the age of 21 were allowed to vote.

In 1870, about 82 years later, the Fifteenth Amendment made it possible for any male American citizen to vote regardless of their race, color, or history as an enslaved person. The Fifteenth Amendment was the first of many changes that would allow more Americans the right to vote.
Today, any American citizen who is 18 years or older has the right to vote for a government leader.

Before citizens vote, they need to learn more about the people who want to be government leaders.

Government leaders will communicate goals and visions for the people whom they govern. This includes any rules or laws that need to be made.

​The History of Voting

​1870	​1920	​1924	​1965	​1971	​1975
​The 15th Amendment	​The 19th Amendment	​Indian Citizenship Act	​Voting Rights of 1965	​The 26th Amendment	​Voting Rights of 1975
​The 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified on February 3, 1870. It stated that all men were granted the right to vote, regardless of their race, color, or history as an enslaved person. However, many states still denied African Americans the right to vote until the Voting Rights act of 196, which made it illegal to deny voting rights to American citizens.	​The Nineteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution was ratified on August 18, 1920. It stated that all women were granted the right to vote.	​On June 2, 1924, United States President Calvin Coolidge signed into law the Indian Citizenship Act. It granted citizenship to Native Americans who were born in the United States. At the time, there were about 125,00 Native Americans in the United States who were not considered American citizens. Their newfound citizenship should have granted the Native Americans the right to vote, however, many states still did not allow them to vote until the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which made it illegal to deny voting rights to American citizens.	​On August 6, 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 into law. It made it illegal to deny American citizens their right to vote based on their race or color.	​The Twenty-Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution was ratified on July 1, 1971. It changed the voting age requirement form 21 years old to 18 years old.	​The Voting Rights Act of 1975 was an amendment to the Voting Rights Act of 1965. It was added to ensure that voting materials were printed in different languages. This granted American citizens who could not read English the ability to vote.

Do your Research

To vote for a government official, citizens need to take time to learn about each candidate.

A candidate is a person who runs for a position in a government office in an election.

An election is the process of voting to choose government officials.
During the election process, candidates will hold a series of events, called a campaign, to share why people should vote for them. Events may include speeches, fundraisers, or rallies, which are big events where many people get together to show support for a candidate.

The candidate's campaign is an opportunity to raise money as well as share their beliefs and goals.
In every election, citizens make important decisions about who will be elected as government officials.

It is important to research and learn about a candidate who wants to be a government leader so that you know more about the person who wants to lead your community, state, or country.

Elections

On election days, citizens visit the polls to cast, or enter, their vote. Polls are places where people vote during an election. They are often located in schools, churches, libraries, and other buildings.
While at their assigned polling place, voters will cast their vote by ballot. 

A ballot is a slip or sheet of paper used to vote in an election.

A citizen can also cast their vote by sending a ballot in the mail.
Candidates who run for government offices must win the majority of votes on election day. Once all the votes are counted, the candidates with the most votes are elected as government officials.  

The presidential election is different from the elections of other government officials. In presidential elections, citizens do not directly elect a president.

When citizens vote for a new president, they cast their vote for the presidential candidate they want to win. When a vote is cast, it is added to a statewide tally.
Each state is only allowed a certain number of votes in the presidential election.

The votes that each state is allowed are determined by the state's population.

For example, Pennsylvania gets 20 votes, whereas Alaska gets 3 votes.
This collection of votes for the United States president is called the Electoral College.
When a candidate receives 270 or more electoral votes, they win the presidential election!

You did a great job learning about government leaders and the importance of voting.
EDIO VIDEO PAGE 8

Multiple Choice

At least how many votes does a presidential candidate need in order to win an election?

• 50

• 175

• 270

• 306

Match

Match the following

• local government

• governor

• president

city council, mayor, district attorney

state government election

national government election

• city council, mayor, district attorney

• state government election

• national government election

Today, you learned about the qualities that make a good government leader.

You also learned that Americans have the right and responsibility to vote for leaders who they believe should govern them.

Awesome job today!