Civics and Economics Strand I Part A

Strand 1 - Part A
Foundations of Our Government

By Joshua Hollifield

• Representative Government - The people choose officials to conduct government on their behalf.

• Rule of Law - Government officials must follow the same rules and punishments of all others.

• Limited Government - The government may only do those things the people have given it the power to do.

• Consent of the Governed - Citizens give authority to the government in exchange for the protection of their rights.

• Democracy - The people rule in a democratic system of government either directly (direct democracy) or through elected officials (representative democracy).

Principles of Government

Match

Please match the principle of government to its meaning.

• The mayor was caught speeding and received a ticket for exceeding the speed limit.

• Congressman Griffith received the most votes and was chosen to be a member of the House of Representatives for Virginia.

• The Fourth Amendment prohibits the government from searching a residence without a warning.

• John Locke stated that government's got power from the people in a social contract in return for protecting the rights of life, liberty, and property.

• The United States is a representative form of this since government officials act as the voice of the people.

Rule of Law

Representative Government

Limited Government

Consent of the Governed

Democracy

• Rule of Law

• Representative Government

• Limited Government

• Consent of the Governed

• Democracy

Match

Review The Meaning: Identify each principle of government by its definition.

• Citizens give authority to the government to rule in return for protecting their rights.

• The government can do only those things the people give it the power to do.

• Officials are elected who conduct government on the behalf of the people.

• The people rule in our system of government.

• Government officials must follow all of the same rules as all others.

Consent of the Governed

Limited Government

Representative Government

Democracy

Rule of Law

• Consent of the Governed

• Limited Government

• Representative Government

• Democracy

• Rule of Law

• Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom - established freedom of worship and separated church and state.

• charters of the Virginia Company of London - Guaranteed all colonists from England to the New World the same rights as Englishmen.

• Magna Carta - established the principle of rule of law, the king would have to follow the same rules as his subjects.

• Virginia Declaration of Rights - Served as a model for the U.S. Bill of Rights.

Founding Documents Part A

Match

Identify the important document from history being described.

• Served as a model for the U.S. Bill of Rights

• Colonists to the New World were guaranteed the rights of an English citizen.

• Gave individuals the right to worship and faith they choose with no official faith.

• First document to establish the rule of law.

Virginia Declaration of Rights

Charters of the VA Company of London

VA Statute of Religious Freedom

Magna Carta

• Virginia Declaration of Rights

• Charters of the VA Company of London

• VA Statute of Religious Freedom

• Magna Carta

• Established the first form of government for the United States.

• Gave most of the power to the states making a very weak central government.

• Failed because of that weakness and was replaced by the U.S. Constitution.

​Articles of Confederation

• Established inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

• Listed grievances with the King of England

• Established equality under the law.

• Declared independence from Great Britain.

​Declaration of Independence

Founding Documents Part B

Founding Documents Part B

​U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights

• Structure of our government today.

• Established majority rule while protecting minority rights.

• Affirmed the worth and dignity of all people.

• Bill of Rights - established the freedoms and protections of citizens

Categorize

Options (9)

Established the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and prosperity

Listed grievances with the King of England

Declared independence from Great Britain.

Established the first form of government for the United States.

Gave most of the government's power to the states.

The central government was too weak to enforce its laws or collect taxes and failed.

Structure of our government today.

Established the rule of the majority and the worth of all people.

Protected certain rights and freedoms of speech, petition, religion, press, and assembly.

Place the statement under the correct document it describes.

Declaration of Independence

Articles of Confederation

U.S. Constitution

• Form a more perfect union

• Establish justice

• Provide for the common defense.

• Promote the general welfare.

• Ensure domestic tranquility.

• Secure the blessings of liberty.

​Purposes of the U.S. Government

• Preamble - Introduction to the Constitution lists all the purposes of government.

• Article I - Legislative Branch

• Article II - Executive Branch

• Article III - Judicial Branch

• Bill of Rights - First ten amendments - Establish protections and freedoms for all individuals.

• Constitution begins with the words "We the People" which established the power comes from the people.

​Parts

The U.S. Constitution

Match

Identify the important parts of the U.S. Constitution

• Lists the purposes of the U.S. government

• Lists the powers and leadership of the legislative branch.

• Lists the powers and leadership of the executive branch.

• Lists the leadership and powers of the judicial branch

• Establishes the freedoms and protections of the U.S. citizen.

Preamble

Article I

Article II

Article III

Bill of Rights

• Preamble

• Article I

• Article II

• Article III

• Bill of Rights

Match

Match the following principle of the Preamble to the action of the government.

• Sending troops to the Middle East to protect a U.S. embassy.

• Create a strong centralized government supreme to the state governments.

• Establishing legal rights that belong to every U.S. citizen.

• Provide aid to individuals who can not afford food or health care.

• Establish the protection of rights such as speech, assembly, and religion.

Provide for the common defense

Form a more perfect union.

Establish justice.

Promote the general welfare.

Secure the blessings of liberty.

• Provide for the common defense

• Form a more perfect union.

• Establish justice.

• Promote the general welfare.

• Secure the blessings of liberty.

• U.S. Constitution

• Proposed by 2/3 vote of Congress or National Convention

• Ratified by 3/4 of the states or state conventions.

• Virginia Constitution

• Proposed by the Virginia General Assembly or State Convention.

• Ratified by registered voters of Virginia.

​How to Make a Change?

Amendment - A change to the U.S. Constitution. There have only been 27 of these changes made so far because the process is long, complex, and requires wide support.

​Changing the Constitution

Constitutional Change

Categorize

Options (6)

2/3 of both houses of U.S. Congress vote in support of Amendment

3/4 of all state legislatures or state conventions agree to amendment.

Vote of a National Constitutional Convention

Vote of the Virginia General Assembly

Vote of a State Constitutional Convention

Vote of the registered voters of Virginia.

Organize these options into the right categories

Propose Amendment to U.S. Constitution

Propose Amendment VA Constitution

Ratify Amendment US Constitution

Ratify Amendment Virginia Constitution