Chapter Summaries - Somerset Academy

Chapter Summaries

To the Teacher

The United States Government: Democracy In Action Chapter Summaries booklet provides teachers with flexibility in planning the study of government. Each summary condenses the information in the relevant chapter so that teachers may use abbreviated versions of some chapters when lack of time makes that necessary. Each summary is accompanied by a student activity page.

Copyright ? by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to reproduce the material contained herein on the condition that such materials be reproduced only for classroom use; be provided to students, teachers, and families without charge; and be used solely in conjunction with the United States Government: Democracy In Action program. Any other reproduction, for sale or other use, is expressly prohibited. Send all inquiries to: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill 8787 Orion Place Columbus, OH 43240-4027 ISBN: 978-0-07-891364-8 MHID: 0-07-891364-0 Printed in the United States of America. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 079 14 13 12 11 10 09

Table of Contents

To the Teacher .............................................................................................................................................................. ii

Chapter Summaries

UNIT 1 Activity 1 Activity 2 Activity 3 Activity 4

UNIT 2 Activity 5 Activity 6 Activity 7

UNIT 3 Activity 8 Activity 9 Activity 10

UNIT 4 Activity 11 Activity 12

UNIT 5 Activity 13 Activity 14 Activity 15

UNIT 6 Activity 16 Activity 17 Activity 18 Activity 19

UNIT 7 Activity 20 Activity 21 Activity 22

UNIT 8 Activity 23 Activity 24

UNIT 9 Activity 25 Activity 26

Foundations of American Government People and Government .................................................................................................................... 1 The Origins of American Government ........................................................................................... 4 The Constitution ................................................................................................................................ 7 The Federal System ......................................................................................................................... 10

The Legislative Branch The Organization of Congress ...................................................................................................... 13 Development of Congressional Powers ....................................................................................... 16 Congress at Work ............................................................................................................................ 19

The Executive Branch The Presidency ................................................................................................................................. 22 Presidential Leadership .................................................................................................................. 25 The Federal Bureaucracy ................................................................................................................ 28

The Judicial Branch The Federal Court System .............................................................................................................. 31 Supreme Court Decision Making ................................................................................................. 34

Liberty and Justice for All Constitutional Freedoms ................................................................................................................ 37 Citizenship and Equal Justice ........................................................................................................ 40 Law in America ................................................................................................................................ 43

Participating in Government Political Parties ................................................................................................................................ 46 Elections and Voting ....................................................................................................................... 49 Interest Groups and Public Opinion ............................................................................................ 52 Mass Media and the Internet ......................................................................................................... 55

Public Policies and Services Taxing and Spending ...................................................................................................................... 58 Social and Domestic Policy ............................................................................................................ 61 Foreign Policy and Defense ........................................................................................................... 64

State and Local Government State Governments .......................................................................................................................... 67 Local Governments ......................................................................................................................... 70

Political and Economic Systems Political Systems in Today's World .............................................................................................. 73 Development of Economic Systems ............................................................................................. 76

Answer Key .............................................................................................................................................................. 79

Chapter Summaries

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Customize Your Resources

No matter how you organize your teaching resources, Glencoe has what you need. The Teacher's Classroom Resources for United States Government: Democracy In Action

provides you with a wide variety of supplemental materials to enhance the classroom experience. These resources appear as individual booklets in a carryall tote box. The booklets are designed to open flat so that pages can be easily photocopied without removing them from their booklet. However, if you choose to create separate files, the pages are perforated for easy removal. You may customize these materials using our file folders or tabbed dividers.

The individual booklets and the file management kit supplied in Teacher's Classroom Resources give you the flexibility to organize these resources in a combination that best suits your teaching style. Below are several alternatives: ? Organize all resources by category

(all tests, all enrichment and extension activities, all cooperative learning activities, etc., filed separately) ? Organize all resources by category and chapter (all Chapter 1 activities, all Chapter 1 tests, etc.) ? Organize resources sequentially by lesson (activities, quizzes, readings, etc., for Chapter 1, Chapter 2, and so on)

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Chapter Summaries

Name

Date

Class

1

People and Government

PRINCIPLES OF GOVERNMENT

To students of government, the terms state and country have the same meaning. A state is a political community with definite boundaries and an independent government.

We call the main political divisions within our country states, because when the colonies declared

their independence, they thought of themselves as 13 separate countries. They later joined as one country but still referred to themselves as "states." Technically, the word nation refers to a group of people united by culture. However, we will use the terms nation, state, and country interchangeably.

Population Territory Sovereignty Government

FOUR ESSENTIAL FEATURES OF STATES

all the people who live in the state. The state is more likely to be stable if the population agrees about basic beliefs, or has social consensus.

the area within established boundaries. Territory can be a source of conflict among states and may change through war, negotiation, or purchase.

authority to conduct internal affairs without seeking approval from a higher authority or other nations.

the institution through which a state maintains social order, provides public services, and enforces the nation's laws.

Government serves several major purposes for the state:

? It maintains social order by making laws and punishing individuals who break those laws.

? It provides essential public services that promote the general welfare of the people.

? It handles relations with other nations and protects citizens from attack.

? It makes decisions that influence the nation's economy.

Copyright ? by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

THE FORMATION OF GOVERNMENTS

Most large countries have several levels of government. In a unitary system, a central or national government has supreme power. It has the power to create lower levels to govern smaller units and may give those agencies limited authority. In a federal system, the central and regional governments share powers. The United States Constitution created a federal system.

A constitution is a plan of government. Written constitutions express national ideals in a preamble

stating the goals and purposes of the government. The main body of the document describes the basic structure of the government and defines its powers and duties. To be constitutional, a government must accept that its powers are clearly limited by the constitution.

Politics, the effort to control or influence government conduct and policies, provides a peaceful way for society to manage conflict and competition.

Chapter Summaries

(continued)

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