Civics Notes



Civics Notes

Chapter 1: We the People

Section 1: Civics in Our Lives

Main Idea

As a US citizen, it is your duty to help preserve freedom and to ensure justice and equality for yourself and all Americans.

Why Study Civics?

1. Civics will teach you about your country and its government.

2. It will teach you your rights and responsibilities as an American citizen.

3. It will teach you citizenship: how to become a productive member of a democratic society.

The Need and Purpose for Government

1. Government helps protect us from others, brings order to our lives, and helps us live together peacefully.

2. It provides the stability that makes life in a civilized society possible.

3. Without government, there would be anarchy.

4. It is likely that some form of government existed in human society from the earliest times.

5. The earliest writings from the ancient Sumerians show that people set up formal governments over 5000 years ago.

6. Governments have four purposes:

a) provide laws to help prevent conflicts between individuals, groups, or nations, and establish order and security for the people

b) ensure that people obey the laws through judicial enforcement

c) serve and protect the citizens through education and health care and the armed forces and police and fire departments

d) plan for the future by setting goals, making budgets, and cooperating with other governments

Being a Citizen

1. The idea of the citizen originated in ancient Athens, Greece, around 590 BC.

2. The Greeks were the first people to establish a democratic government.

3. Democracy was adopted by the Romans after they conquered Greece. They changed it to fit their lifestyle.

4. What it means to be a citizen has changed since the days of the Roman Republic.

5. In ancient times, only landowning males could be citizens.

6. In the US today, many different types of people are citizens, not just those who own land or have money.

7. The meaning of the word citizen is different from country to country, depending on the country’s type of government.

a) In some countries, citizens have very few rights.

b) In the US, citizens have many rights and responsibilities.

8. Being a citizen of a nation means you share a history and a set of beliefs with the rest of the country’s citizens.

9. Our shared beliefs and history are a part of the heritage of all Americans, whether they are born here or become citizens after settling here.

American Values

1. There are three basic American values: equality, liberty, and justice.

2. These values are the foundation of many of our important rights and freedoms as Americans.

3. They are established and protected by the US Constitution and our nation’s laws.

4. All Americans are guaranteed the same rights and freedoms based on these three basic values.

a) Because of these three basic values, the US is an inspiration to other nations.

b) Others look to the US as a model of how to create their own governments.

Equality

1) Equality means that all people are equal under the law.

a) It is guaranteed by our Constitution and our other laws.

b) Our laws say that the rights of each citizen are equal to those of every other citizen.

Liberty

2) Liberty means our basic rights and freedoms as Americans.

a) As Americans, we consider them a normal part of life.

b) Many of us take them for granted, but millions of people around the world do not have these basic freedoms.

c) The people who created our government gave us a system that guarantees our rights and liberties.

d) Although we have many liberties as Americans, we do not have unlimited rights.

e) One person’s rights end where another’s rights begin.

f) No person’s rights are more important than any other person’s rights.

g) Additionally, we need to remember that freedom is not free.

h) Over the past 200+ years, many people have died to protect our rights and freedoms.

i) As an American citizen, you must do your part to protect these rights and freedoms.

j) Doing your part is your civic duty—one of your responsibilities as an American.

Justice

3) In the US, law enforcement prevents others from violating our rights.

a) If our rights are violated, the courts have the power to punish those responsible.

b) The court system is known as the justice system.

c) As a US citizen, your rights and freedoms cannot be taken away from you as long as you follow the laws of your community, state, and country.

d) If you break the law, your rights and freedoms will be taken away by the justice system, sometimes permanently.

Qualities of a Good Citizen

1. There are 3 ways to be a good citizen:

a) participate in government

b) express your opinion

c) be responsible to yourself and your community

2. Our government cannot work if no one participates.

a) The way that most people can participate in government is through voting. It is the most important responsibility of a US citizen.

b) Voters elect candidates who they think will best represent their views.

c) If elected officials do not respond to the voters, the people can vote them out in the next election.

3. It is both your right and your responsibility to express your opinion.

a) Voters must let their elected officials know what kind of job they are doing, what they need, or if they disagree with government actions or policies.

b) You can do this through writing or calling public officials, writing to the editor of the newspaper, signing a petition, or protesting in some other manner.

4. In order to be responsible to yourself and your community, you need to do these 10 things:

1) be a responsible family member

2) respect and obey the law

3) respect the rights and property of others

4) be loyal to and proud of your country

5) take part in and improve life in your community

6) take an active part in your government

7) use natural resources wisely

8) be informed on key issues and be willing to take a stand on these issues

9) believe in equal opportunity for all

10) respect individual differences, points of view, and ways of life that are different from your own

Section 2: Who Are US Citizens?

Main Idea

Throughout history, immigrants have brought their languages, ideas, beliefs, hopes, and customs to the US. Their ways of life are constantly mixing with and influencing the culture of Americans who came before.

Americans Are from Everywhere

1. The phrase “E pluribus unum” is found on the backs of all US coins. It means, “Out of many, one.”

2. This is a perfect description of the United States, which is a nation of immigrants.

3. Every American, even those who were born here, is descended from immigrants.

a) Over time, groups from various parts of the world have settled here, contributing to American society.

b) From their countries of origin, these people have brought their different languages, ideas, beliefs, customs, hopes, and dreams.

4. Traditionally, the US was called a “melting pot”.

a) A hundred years ago, immigrants to the US completely adopted the American way of life, deliberately forgetting their own heritage.

b) They totally embraced American customs, language, and lifestyle.

5. The immigrants of today are very different from those who came here a hundred years ago.

a) Many of them continue to practice their native traditions and customs after they move to the US.

b) As a result, people today say that America is more like a “salad bowl”.

US Immigrants

1. Scientists think that the first people to settle North America came here from Asia between 12,000 and 40,000 years ago, crossing on a land bridge between Siberia and Alaska. They are considered the first Americans.

2. These people gradually settled throughout Canada, and North, Central, and South America over a period of thousands of years.

a) Their descendants are the American Indians.

b) For thousands of years, they were the only people in the Americas.

3. Eventually Europeans discovered the Americas.

a) In 1492 Christopher Columbus landed in the Bahamas and claimed the land for Spain.

b) The Spanish were the first Europeans to build permanent settlements in the Americas.

c) Throughout the 1500s, the search for gold and other natural resources brought many Spanish explorers and settlers to the Americas.

d) Settlements soon spread across the Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America, Florida, Texas, California, and the southwestern US.

e) Spanish influence can still be seen today in the language, food, architecture, and culture common in this region.

4. Beginning in the 1600s, people from France and England settled here.

a) The French mostly settled in Canada, but they also established New Orleans and occupied a large area around the Mississippi River.

b) As time went on, more French settled in this area, especially in the French Quarter. French contributions included:

1) the original town plan and central square (Jackson Square)

2) St. Louis Cathedral

3) Ursuline Convent and women's education

4) street names such as Bourbon and Royal

5) a charity hospital

6) a legacy of Creole culture

7) Mardi Gras

8) the important effects of African enslavement combined with a tolerant approach to free persons of color

 

c) In 1762, the French king (Louis XV) traded New Orleans to Spain, whose rule lasted for 40 years. The Spanish would also leave their mark on the French Quarter and New Orleans:

1) semi-fortified streetscapes

2) common-wall plastered brick houses

3) walled courtyards used as gardens and utility spaces with separate servants' quarters and kitchens

4) olive oil cooking

5) graceful wrought iron balconies

6) hinges and locks in curvilinear shapes

7) a strong tradition of civil law

 

d) after the great fires of 1788 and 1794, the Cabildo (town hall), the Presbytere (priests' residence) and the "French" Market arose to take a permanent place in French Quarter history

e) In the late 1700s, a large group of French people from Canada settled in southern Louisiana. They were the Acadians, who became known as “Cajuns”.

f) English immigrants settled mainly along the east coast of North America.

g) Their descendants formed America’s original 13 colonies, and eventually created the United States in 1776.

5. Other northern Europeans settled here during the 1600s and 1700s:

a) Germans—Pennsylvania

b) Dutch—New York

c) Swedish—Delaware

d) Scots and Irish—New York and Massachusetts

6. During this same period, many Africans were brought to the colonies as slave labor, particularly to the southern colonies.

a) Colonial agriculture was very labor-intensive, and using indentured servants was not cost-effective.

b) Slave labor was much cheaper and was self-perpetuating.

c) Hundreds of thousands of Africans were imported to the colonies between the late 1600s and the mid-1800s to work on southern plantations.

d) New Orleans was the South’s largest slave-trading center. Most of them came from other places to be sold here.

7. No matter where the immigrants came from, for those who were willing to work hard, America held the promise of a new life.

a) It had abundant space, natural resources, and freedom from oppressive European rulers and cultures.

b) All immigrants were welcomed for their energy and talents, and after the American Revolution, the new country thrived.

8. As the young nation grew, it became known throughout Europe as a land of promise and opportunity.

a) Poor and oppressed people from Germany, England, and Ireland flocked to the US between the 1830s and the 1850s.

b) During these 20 years, the number of immigrants grew from 600,000 to more than 2 million.

1) A great many of these immigrants landed in New Orleans. Between 1820 and 1850, over 50,000 immigrants came here.

2) By 1850, one fourth of Louisiana’s and the majority of New Orleans’ white population were foreign-born. (New Orleans’ population was 168,675.)

3) By 1860, NOLA:

a) had the largest Jewish population in the South, numbering about 8000

b) had about 20,000 German immigrants (12% of the population)

c) had about 24,000 Irish immigrants (14%)

d) had over 10,000 French immigrants (6%)

e) had over 10,000 free black Saint-Domingue (Haiti) refugees who came here after a slave revolt on the island (6%)

c) Between 1860 and 1890, more than 10 million more northern Europeans came to the US.

d) Between 1890 and 1930, about 22 million people—mainly from central and southern Europe—entered the US.

1) Immigration to LA slowed after the Civil War because of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869.

2) For some reason, between 1860 and 1890, more Sicilians migrated to New Orleans than anywhere else in the US. By the 1890s, more than 2000 Italians per year were arriving in New Orleans, and almost 90% of those were from Sicily.

3) NOLA was one of the few American cities to draw settlers from Spain and Latin America during this period.

e) So many immigrants came to the US in these 90 years that a permanent immigration station was established at Ellis Island.

f) All of these immigrants had something in common: they were all looking for better economic opportunities and a better life for their families.

US Immigration Policy

1. The new immigrants worked in factories and farms across the country.

2. Businesses welcomed these new laborers. Many of them provided attractive benefits to get the new immigrants to come work for them.

3. However, not everyone was happy about the flood of new immigrants.

a) The newcomers were willing to work for low wages, which angered many American workers.

b) There were clashes over religion and customs as well, especially with the Chinese immigrants who settled mostly in California.

4. Beginning in the early 1800s, Congress passed laws limiting immigration, most aimed at specific groups.

a) The group that Americans had the most difficulty with was the Chinese. They were “too foreign”.

b) The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was passed to end Chinese immigration.

c) Other laws were passed as well, limiting Chinese citizenship and property rights.

5. In the 1920s, Congress passed a broader set of laws that applied to all groups, establishing the first quota on immigration.

6. The Immigration Act of 1990 is the most recent in a long list of quota acts.

a) It controls the number of people who can enter the US from each country each year.

b) The Immigration Act of 1990 gives preference to:

1) the husbands, wives, and children of US citizens

2) people who have valuable job skills

3) aliens

c) Currently, only 675,000 immigrants are allowed to enter the US in any one year.

d) In most cases, only 27,000 of those people may come from any one country.

e) Because of US quota laws, some people must wait for years to be allowed to enter this country.

Legal Aliens

1. Many people are in the US legally but have not become citizens. They are known as legal aliens.

2. Most legal aliens come to the US to visit or to attend school.

a) They can enter the country with a passport from their home country.

b) They can receive a visa to stay here for up to 6 months.

3. Legal aliens enjoy many of the benefits of American citizenship, but they cannot vote, serve on a jury, work in a public school, or hold public office.

4. Some legal aliens will eventually become citizens. Others will not, but might decide to remain in the US permanently.

a) These legal aliens are known as resident aliens.

b) The 2000 census counted about 18.7 million legal resident aliens living in this country.

Illegal Aliens

1. Still other people are in the US without permission. They are called illegal aliens.

2. Who are illegal aliens?

a) Some illegal aliens came here legally but overstayed their permits.

b) Other illegal aliens came here unlawfully by sneaking crossing the borders.

c) Most illegal aliens did not mean to break the law—they came here seeking work, or a better opportunity for their families.

d) It is estimated that there are 12-20 million illegal aliens living in the US today.

3. Life is often difficult for illegal aliens.

a) Many have no friends or family here, no place to live, and no sure way to earn money.

b) It is against the law to hire illegal aliens. They usually have to work for very low wages under poor working conditions.

c) They are also not entitled to many services, like housing, public education, and health care.

1. Even if they do have friends or families here, manage to get a decent job, and send their kids to school, illegal aliens constantly face the threat of being deported.

2. Many Americans think that all illegal aliens should be deported immediately, while others think they should automatically be made citizens.

3. So why do so many Americans think illegal aliens should be deported?

1) Welfare and Other Financial Aid

a) $90 billion a year is spent on illegal aliens for welfare & social services by US taxpayers.

b) $11 billion to $22 billion is spent on welfare to illegal aliens annually.

c) $2.2 billion a year is spent on programs such as food stamps, WIC, and free school lunches for illegal aliens.

2) Medical care

a) $2.5 billion dollars a year is spent on Medicaid for illegals.

b) No primary care for illegals means that hospital emergency rooms become over-crowded.

c) No health care means that medical costs for those who can pay are skyrocketing.

3) Education

a) $12 billion dollars a year is spent on education for children who are here illegally, many of whom cannot speak a word of English.

b) $17 billion dollars a year is spent for education for the American-born children of illegal aliens, known as “anchor babies”.

4) Crime

a) Illegal aliens have a crime rate that is two and a half times that of non-illegal aliens.

b) 30% percent of all federal prison inmates are illegal aliens, and $3 million a DAY is spent to incarcerate them.

c) Nearly one million sex crimes are committed by illegal aliens in the US.

d) Millions of pounds of drugs—cocaine, meth, heroin, and marijuana —cross into the US from Mexico each year.

e) Many illegals continue to import and sell drugs while living here.

f) The children of these aliens, trained in the drug trade, could pose a huge additional crime problem in the United States.

5) Other costs

a) In 2006 illegal aliens sent $45 billion in remittances back to their countries of origin.

b) $200 billion a year in suppressed American wages are caused by the illegal aliens.

Refugees

1. There is one other category of immigrants to the US that are NOT counted in the yearly quotas. These people are refugees.

2. The US has taken in many refugees in its history.

a) Recent refugees included one large group from Southeast Asia (Vietnam and Cambodia).

b) A second large group of refugees came from the Caribbean.

c) Still another large group came from Central America.

3. Refugees account for hundreds of thousands of immigrants each year.

4. United Nations officials estimated that there were between 9.2 and 19.2 million refugees in the world in 2004—more than 1/3 of them from African countries.

US Citizenship

So how do immigrants become citizens?

1. Established customs as well as specific laws govern who, when, and how people become citizens.

2. There are two types of US citizens: native-born and naturalized.

3. All US citizens, whether native-born or naturalized, have the same legal rights and responsibilities.

4. The 2000 census found that almost 90% of the people living in the US were native-born citizens.

a) They include all people born in the US or in any US territory (like Guam or Puerto Rico), as well as those born to two US citizens living in a foreign country.

b) In some cases, a US citizen born in another country can also be a citizen of that country. Such a person has dual citizenship.

c) Some countries make dual citizens choose a nationality when they reach 18 (like Israel). The US, however, does not.

d) Sometimes people we might think are citizens are NOT US citizens.

1) Those who are born outside of the US to one US citizen and one foreigner ARE NOT US citizens.

2) Those who are born in the US to diplomats from other countries ARE NOT US citizens.

5. Since the Fourteenth Amendment says that anyone born in the US is considered a US citizen, some people come here just to have a child—most notably, illegal aliens.

a) These children are known as “anchor babies”.

b) Some Americans want to change this law to slow illegal immigration.

6. If you are not a citizen by birth, it is possible to become a citizen through naturalization.

a) Only those aliens who have entered the US legally may become naturalized citizens.

b) Naturalized citizens have the same rights and responsibilities as native-born Americans.

c) The only exception is that a naturalized citizen cannot be president or vice president.

The Pathway to Citizenship

1. Completing the naturalization process takes between 7 and 11 years.

2. To qualify for naturalization, a legal alien must:

a) be at least 18 years old

b) pass a background check showing he or she has “good moral character”

c) not have a criminal record

3. Once an alien decides to stay here, he or she must file a Declaration of Intention with the US Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS).

4. Next, he or she must apply for a permanent residency visa, also known as a “green card”. (p. 15)

a) To get one, an alien needs to have a family member or a job in this country.

b) Receiving a permanent residency visa can take more than 5 years.

c) The Diversity Immigrant Visa Lottery, established by the 1996 Immigration Act, provides people from certain countries with low US immigration rates the opportunity to come here.

d) The US government uses the lottery to provide 55,000 permanent residency visas each year through a randomized computer drawing.

5. After receiving a green card, a resident alien must hold it for 5 years before he or she can apply for citizenship.

a) Resident aliens must be on US soil continuously for 2 ½ years before they can apply for citizenship.

b) Traveling to another country means beginning the 2 ½ years all over again.

6. While waiting to apply for citizenship, a resident alien must take classes in English, US History, and Civics in order to pass the citizenship test.

7. As part of his or her application, a resident alien must submit photographs and other documents to the INS.

a) They get fingerprinted at the local Immigration office, and their fingerprints are checked for criminal activity.

b) The review process of the paperwork and fingerprints usually takes several months.

8. Once all documents are completed and everything checks out, the resident alien must be interviewed by an Immigration officer and pass tests on English, Civics, and US History.

9. If the person passes the interview and test, he or she takes the oath of loyalty and becomes a US citizen.

The Oath of Citizenship

“I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely give up and reject all loyalty and faithfulness to any foreign prince, ruler, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies foreign and domestic…that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by law…and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.” (p. 15)

10. When a parent becomes a naturalized citizen, all of his or her children under 18 become citizens at the same time.

Section 3: The American People Today

Main Idea

The US population continues to grow and change today.

The US Census

1. One of the duties of the US government is to keep an accurate count of the people living here. To do this, the US conducts a census.

2. In ancient times, rulers conducted a census so they could tax citizens or force them to join the army. Today, many countries conduct a census for various reasons.

3. The US Census Bureau conducts its census every 10 years, from 1790 to the present. The last census was in 2000.

4. The 2000 census measured the official US population at 281.4 million, up 13.2% from 1990. This was the largest census-to-census increase in the nation’s history.

5. Based on data from the 2000 census, our national population is expected to grow to 310 million by 2030.

6. The US census has two purposes:

a) it counts the number of people living in an area or state

b) it tracks characteristics of people, providing a picture of the population

7. Because it tracks how many people live in a particular area or state, the census can show the rate at which the population of an area is growing or shrinking.

8. Knowing a state’s population is important because population determines how many representatives a state gets to send to Congress.

9. We also use the census to collect demographics information, providing a broad picture of the entire population of an area. Some of the information collected is:

1) ethnic background

2) number of children in a family

3) level of education of head of household

4) how many pets a family owns

a) The data is published so that everyone can use it. It helps cities and businesses plan for the future.

b) By using this data for future planning, we can be sure that what we do with our money and natural resources matches the nation’s needs.

US Population Growth

1. Typically, countries grow in three ways:

1) through a natural population increase

2) by adding territory

3) through immigration

1) Through a natural population increase

a) A natural increase in population occurs when a country’s birthrate is higher than its death rate.

b) The opposite, a natural decrease in population, occurs when a country’s death rate is higher than its birthrate.

1) In 1790, fewer than 4 million people lived in the US.

2) By 1830, the population had more than tripled, to almost 13 million.

3) In early America, the birthrate was very high. Most people lived on farms, and the children helped with the work. These large families led to a natural population increase.

c) The US maintained a fairly steady birth rate in the 20th century.

2) By adding territory

a) In its first century, the US expanded from sea to sea.

b) The new lands held vast natural resources, allowing populations to grow and expand.

c) European immigration grew by the hundreds of thousands.

d) In the 1800s, the US gained a huge section of territory from Mexico.

e) During Lincoln’s administration, the US annexed Alaska. It became a state in 1959.

f) No new territory has been added to the US since 1960, when Hawaii became a state.

3) Through immigration

a) The US has been a beacon for immigration since its founding in 1776.

b) Since 1820, more than 60 million immigrants from all over the world have come to the US.

c) Those immigrants and their descendants make up most of America’s population today.

Population Changes

1. The structure of the American family, the roles of men and women, and families’ ways of life continue to change, as they have throughout our history.

2. The information gathered in the census helps us to track these changing demo-graphics.

3. American households have changed in several ways:

a) more divorces have led to more single-parent households, most headed by women

b) late marriages and fewer or no children have affected the size of households since 1970

c) many people are choosing not to marry at all

d) an increase in the health of the elderly population has enabled more of the elderly to independently longer

4. Women’s roles have expanded since the 1950s:

a) more women are single parents

b) many more careers are open to women today than in 1950

c) more women than men now enter and graduate from college

d) after graduation, most of these women enter the workforce

e) a majority of women today work outside the home

5. The American population is getting older.

a) The 2000 census counted about 6500 centenarians in the US.

b) That number is expected to increase to more than 380,000 by 2030.

c) People are living longer due to better health care and healthier lifestyles.

6. The US today has many people of mixed heritage. Today’s census forms reflect the population’s diversity by having a variety of ethnic categories from which to choose.

A Population on the Move

1. In 1790, America was a nation of farmers. There were a few small cities (Boston, Philadelphia, and New York), but most people lived in rural areas.

2. Between 1790 and 1830, the population grew from about 4 million to over 12 million as new immigrants poured in.

3. The rise of American industry in the 1830s brought thousands of new factory jobs to the cities, which grew rapidly.

a) Jobs could easily be found in manufacturing, transportation, sales, and services.

b) Urban areas also became centers of art, music, and fashion.

c) Families began migrating to the cities from the countryside.

4. In the 1860s, another migration began.

a) Freed from slavery after the Civil War, African Americans were in search of jobs, respect, and a new way of life.

b) The result was a mass migration of blacks from the South to the North which lasted well into the 20th century.

5. By the late 1800s, urban overcrowding had become a major national problem, along with disease, crime, fires, noise, and pollution.

6. Despite these problems, by the 1920s the country’s urban population exceeded its rural population.

7. In the early 1900s, the automobile was invented.

a) Essentially a horse-and-buggy world up until then, America suddenly became a mobile society.

b) Affordable personal automobiles enabled people to travel across town or across the country.

c) People could now move outside the cities to raise their families, while continuing to work in the cities.

8. After WWII, the interstate highway system was built. More and more Americans left the cities for the suburbs.

9. According to the 2000 census, more than 80% of Americans now live in metropolitan areas and more than 50% live in large metro areas with populations of 1 million or more.

10. As more and more people move to the suburbs, they spread out in ever-larger rings around the cities.

a) This effect is known as urban sprawl.

b) In some cases, major cities near each other have grown together into a megalopolis (Dallas-Fort Worth, TX, or Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN).

11. For most of our history, the nation’s largest populations lived in the Northeast and Midwest.

12. Beginning in the 1970s, people began moving from the Frostbelt to the Sunbelt.

13. Because of the shift to the Sunbelt, Las Vegas, NV, is one of the fastest growing cities in the US.

a) California is the largest state, and Texas is the second-largest.

b) Despite this population trend, however, New York City remains the country’s most populous city.

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