Civics – the study of citizenship & gov’t Citizen – a member of a community w/ a gov’t & laws –The word citizen comes from the Latin word “civitas”, which in ancient times meant membership in a city. –One does not have to live in the U.S. to be a citizen. –Many foreigners living in the U.S. are not citizens.

 Government – the power or authority that rules a country

Levels of Gov’t 1.Local Gov’ts – located in towns & cities. They make laws, provide services, & protect the local people. 2.State Gov’ts – all 50 states have specific laws that apply to citizens of the state. 3.National Gov’t (Federal Gov’t) 3.National Gov’t (Federal Gov’t) – the gov’t of the entire country - highest gov’t in the land - provides the basic framework for citizenship

Basic Purposes of Gov’t 1.To provide stability & security 2.Make & enforce laws 3.Provide services Ex. 1. education 2. fire depts. 3. road construction 4. police depts. 5. health facilities 4.Plan for the future. Ex. 1. setting goals 2. making budgets 3. cooperating w/ other gov’ts

Dictatorship vs. Democracy Dictatorship – a gov’t controlled by one person or a small group of people, & they have complete control of everything. Democracy – the citizens hold the power to rule - began in ancient Greece Ra`ul Castro

2 Types of Democracy 1.Representative Democracy - where the citizens elect representatives - reps carry on the work of the gov’t - the citizens are the final authority 2. Direct Democracy - where citizens meet to debate gov’t issues and vote firsthand.

How Americans Influence Gov’t : 1.VOTE – most important thing you can do in gov’t - majority rule – a political policy where you abide by what most of the people want 2. Join a political party 3. Join w/ others who share similar viewpoints

Citizenship by birth By being born in the U.S., a person is automatically a U.S. citizen. This is called “jus soli” (Latin for “right of soil”.) However, citizenship of the parent does not change. An exception to the rule: Children who are born to official diplomats who live in the U.S. are NOT U.S. citizens. Dual citizenship – when a person is a citizen of more than one country “Jus sanguinis” – Latin phrase meaning “right of blood”. If one or both parents are US citizens, then the child is a citizen.

Legal & Illegal Aliens Alien – a person who lives in a country but isn’t a citizen Immigrant – a person who comes to a country w/ the intention of staying permanently –Must apply for permission to settle here Illegal aliens – are here w/o permission. Ex. 1. They come as temp visitor & never leave 2. sneak across borders –It’s illegal to hire them. –When found, they are deported. Legal aliens – must carry ID at all times - must obey laws & pay taxes - may not 1. vote 2. run for office 3. hold gov’t jobs

* Today, illegal immigration is a HUGE politically debated issue.

The Naturalization Process Step 1: File a Declaration of Intention w/ the US immigration authorities. - One must wait 5 yrs after filing (3 yrs if married to U.S. citizen) Step 2: File an application for naturalization. - must be 18 yrs old & have lived in the state where they seek nationality Step 3: Interview w/ an immigration examiner - This will determine if the immigrant is qualified to become a citizen. - They take a citizenship exam in English about basic US facts & history. Step 4: Attend a ceremony where they pledge an oath of loyalty to the U.S. Then, they sign a document & are declared citizens w/ all the responsibilities that go along w/ citizenship.

Loss of Citizenship: - This can happen if a person chooses to voluntarily give it up & become a citizen of another country. - A person cannot later change his/her mind and regain citizenship.

Chapter 2 The Duties and Responsibilities of Citizenship

Responsibilities: Things we should do Obligations that we fulfill voluntarily Duties: Things we must do

Responsibilities: Be Informed Voice opinion on matters we feel strongly about Read books, newspapers, magazines

Duties: Obey Laws – a Citizen’s most important duty Without laws we can’t: Maintain order Protect health, safety, property

Duties: Pay Taxes The Gov’t uses $ to: Paying employees Maintain armed forces Help those in need

Responsibilities: Speak up and vote Voting – one of our most important rights Study candidates and issues carefully (before marking ballot)

Duties: Defend the Nation

Responsibilities: Respect Others’ Rights

Duties: Serve in Court

Duties: Attend School

Responsibilities: Respect Diversity

Responsibilities: Contribute to the Common Good Responsible citizens care about others, as well as themselves

Census – the process of counting a nation’s pop. - It’s done by the Census Bureau, who asks questions in person or by mail - It’s counted every 10 yrs. E pluribus unum – Latin phrase which means, “Out of many, one”. - found on all U.S. coins

European Settlers 1500s – The first Europeans to settle in America were from Spain. They were looking for gold. 1600s – were from France & England Late 1600s & 1700s – most were from Germany, the Netherlands, Ireland, Scotland, & Sweden * Another group of people to come to U.S. came for a different reason: slavery

Native Americans Historians estimate that before the smallpox epidemic, America's population was anywhere between 20 and 100 million (Europe's at the time was 70 million.). Two years before the pilgrims started the tape recorder on New England's written history, smallpox wiped out about 96% of the natives in Massachusetts.

Thus, according to Ward Churchill, a professor of ethnic studies at the University of Colorado, the reduction of the North American Indian population from an estimated 12 million in 1500 to barely 237,000 in 1900 represents a "vast genocide..., the most sustained on record." By the end of the 19th century, writes David E. Stannard, a historian at the University of Hawaii, native Americans had undergone the "worst human holocaust the world had ever witnessed, roaring across two continents non- stop for four centuries and consuming the lives of countless tens of millions of people." See more at: AcNae3.dpuf

The Great Immigration: During the 1800s, poor & oppressed Europeans flocked to America in great #s, searching for freedoms & better lives. At first, they were welcome, but b/c of the fear of losing jobs, many Americans began to worry. By the 1920s, laws were put into place to limit the # of immigrants.

Reasons for Population Growth: 1.Immigration – Today, the fastest growing ethnic group are Hispanics. 2.Babies being born.

Shifts in American Population : In the mid-1800s, Americans began to move from rural areas to the cities in search of jobs. When slavery ended, many African Americans moved from the South to the North. Recently, people began moving out of older cities into newer ones. They began moving outside the cities & into surrounding areas, or suburbs.