Unit 2 Effective Citizenship

What does it mean to be a citizen?

Rights Freedom to express yourself Freedom to worship as you wish Right to a prompt, fair trial by a jury Right to vote Right to run for office Freedom to pursue “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Responsibilities Support and defend the Constitution Respect and obey laws Serve on a jury Participate in your community Pay taxes Defend the country if needed Vote

Rules and Laws Laws have a purpose: To protect the rights of the people To keep people safe To describe how people should behave Laws exist because no society could survive if people just did what they pleased without concern for others.

There are punishments for breaking the law! Some of the punishments are: fines community service jail time life in prison death Laws can and do change. These changes are made to protect citizens.

Give Me Your Opinion LawReason for Law Citizens can be arrested for drunk driving: Citizens must be 18 to vote. Children between the ages of 7 and 16 must attend school

Taxes Local, state, and federal governments require taxes to pay money for public goods and services. Taxes are necessary and helpful. Taxes pay for: schoolsPolice protection librariesFire protection highwaysPark Rangers parksTeachers Public buildingsPresident of the United States

Which items are paid for with tax money? If go to the store and make a purchase YOU pay taxes as well! public schoolclothingParadise Park restaurantfire stationPublic Library public roadbicycleFather’s car police Stationmilitarycourthouse

Jury Duty The United States Constitution guarantees every person in the United States the right to a trial by jury. With this right comes the responsibility to serve on jury duty. Georgia has exception: 1.Over the age of 70 2.Caregiver to a child under the age of 4 3.Full time college or technical school student.

Jury Duty If you serve on jury duty, you must listen to the evidence in the trial and decide whether the accused person is innocent or guilty. The law says that if you are a witness to a crime and you are ordered to appear in court you must attend. A witness that lies in a court of law is guilty of the crime of perjury and can be severely punished. A witness that fails to appear in court when ordered to do so can be charged with the crime of contempt of court.

Selective Service All males are required to register with the Selective Service System when they reach the age of 18. The gives the government a list of men who can be drafted into the armed forces in case there is a national emergency.

The Bill of Rights SS5CG1-Explain the freedoms granted and rights protected by the Bill of Rights. I can explain the freedoms granted and the rights protected by the Bill of Rights

What are the Bill of Rights? The Bill of Rights is the name of the first ten amendments found in the United States United States Constitution. The bill of Rights serves to protect the rights of liberty and property.

What does the Bill of Rights do for citizens? The Bill of Rights serves to protect the rights of liberty and property. Also, the bill of rights guarantees certain personal freedoms, reserves some powers to the states and the public, and limits the government's power in judicial and other proceedings.

I Amendment Congress cannot make a law that limits freedom of religion, free speech, free press, or the right of people to get together in groups, or the right of people to ask the government to correct things they don’t like.

I Amendment Congress cannot make a law that limits freedom of religion, Cannot make a state religion or church Separation of church and state

Free Speech – people have the right to free speech To complain about the government Clear and Present Danger limits Do not have the right to call out fire in a crowded theater when there is no fire Give information that is helpful to an enemy during time of war

Free Press The press has the right and obligation to print the truth. The press has a right to express their opinion on the editorial page. The press should remain neutral – present both sides on an issue.

Freedom of Assembly or the right of people to get together in groups Right to gather, discuss, protest or march for or against a subject or issue Must follow local, state & federal laws

Right to petition for redress of grievances the right of people to ask the government to correct things they don’t like. Circulate a piece of paper & get signatures to make the govt. change or fix something

II Amendment The government cannot stop citizens from keeping guns because the military is necessary to keep peace.

II Amendment Keep and Bear Arms – citizens have a reasonable right to keep certain guns in their home. The government has the right to regulate these weapons Well regulated Militia – today it is the national guard.

III Amendment No soldiers can be kept in people’s homes in time of peace, without the permission of the owner; if in time of war, certain laws have to be followed.

Quarter – means to have soldiers living in your home. The government can use your property but must pay you for its use. ‘A Mans Home is His Castle’ and is privileged against civil and military intrusion

Quartering of soldiers

IV Amendment Citizens have the right to be safe in their houses, their belongings, and their persons against unreasonable searches and seizures. If the government wants to search anything, they must have a search warrant which tells what they are looking for and where they can search.

IV Amendment Unreasonable Search and Seizure- the government must have: warrant signed by a judge Probable cause - Must have a good reason Oath of Affirmation - Person asking for the warrant must be telling the truth

IV Amendment Unreasonable Search and seizure- the government must have: Particular description – place to be searched must have a specific address Person searched/seized - must be to a specific person

IV Amendment Unreasonable Search and seizure- the government must have: Things to be seized – must look for evidence for the crime listed on the warrant

Search Warrant

V Amendment No person can be charged with a crime unless the charges have been brought by a grand jury. A person cannot be charged with the same crime twice. A person does not have to testify against himself/herself. A person can’t have his or her life, his or her property, or his or her freedoms taken from him or her without being treated fairly by the law. A person’s property can’t be taken from him or her without receiving money for the property.

V Amendment Indictment by Grand Jury - No person can be charged with a crime unless the charges have been brought by a grand jury. -A Grand jury determines if there is enough evidence for a trial

V Amendment Double Jeopardy - A person cannot be charged with the same crime twice. You can get two speeding tickets but can only be fined one time for each ticket

Self Incrimination - A person does not have to testify against himself/herself. you do not have to go on the witness stand, you do not have to give statements that will force you to admit to a crime.

Self incrimination

Due process Clause - A person can’t have his or her life, his or her property, or his or her freedoms taken from him or her without being treated fairly by the law. Life – to be executed Property – fines Freedom – prison The government must “play” by the rules.

Due process

Was the student right violated ? Why or Why not?

V Amendment Just compensation - A person’s property can’t be taken from him or her without receiving money for the property. Fair Market Value – if property is taken for public use the govt. must pay for what the property is worth

Just compensation What would be just compensation for your ___________. (something the school or city might want of yours) Justify the amount you are asking.

VI Amendment When a person is accused of a crime, he or she will have a quick and public trial. The jury will be fair. The accused will be told what the charge is can face the people who say he or she broke the law. The accused can have a lawyer to help him or her with the case.

VI Amendment 1.Speedy trial – The trial must take place in a reasonable amount of time. 2.Public Trial – the trial cannot be held behind closed doors; open to the public

Speedy Trial

Public trial

VI Amendment 3.Impartial Jury – a jury composed of neutral fair observers of the accused peers. 4.Local Trial – The trial must take place in the community where the alleged crime took place

Impartial Jury Would want this person on your jury?

Impartial jury

Is this jury impartial yes or no? Why What would be an impartial jury for

5.Informed of charges - against the accused 6.Confront witnesses – you must be able to see the witness and evidence against you. VI Amendment

Informed of charges

Confront witness

VI Amendment 7.Subpoena - Right to call witnesses for yourself 8.Right to counsel - Right to a competent attorney

Subpoena

Right to counsel

VII Amendment When a person sues another person and the amount of money is over $20.00, the case may be decided by a jury, and the decision will be final.

VII Amendment Civil cases- the rights in civil cases are the same as in criminal cases. A jury determines the outcome In a civil case the court attempts to settle a particular dispute between the parties by determining their legal rights.

Civil suits A Civil suit is a dispute between individuals Usually involves money in some way Plaintiff – is the person bring suit Defendant – person being sued.

VIII Amendment No Excessive bail or No excessive fines cannot be required. No cruel or unusual punishment is allowed.

VIII Amendment Excessive bail - the amount of bail should not exceed the crime.

VIII Amendment Excessive fines – the amount of the fine should “fit” the crime.

VIII Amendment Cruel and unusual punishment – the punishment must “fit” the crime

IX Amendment People have other rights that are not listed here.

IX Amendment Freedom of choice in the basic decisions of one’s life with regard to marriage, divorce, having children, raising and education of your children.

X Amendment The powers not given to the national government are given to individual states.

X Amendment The federal govt. can not take power from the states not given to the federal govt. in the constitution. The constitution leaves certain powers to the states, like marriage & divorce laws, zoning, public health, driving laws, and others

Amendment 12 Everyone knows that Americans vote for the President every four years, but did you know that the Electoral College that actually elects the President? The Electoral College is made up of representatives from each state and Washington DC and the biggest states will have more representatives, which we call “electors.”

These electors will give all of their votes to the Presidential candidate that wins the popular vote in each state. The popular vote is to total number of people that vote for each candidate. If this system seems strange to you, then you would be correct, the Electoral College is unique to the United States.

Although many people want to get rid of the Electoral College, some people fear that small states will get overwhelmed by big states in popular voting. With the Electoral College, every state, even the tiny ones, get at least three representatives in the Electoral College. This means that every state, no matter how small, at least has some say in picking our next President.

Did you know that our 2nd President, John Adams, had a Vice President from the other political party? That would never happen today, thanks to the 12th amendment. Before the 12th amendment, every candidate running for President ran for President by himself, regardless of political party. The electors would pick two of these candidates, one for President and one for Vice President.

Since communication in the 18th century was very slow, other electors from other states could not coordinate with each other to pick the Vice President with the second vote they were allowed. Therefore, when the votes were tallied in the election of 1796, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson received the most electoral votes, and the man that was supposed to be Vice President, Thomas Pinckney, who was part of the same party as Adams came in third. By the laws of the United States, those that won the top two electoral vote totals would be President and Vice President

This result and another confusing election in 1800 led to the 12th amendment in The most important part of the 12th amendment is that instead of casting two votes for President, each elector must pick a President AND a Vice President on his or her ballot. This ensures that the President will be paired with his running mate after the election. This has been the way we have operated the Electoral College since 1804.amendment

Amendment 17 Just like the President and our mayors and governors, we elect our senators to represent us in the United States Senate. The Senate is one of two houses (groups) in the US Congress. There are two Senators for every state, for a total of 100. This system is to make sure that every state has an equal amount of representatives in this important law-making body

The 17th amendment provides for regular voters to elect their Senators. The reason for this is simple, when we look at the process to become a Senator in The problem with letting representatives choose representatives is corruption. Corruption is breaking the law to get favors or better treatment for yourself or someone else. Many of the Senators that were “elected” by the state legislatures had struck corrupt bargains with the legislature and many people were angry over the lack of choice they had. By the time the 17th amendment was proposed, almost thirty states were in favor of directly electing senators. The 17th amendment was proposed in 1912 and was completely ratified by 1913.

The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, for six years… (every state will have two Senators, and they will serve six- year terms in Congress.) …and each Senator shall have one vote. (one vote per senator, which now means 100 votes in total for our Senate) The electors in each State shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the State legislatures. (any person that can vote in state elections may vote for the senator of that state)