1. Key Question What is government? What’s the purpose? Who’s involved? How is it funded? How is it monitored?

2. The purpose is.. To protect the rights of people To make and enforce laws To provide leadership To keep people safe To provide public services

3. What are the Questions a Political Scientist would ask?

4. Why is a government needed? What does the government do? How is the government organized? On what values and principles is the government based? What role do citizens play in the government?

5. Three Levels of Government … Local (city and county) State Federal

6. Local governments help with … Pet laws Trash pick up Water service Police & Fire protection Libraries Parks

7. State government helps with … Affects the WHOLE state: Marriage laws Driver’s license State Lottery Schools State Parks

8. Federal government helps with… Deals with issues for the WHOLE country Trading with other nations Mail service Armed services

9. Some issues are handled at all 3 levels Local parks (city/county) State parks National parks Taxes

10. How is Michigan’s government organized? Work in cooperative groups to cut / paste words into the correct boxes.

11. Michigan Government Graphic Organizer Michigan Government Legislative Branch Executive Branch Judicial Branch Make laws Enforce laws Interpret the laws Legislature Senate House of Representatives GovernorSupreme Court and other courts

12. Values On what values and principles is our government based?

13. Core Democratic Values Discuss each of the values in your envelope. Paste the correct definition to the right value. AS A GROUP- be ready to share which one is the MOST important value to American citizens and why.

14. Representative Government This is the type of government we have in the USA. What do you think this means?

15. Acting out the principles Each table group will get a scenario to ACT out an impromptu skit. You will have 10 minutes to prepare. All groups will share in 10 minutes.

16. Think About It What questions might you have about the USA government and its citizens? Make a list in your thinking log.