Citizenship Notes Ch 1

							                                    Chapter 1 Section 1
                                       Citizenship

Civics – study of the rights and duties of citizens
    Started in Greece 2500 years ago
    Most citizens are from a country


Government – ruling authority for a community
    Make the rules, created and maintained by citizens

Functions of government
           1. Keep order and security (Police, courts, military)
           2. Provide public services and create organized systems
                   Schools, parks, hospitals
           3. Guide the community
                   Public policy (AKA Goals)
                   Budget and spending (How money will be collected and used)
                   Creating relations with neighboring communities

Two types of government
      Dictatorship – government controlled by one person or a small group of people.
                  Cuba
      Democracy – government ruled by citizens
                  US
                  Majority Rule- decisions are made based on what MOST of the
                     citizens want

Types of Democracy-
    Direct Democracy – citizens vote on all issues and matters
    Representative Democracy – citizens vote for representatives who vote on issues
       and matters (USA)
                                  Chapter 1 Section 2
                             How Can I become a US citizen?

   Naturalization – legal process of becoming a citizen.
      1. By Birth (Born in US soil)
      2. Naturalization Process

The Naturalization process
   1. Sign a statement of intent for citizenship
   2. Live in US for 5 years
   3. Take a citizenship class
   4. File an application for Citizenship
   5. Citizenship interview and test
   6. Attending a ceremony and pledging an oath of allegiance

Aliens?!

Alien – noncitizens
    Usually immigrants
    (Immigrants – people who move permanently to another country)

      Illegal Aliens – aliens who entered the country illegally
           o They can be deported (sent back to their original country)
      Legal Aliens – aliens who entered the country legally
           o They DON’T have the same rights as citizens (ex. They can’t vote)


Ways to Lose Citizenship
   Taken away by federal government
   Voluntarily give it up.
          o Extremely hard to get it back.
                                        Chapter 1 Section 3
                                       Diversity of Americans

“E Pluribus Unum” – Out of many ONE.

      Europeans were the first settlers of America
          o English, French, Irish, Scots, Swedes, Germans
          o Italians, Greeks, Poles, Russians

      Africans came by force

      US has many ethnicities, religions, races, etc.

The US Population is growing
    Through reproduction and immigration

The US population is changing
    Through migration (mass movement) to find new jobs
    Americans are living longer and getting older

Causes of Unity in the US
          1. Declaration of Independence, US Constitution, and Bill of Rights
          2. Single Language

      Patriotism – love for our country
      Terrorism – use of violence to achieve a political goal.
                   Challenges our patriotism
                   WTC/9-11 attacks