Principles of American Democracy

“We the People”

These first three words, the preamble to the US Constitution, embody the whole idea of self-government and are a basic statement of the purpose preceding the Constitution.

The Constitution was written in 1787 at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia and officially adopted on September 17, 1789. But what exactly does the Constitution, the document known as the Supreme Law of the Land, do? In simple words, the Constitution sets up and defines the structure, purpose and limits of the federal government and its relationship with the individual states.

The Rule of Law

The Constitution is based on the “Rule of Law” which states that everyone must follow the law, leaders must obey the law and that no one is above the law and that the rule of law is superior to the rule of any human leader. But most important too is that the Constitution protects the basic rights of all Americans.

And just how are those rights protected?

The basic rights of all Americans are protected and guaranteed in the Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to the Constitution.

The Bill of Rights

The Bill of Rights was ratified in 1791 to become part of the Constitution. The 1st amendment, probably the most recognized, guarantees Americans the following basic rights:

Freedom of Religion (the freedom to practice any religion or not practice one if you choose)
Freedom of Speech (the freedom to speak out against the government)
Freedom of the Press (gives the media freedom to express ideas and opinion)
Freedom of Assembly (the freedom to allow people to peaceably assemble)
Freedom to Petition the Government (the freedom to communicate with government officials)

Amendments & Changes to the Constitution

Amendments, or changes or additions, to the Constitution are not easily passed and there have only been 27 since it was adopted back in 1789. Let’s look at how an amendment gets passed and go over a few amendments that have passed which concern voting rights.

For an amendment to get passed, two-thirds of both houses of Congress, the Senate and House of Representatives, must pass the proposal for the amendment to become ratified; then, three quarters of the state houses, must also pass the proposal for ratification. That isn’t easy to do and tells us why there have only been 27 amendments to the Constitution including the Bill of Rights!

Amendments & Changes to the Constitution

The Declaration of Independence

Written by Thomas Jefferson and becoming official on July 4th, 1776, The Declaration of Independence is founded on the principals that all men are created equal and the belief that all men have three basic rights: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

This document, in addition to creating basic rights and freedoms for the people and the thirteen colonies, also announced the separation from Great Britain, creating the “The United States of America” and declaring itself a free and independent country.

After the Declaration of Independence

After the Declaration of Independence was written, another document, the Articles of the Confederation, was written which established the rules that governed the newly formed thirteen states—these rules were the foundation of what later became the U.S. Constitution.

Among these articles, along with the establishment of basic rights and freedoms, was also the establishment of the new government as a republic or representative democracy -one that is based on the principle of federalism, or power that is shared between the federal and state governments. In addition, the rules also established that the economy would be capitalist, not government driven but mainly privately driven and that the federal government would have the power to collect taxes from the people of the states.

Visit the “Colonial Period” section for more detail on the Declaration of Independence and its importance to the beginnings of our democracy.

System of American Government

Federal Government of the US

We know that the U.S. Constitution sets up, structures and defines the government, but how does it do that? It does this by a system of dividing the government into three branches and establishing a checks and balances system. The federal government is made up of three distinct and separate branches:

The Legislative Branch
The Judicial Branch
The Executive Branch

Each of the branches has a specific function, and in order to prevent one branch from becoming too powerful, there is a system of “Checks and Balances” in place. This system ensures that no one branch has total control over the other and that each can oversee the other.

The Legislative Branch

The Legislative Branch is made up of:

The Senate, with 100 members (2 per each state). They represent the people of their state and are elected for a period of 6 years (with no limit to the number of terms served)
The House of Representatives. There are currently 435 House members (their number per state varies and is dependent on the population of each state) and are elected for a period of two years, also with no limit on the terms served. The current Speaker of the House of Representatives is Nancy Pelosi.

Together, the Senate and House of Representatives, is known as Congress.
What do they do?

Functions of the Legislative Branch

The main function of the Legislative Branch is to make laws. As a part of the system of Checks and Balances, Congress also has some control over both the Executive and Judicial Branches.

As an example of this, Congress must approve Executive appointments and can override a Presidential veto (the Executive Branch) likewise it must confirm judicial nominees and can initiate Constitutional Amendments (Judicial Branch).

The Judicial Branch

The Judicial Branch is made up of the Federal Courts with the Supreme Court being the highest court in the United States. There are nine justices on the Supreme Court. The current Chief Justice is John G. Roberts, Jr. Justices on the Supreme Court are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate.

What do they do?

Functions of the Judicial Branch

The main function of the Judicial Branch is to interpret, review and explain the laws. It is their duty to ensure that laws are consistent with the Constitution. As a part of the system of Checks and Balances, the Judicial Branch also has some control over both the Executive and Legislative Branches.

As an example of this, the Judicial Branch can declare a Presidential action unconstitutional (Executive Branch) as well as declare acts of Congress as unconstitutional (Legislative Branch).

The Executive Branch

The Executive Branch is made up of the President, Vice President and his Cabinet. The current President of the United States is Joe Biden and the Vice President is Kamilla Harris.

The American people vote for the President every four years in November (the people vote for “electors” who officially vote for the President). His term is limited to two full terms.

The Cabinet

Including the Vice President, there are 15 members of the Cabinet appointed by the President, whose job it is to advise the President. The 15 Cabinet-level positions are:

Secretary of Agriculture
Secretary of Commerce
Secretary of Defense
Secretary of Education
Secretary of Energy
Secretary of Health & Human Services
Secretary of Homeland Security
Secretary of Housing & Urban Development
Secretary of the Interior
Secretary of Labor
Secretary of State
Secretary of Transportation
Secretary of the Treasury
Secretary of Veterans' Affairs
Attorney General

Functions of the Executive Branch

The main function of the Executive Branch is to enforce federal laws. The President is in charge of the Executive Branch.

As a part of the system of Checks and Balances, the Executive Branch also has some control over both the Judicial and Legislative Branches.

As an example of this, the President can appoint federal judges or grant reprieves (Judicial Branch) or he or call Congress into special session (Legislative Branch).

What other functions does the President have?

The President of the United States

The President is in charge of the Executive Branch and as such, has the power to sign bills to become law but also the power to veto bills. The President is the Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. armed forces.

If the President cannot serve for any reason, the Vice President will take charge of the Executive Branch. If both the President and Vice President cannot serve for any reason, the Speaker of the House will take charge of the Executive Branch.

The United States has two major political parties: the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. Our current President, Joe Biden, is a Democrat.

Besides the Federal Government, there are also state, county and local governments that have powers and functions that citizens vote for.

The Levels of Government

There are four levels of government in the United States that U.S. citizens vote on; each of these levels has their own powers:

The Federal Government: Located in the U.S. capital, Washington D.C. The powers at the federal level include printing money, declaring war, and creating an army. The citizens vote for President/Vice President and Congress.

The State Government: Located in the capitals of each of the 50 states. State level powers include providing education, protection (police), safety (fire department), and giving a driver’s license. The citizens vote for Governor, state legislators, executive and judicial officers.

The County Government: Located in the county seat in each county within the state. The citizens vote for county officials.

The Local Government: Located in each city, municipality, or township within the state. The citizens vote for the Head Executive/Mayor and local officials.

Rights & Responsibilities

Rights

There are two rights afforded only to U.S. citizens: the right to vote and the right to run for federal office.

Voting is the most important civic duty and responsibility for a citizen and there have been four amendments to the Constitution concerning voting rights:

Male citizens of all races and colors can vote (15th Amendment)
Women have the right to vote (19th Amendment)
You do not have to pay a poll tax to vote (24th Amendment)
Citizens 18 and older can vote (26th Amendment)

To simplify, the Constitution gives all citizens, men and women, regardless of race or color and at least 18 years old, the right to vote.

Another right as a citizen is the right to run for federal office. There are, however, other basic rights, guaranteed by the Bill of Rights and the Constitution that are afforded to everyone living in the United States and not just citizens:

Freedom of speech
Freedom of religion
Freedom of assembly
The right to bear arms
Freedom of expression

Responsibilities

Along with rights come responsibilities, and two of those responsibilities are to serve on a jury and to vote in a federal election.

Besides serving on a jury and voting in a federal election, can you think of other certain responsibilities you may have? Let’s look at a few:

Paying federal taxes by April 15th
Promising to obey the law
Showing loyalty to the flag by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance
Registering for the Selective Service at age 18
Promising to be loyal and to defend the United States when you become a citizen
Participating in the your democracy

Participating in your Democracy

Besides voting, there are many ways that Americans can participate in their democracy, be involved and engage in the political process, which in turn helps keep our democracy strong:

Join a political party
Join a civic group
Join a community group
Run for office
Help with a campaign

Would you consider doing any of these?

American History: The Colonial Period & Independence

The Colonists

During the 1600s and 1700s, Europeans (colonists) came to America. These colonists came to America for a variety of reasons including political and religious freedom, economic opportunity and escape from persecution. When they arrived in the “New World” they met the first inhabitants (people) of America: the Native Americans or American Indians. Without the help of the American Indians, and one in particular, Squanto, many of the colonists would not have survived; the Indians taught the colonists (pilgrims) how to catch fish and plant corn and live off the land.

The first English colony was founded in Jamestown, Virginia in 1607 and because the colonists needed laborers to work on their plantations and farms, groups of Africans were brought by ship to America and sold as slaves to the colonists.

The Thirteen Colonies

The relationship between the colonists and their mother country, Great Britain, had been declining. The British had been imposing heavy taxes and unfair laws on the colonies during the 1760s and the colonists had no say –they could not vote for or against them.

By 1773, there were 13 colonies (later to become the 13 states). The thirteen original colonies were: Virginia, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maryland, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Delaware, North Carolina, South Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Georgia. These colonies argued that the British Parliament had no right to impose taxes or have a say in how they were being governed since they were not directly represented in Parliament.

The First Continental Congress

The relationship between the colonists and their mother country, Great Britain, continued to decline further after Parliament passed more tax acts in 1774 that punished the colonists for the Boston Tea Party, where colonists destroyed shipments of tea belonging to the British East India Company by dumping them into the Boston Harbor.

In September 1774, The First Continental Congress met in Philadelphia, organized a boycott of British goods and asked the king to overturn the tax acts. King George III and Parliament, however, would not to do that.

Colonial Separation from Great Britain

Because of all the taxation and no representation and because neither Parliament nor the King would overturn any of the tax acts, the colonists went to war against Great Britain to seek their independence.

The American Revolutionary War, also known as the American War of Independence, began at Lexington and Concord in April 1775. The Continental Army was led by George Washington, the first Commander-In-Chief, who would also go on to become the First President of the United States.

George Washington, because he was the leader of the war for America’s independence, is also known as "The Father of Our Country". The colonists won the war and a new nation was born.

Birth of a Nation-The Declaration of Independence

On June 11th 1776, Congress appointed a "Committee of Five", consisting of John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Robert R. Livingston and Roger Sherman, to draft a declaration announcing the colonies' independence from Great Britain. Thomas Jefferson wrote this first draft of the document that went on to be known as "The Declaration of Independence”.

On July 4th 1776, the wording of the Declaration of Independence was approved and a new nation, the United States of America, was born.

The Constitutional Convention

After the Declaration of Independence was proclaimed, the Articles of Confederation were written and used to govern the 13 new states. This document protected the basic rights of Americans and outlined how the states would be governed.

In 1787, eleven years after the Declaration of Independence, the Constitutional Convention took place in Philadelphia, with the hope of improving on the Articles of Confederation. Once again, as with the writing of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin were there. Benjamin Franklin, though, was the oldest delegate at the Constitutional Convention, besides being a diplomat and the first Postmaster General. It was at this Convention, that the Constitution was written and it created a completely new national government.

The Federalist Papers

How was the proposed Constitution going to get passed by the 13 states?

In order to get the support and approval needed from the states for the Constitution to pass, the Federalist Papers were written. These papers were a series of 85 articles written to promote the passage and to support ratification of the U.S. Constitution by the individual states. These articles were written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay and appeared in various journals and newspapers in 1787 and 1788.

In part because of these articles, the Constitution was passed by the numbers needed and adopted in 1789, making the U.S. Constitution “The Supreme Law of the Land.”

American History: The 1800s

Land Acquisitions

After the American Revolution, the United States flourished and the country grew larger and more populated. In 1803, the U.S. acquired land from France, known as "The Louisiana Purchase" that doubled its size. Growth was not always easy though and wars were fought to gain control of lands.

The United States fought four major wars in the 1800s, with the Civil War being the only war fought, not against another country, but against its own people.

American Wars of the 1800s

The War of 1812 (1812-1815)

Fought against: the British Empire
Cause: British support of American Indians fighting expansion, trade restrictions by Britain to stop American trade with France and maritime disputes

The Mexican-American War (1846-1848)

Fought against: Mexico
Cause: the U.S. annexation of Texas in 1845

The Civil War (1861-1865)

Fought against: Each other - The Civil War is also known as The War between the States or The War between the North and South
Cause: 11 southern States declaring their secession from the U.S. and forming the Confederate States of America or the Confederacy

Spanish-American War (1898)

Fought against: Spain
Cause: To gain Cuba’s independence

The Civil War

Of all the wars in the 1800s, the Civil War was a war that could have broken the union of the United States had it been won by the South. The Civil War began when 11 southern states seceded (separated) from the United States to form their own country, the Confederate States of America.

Slavery was the main cause of the Civil War, but economic reasons as well as states’ rights played a role too. Because the South’s economy was heavily dependent on slave labor, they feared that the United States government would end slavery and this would have a harmful impact on their economy as well as independence.

Abraham Lincoln, who opposed slavery, was the President of the United States from 1861-1865, and led the United States during the Civil War. He felt that the South’s separation from the United States and establishment of a new country was unconstitutional, thus, the Civil War began. He is credited with not only leading the nation during the war, but also with saving the Union and freeing the slaves with the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation.

The Emancipation Proclamation

In 1863, right in the middle of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. This document declared that slaves living in the southern or Confederate states were free. When the Civil War ended in 1865, southern slaves kept their right to be free.

The Emancipation Proclamation led to the 13th Amendment to the Constitution: ending slavery in all of the United States. There were many people and not just Abraham Lincoln, who spoke out strongly against slavery and sought equal rights, among these, is Susan B. Anthony.

Susan B. Anthony

Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906) was a campaigner and supporter for women’s rights, for the equal treatment of women in the workplace, for the abolishment of slavery and for civil rights. In 1872, she was arrested for attempting to vote in the presidential election. It would be another forty-eight years before women would be given the right to vote.

In 1920, the 19th Amendment was passed, giving women that right. This amendment is still widely known as the Susan B. Anthony Amendment for her efforts and contributions toward getting women the right to vote.

Recent American History & Other Important Historical Facts

American Wars of the 1900s

Just as America fought wars in the 1800s, there were five wars that the United States fought during the 1900s, but unlike the Civil War of 1863, all of the wars in the 1900s were fought against other countries and most times fought with allies. The five wars were:

World War I
World War II
The Korean War
The Vietnam War
(Persian) Gulf War

Let’s look a little bit more at these wars.

World War I (1914-1919)- also known as the Great War or the First World War

Fought against:

Allies:

Cause:

President:

World War II (1939-1945)- also known as the Second World War

Fought against:

Allies:

Cause:

President:

Major General:

The Korean War (1950-1953)

Fought against:

Allies:

Cause:

President:

The Vietnam War (1959-1975)

Fought against:

Allies:

Cause:

President(s):

The Gulf War (1991)

Fought against:

Allies:

Cause:

President:

The Cold War

The Cold War (1945-1991) was not an actual war, but rather a war of ideology or beliefs-capitalism and its freedoms in a democratic government vs. the principle of communism. The USSR (Soviet States of Russia) was a powerful country at the end of World War II that operated under the principles of communism. The United States and its allies (democratic governments) feared the expansion of communism to other countries by the Soviet Union.

That spread of communism was the main concern for the United States during this Cold War period and an arms race began between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, which did not end until the breakup of the USSR in 1991.

Other Important Historical Information

Besides the wars being fought during the 1900s, and ideologies being tested, there were also movements, people and events happening in America that would change many American lives. Among them, the civil rights movement and its leader, Martin Luther King, Jr., the American Indian Movement and the attack on American soil by terrorists.

The Civil Rights Movement & Martin Luther King, Jr.

The civil rights movement began in 1954 and its goal was to end racial discrimination against African Americans and to gain full and equal rights for all Americans of all races. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the main leader of the civil rights movement during the 1950s and 1960s, fighting for civil rights and equality for all Americans. It is through his efforts that civil rights laws were passed.

The passage of those civil rights laws ensured the end of racial segregation and the protection of voting rights.

The American Indian Movement

During the 1960s, there was also an American Indian Movement, with much the same goals as the civil rights movement: to end racism, civil and human rights issues against the American Indian. In 1968, the National Council on Indian Opportunity was established by President Johnson to focus on their plight.

The plight of many American Indians, or Native Americans, the first indigenous people of the United States, began during the 1700s and 1800s, when they were displaced and forced to relocate to Indian reservations and give up their culture.

American Indian Tribes

Strides have been made though and today, there are over 500 federally recognized tribes, with their own languages, political system and cultures.

A few of the recognized tribes are the: Cherokee, Navajo, Sioux, Choctaw, Pueblo, Apache, Creek, Iroquois, Seminole, Cheyenne, Huron, Shawnee, Crow and Hopi.

Terrorists attack the United States

On September 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked 4 aircraft and crashed two of them into the World Trade Center's Twin Towers in New York City, destroying both buildings. One of the planes was crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia and the fourth plane, originally aimed at Washington, D.C., crashed in a field in Pennsylvania.

Almost 3,000 people died in these attacks, most of them civilians. This was the worst attack on American soil in the history of the nation.

Integrated Civics: Geography

Area and General Characteristics

The United States is the world’s third largest country in land size, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west, and sharing a border with Canada to the north and Mexico to the south.

There are 13 states that border Canada: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington and Alaska and in contrast only 4 states that share a border with Mexico: Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and California.

Located on the east coast, in the mid-Atlantic region, and bordered by Virginia and Maryland, is the nation’s capital, Washington D.C.

US Territories

The United States also has territories, acquired through either war or treaties. Currently, there are a total of sixteen territories but only five of which are inhabited: Puerto Rico, Guam, Northern Marianas, U. S. Virgin Islands and American Samoa.

Rivers

The Missouri river, 2341 miles long, is the longest river in the United States. It flows from western Montana to St. Louis, Missouri. The second longest river in the United States, is the Mississippi river at 2320 miles long which flows from northern Minnesota all the way south to the Mississippi Delta at the Gulf of Mexico.

Landmarks

The Statue of Liberty

America is rich with landmarks symbolizing freedom and democracy. No landmark is better known or more welcoming to immigrants and returning Americans than the Statue of Liberty. Located on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, the Statue of Liberty was presented to the United States by France in 1868.

"Lady Liberty" with her broken shackles at her feet and holding a tablet in one hand with the Declaration of Independence's date and a torch for enlightenment in the other, represents to all Americans, freedom.

Integrated Civics: Symbols

The American Flag

The most recognized symbol of the United States is the American flag. The first United States flag, made by Betsy Ross and officially adopted in 1777, had 13 stripes and 13 stars which represented the original thirteen colonies.

The flag has since been changed 26 times with the last change in 1960, when Hawaii was admitted to the Union.

On today's flag, we have 50 stars, representing each of the fifty states. The flag has nicknames such as "Old Glory", "The Stars and Stripes" and "The Star Spangled Banner".

The National Anthem

If the flag is the most recognized United States symbol, the Star Spangled Banner, our National Anthem, is the most recognized symbolic song. The lyrics were written by Francis Scott Key, after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812.

The following lyrics are from the first part of the song:

O say can you see by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

Integrated Civics: Holidays

Federal Holidays

There are10 federal holidays which are also observed by most states too. These holidays can honor either an important American historical event, such as Independence Day or they can represent an important American historical figure, such as Martin Luther King, Jr. The federal holidays are:

New Year’s Day
Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
President's Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Columbus Day
Veterans Day
Thanksgiving
Christmas

Citizenship Study Guide