2. Political Principles
Click on each principle to learn more…
Consent of the governed
Limited Government
Representative Governme
Rule of Law
Democracy
Don’t click the mouse
until you have
reviewed all 5
principles
3. Limited Goverment
The government is
not ALL powerful –
people give the
power.
The government can’t
do everything it
wants. Checks &
Balances
5. Representative Government
People ELECT
OFFICEHOLDERS to
make laws and conduct
government on their
behalf.
6. Consent of the Governed
People are the
source of any
and all
government
power
“We give Consent
to be governed”
7. Rule of Law
The government
and those who
govern are
bound by the
LAW.
8. Earlier Documents
CLICK ON EACH DOCUMENT FOR MORE INFORMATION
• The Charters of the VA Company of London
• The VA Declaration of Rights
• The VA Statute of Religious Freedom
• The Declaration of Independence
• Articles of Confederation
Don’t click the mouse
until you have
reviewed all 6
• Constitution documents
9. Purpose of the Charters of
the VA Company of London
• They authorized the Virginia
Company to start a colony.
• They allowed for a
representative government.
• They gave the colonists the
same rights as Englishmen.
10. The Declaration of Rights
• Served as a model for the Bill
of Rights
•Freedom of Religion
•Right to a fair trial
•Freedom of the press
11. What did the Virginia
Statute for Religious
Freedom do?
“Hey I
wrote
this” T.J.
Separated church and
state
Established religious
freedom
13. Declaration of
Independence
Declared the colonies’ independence from
Great Britain
LLP Affirmed “certain unalienable rights” (life,
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness)
Established the idea that all people are
equal under the law
Stated grievances against the King of Great
Britain
14. Articles of
Confederation
Established the FIRST FORM OF
NATIONAL GOVERNMENT for the
independent states
Maintained that major powers resided
with individual states
Weak central government (no power to
tax and enforce laws)
15. Constitution
Establishes the structure Sets up 3 Branches
of the United States
government
•Guarantees equality Due Process
under the law with (5th & 14th)
majority rule and the
rights of the minority
protected
Affirms individual worth Everyone Counts!
and dignity of all people
Protects the fundamental 1st Amendment
freedoms of religion, Freedoms (RAPPS)
assembly, press, petition,
speech
16. Preamble to the
Constitution
We the People, in order to:
(power comes from the people)
Ensure
Establish
domestic Provide
Form a union justice
peace defense
17. Amendments
• Written changes to the US
Constitution are prepared and
approved by the legislative branch.
2 Ratified by the states
e 1
at
t od
27 Proposed by Congress
or National convention
18. Citizenship
Means of obtaining citizenship
(2 ways to become a citizen)
Birth Naturalization
The 14th Amendment:
“All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to
the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and the
state wherein they reside.”
19. Requirements for Naturalization
• Demonstrate knowledge of American
HISTORY
• Demonstrate knowledge of American
principles (CIVICS)
• Demonstrate the ability to speak and write
ENGLISH
20. Immigration
During the 20th century, an increasingly
diverse society has been created in
America as a result of other cultures.
21. Fundamental Freedoms
Click on each freedom to learn more…
The Constitution of the United States of America establishes and
protects the citizen’s fundamental rights and liberties.
R A P P S
Due process protections are guaranteed by Don’t click the mouse
until you have
the national government (5th amendment) reviewed all 6
freedoms
and state governments (14th amendment).
22. RELIGION
Government may not establish any official
religion nor endorse or unduly interfere
with the free exercise of religion.
YOU CAN CHOOSE YOUR RELIGION!
24. PRESS
The press has the right to gather and
publish information, including that which
criticizes the government.
TV, Radio, Newspaper, Magazines, Internet, Etc. can say what
they want as long as it’s true.
25. PETITION
Individuals have the right to make their
views known to public officials.
For example – The petition to get Blair’s bill approved
for hearing aids.
Dear
Senator…
26. SPEECH
Individuals are free to express their
opinions and beliefs.
Say what you want as long as you don’t violate others’ rights.
27. I’ll arrest
Civic Duties
you if you
don’t do
these
things!
For government to be effective, citizens MUST
fulfill civic duties:
– Obey laws
– Pay taxes
– Serve in the armed forces if called
– Serve on a jury or as a witness in court
– Attend school
If you choose not do fulfill your civic duties “COPS
Arrest” you and you’ll face legal consequences.
28. Civic Responsibilities
A basic responsibility of citizenship is to
contribute to the common good of society.
These actions are VOLUNTARY!
• Register and vote
• Influence government by communicating with government
official
• Keep informed regarding current issues
• Respect others’ right to their opinions and beliefs
• Hold elective office
• Participate in political campaigns
29. Community Service
A democratic society requires the active
participation of its citizens. Citizens
participate in community service in many
ways.
– Volunteering (tutoring, nursing home, etc.)
– Expressing concern about community welfare (attend
civic meetings, adopt-a-highway)
– Make the community a good place to work and live
(neighborhood watches, etc.)
30. Personal Traits of Good
Citizens
• Trustworthiness and honesty
• Courtesy and respect for the rights of
others
• Responsibility, accountability, and self-
reliance
• Respect for the law
• Patriotism
37. Separation of Powers
Branch of Local Virginia National Government
Government Government Government
Legislative Makes ordinances for community; Makes laws for Virginia; approves Makes laws for nation; approves
approves annual budget; limits biennial (two-year) budget; annual budget; confirms
power to that delegated by the exercises power under the 10th presidential appointments;
state amendment raise revenue; regulate
interstate trade; declare war
Executive Elected or appointed by the Board of Executes laws of Virginia; prepares Executes law of the land; prepares
Supervisors or City Council; city biennial budget for General annual budget for
or county managers hired by local Assembly; appoints cabinet congressional action; appoints
legislatures officers and boards; cabinet officers, ambassadors,
administers state bureaucracy; and federal judges; administers
grants pardons federal bureaucracy
Judicial Local courts—Hear cases under the Supreme Court—Has power of Supreme Court—Has power of
authority provided by state judicial review over state laws judicial review
legislation Circuit courts—Try civil and Federal courts—Try cases involving
criminal cases federal law and U.S.
Constitutional questions
38. Checks and Balances
A system of checks and balances gives each of the three
branches of government ways to limit the powers of the other
branches so that no one branch is too powerful.
39. Lawmaking Process
The Virginia General Assembly and the United
States Congress are bicameral legislatures.
The lawmaking process in national and state
legislatures
Working in committees (most work done here)
Debating on the floor
Voting on a bill by both houses
Signing the bill into law by the President or governor
40. Executive and Lawmaking
Ways the executive branch influences
policymaking
Proposing legislation in an annual speech to the
legislature (State of the Commonwealth or State
of the Union Address)
Appealing directly to the people
Approving or vetoing legislation
Appointing officials who carry out the laws
41. Roles of the President
Chief of State ~ ceremonial representative
Chief of Party ~ leader of party in office
Chief Executive ~ holds administrative
meetings with his cabinet
Chief Citizen ~ regular “Joe”
Chief Legislator ~ proposes laws in the
State of the Union Address
Chief Diplomat ~ carries out foreign policy
Commander in Chief ~ director of the
military
42. Federalism
The Constitution of the United States of America
establishes a federal form of government in which
the national government is supreme.
The powers of the national government are either
enumerated/expressed or implied
The powers not given to the national government
by the Constitution of the United States of
America are reserved for the states by the 10th
amendment.
The powers of the local governments in Virginia
are delegated/derived from the state.
44. Reserved
Set school standards
Conduct elections
Set marriage,
business, driver’s
license standards
Establish local
governments
Public health, safety,
welfare
46. Legislative Issues at the State Level
Education: To promote an informed and engaged
citizenry (i.e., establish minimum standards for
local schools)
Public health: To promote and protect the health
of its citizens (i.e., fund health benefits)
Environment: To protect natural resources (i.e.,
improve water quality in the Chesapeake Bay)
State budget: To approve a biennial (two year)
budget prepared by the governor
Revenue: To levy and collect taxes
47. LOCAL GOVERNMENT
There are 3 units of local government:
Town
County
City
The type of gov’t is established in a charter.
There are elected officials in local government:
Mayor
Council
School Board
Sheriff
48. Media and Public Policy
Ways media play an important role in
setting the public agenda
(“giant” influence)
Focusing public attention on selected issues
Offering a forum in which opposing viewpoints
are communicated
Holding government officials accountable to the
public
Government officials use the media to
communicate with the public.
49. Individuals and Lawmaking
Ways individuals influence public
policy
Participating in politics (voting,
campaigning)
Expressing opinions (lobbying,
demonstrating, writing letters)
Joining interest groups
50. Interest Groups and Lawmaking
Ways interest groups influence
public policy
Identifying issues
Making political contributions
Lobbying government officials
51. Impact of International Issues on
Local Government
International issues and events that would
require policy decisions by local government
officials could include the following:
Public health concerns in the event of a
pandemic
Public safety in the event of an act of terrorism
Economic development policies in response to
the emerging global economy
Policies to protect the environment (e.g.,
wildlife protection)
52. US Courts
The United States has a separate court system whose
organization and jurisdiction are derived from the Constitution
of the United States of America and federal laws.
United States Court System
U.S. Supreme Court
(Justices/no jury)
Jurisdiction: Appellate and Limited Original
U.S. Court of Appeals
(Justices/no jury)
Jurisdiction: Appellate
U.S. District Court
(Judge with jury)
Jurisdiction: Original
53. Virginia Courts
Virginia, like each of the other forty-nine states, has its own
court system whose organization and jurisdiction are derived
from Virginia’s constitution and state laws.
Virginia Court System
Virginia Supreme Court
(Justices/no jury)
Court of final appeal (Appellate jurisdiction)
Limited original jurisdiction
Court of Appeals of Virginia
(Judges/no jury)
Appellate jurisdiction from circuit courts
Circuit Court
(Judge and jury)
Original jurisdiction for felony and for civil cases
Appellate jurisdiction from district courts
General District Court
Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court
(Judge)
(Judge/no jury)
Original jurisdiction of misdemeanors
Juvenile and family cases
Civil cases involving lower dollar amounts
54. Judicial Review
The supreme courts of the United States and
Virginia determine the constitutionality of laws and
acts of the executive branch of government. This
power is called judicial review.
Marbury v. Madison established the principle of
judicial review.
The Constitution of the United States of America
is the supreme law of the land.
55. Criminal Cases
In a criminal case, a court determines whether a person
accused of breaking the law is guilty or not guilty of a
misdemeanor or a felony.
•A guilty verdict may be appealed
5 Verdict to the Court of Appeals or
directly to the Supreme Court
4 in certain cases.
Trial
3 Arraignment
2
Preliminary Hearing
1
Arrest
56. Criminal Case
In a civil case, a court settles a
disagreement between two parties.
3
2
1
57. Due Process of Law
The constitutional protection against unfair
governmental actions and laws
Due process protections
5th Amendment—Prohibits the national
government from acting in an unfair manner
14th Amendment—Prohibits state and local
governments from acting in an unfair manner
