What You Need To Study: Exam #1

 Branches of Philosophy

Unitary, Federal, Confederation

Types of Democracies: Direct, Representative, Parliamentary, Presidential

Authoritarian vs. Representative Liberal Democracies

Simon de Montfort and Parliament

HOMEWORK: Answer all the questions below on a sheet of your own paper. 

Watch the video and answer the questions.

1) What did King Henry agree to?  

2) What suspicions about King Henry are held by Simon de Montfort? 

3) What does Simon de Montfort attempt to achieve in the face of his suspicions regarding King Henry?  

4) What does de Montfort hope to accomplish by gathering the barons together in a meeting? 

5) What worries do the barons have regarding de Montfort’s leadership? 

6) Why does Gilbert The Red want de Montfort to lead? 

7) How does the Battle of Lewes end?  Who wins?

8) What purpose does Parliament serve?  

9) When does Parliament first gather together?  

The Development of Liberal Democracy Before the English Civil War

Liberal democracy rests on the principle that government is created by, derives its power from, and exists to serve the people.  In practice, today liberal democracy means a system of government characterized by limitations placed on the powers of national government by a set of written laws, legal protections based on the idea that man has rights,  the extension of rights to minority groups, the ability of the voter to select government officials by secret ballot, a lawmaking body (legislature) that conducts free and open debate on issues and passes laws by majority vote, and the ability of voters to support more than one political party.

During the Later Middle Ages, England established the foundations upon which its people would build liberal democracy.

COURT SYSTEM

King Henry II who ruled from 1154 to 1189 replaced feudal justice with royal courts, grand jury investigations, and, in some cases, jury trials.  Although Henry II’s purpose was to strengthen the power of the British crown, not to further the development of liberal democracy, his reforms developed into our modern system of trial by jury.

LEGAL LIMITS ON EXECUTIVE POWER

King John, who demanded increased funds from the feudal nobles, was accused by them of being a despot and violating their rights.  At Runnymede, outside of London, John was forced by the nobles to sign the Great Charter, or Magna Carta.  This document limited the power of the king.  Two features of the Magna Carta which did this were the requirement that the king may not imprison any free person except by the judgment of that person’s peers (equals)and in accordance with the laws, and that taxes could not be levied without the consent of the Great Council (a group of people that consisted of nobles).

Originally, Magna Carta protected nobility against tyranny imposed by the king.  In time, the charter’s protections were granted to all English people.  The Magna Carta came to mean that the monarch is not an absolute ruler and not above the law, all persons are guaranteed a trial by jury, and the Great Council, which later became Parliament, alone may levy taxes.  Magna Carta is therefore considered the cornerstone of English liberal democracy.

Below is the English translation of the clause from Magna Carta (Clause 39) that establishes the basic rights of live, liberty, property, trial by jury:

"No free man is to be detained, or imprisoned, or stripped of his possessions, or outlawed, or banished, or in any way destroyed, nor shall we go against him, nor shall we send others against him, except by the lawful judgement of his equals or by the law of the land."

DEVELOPMENT OF PARLIAMENT

Simon De Montfort's Parliament (1265) was the first instance of a parliament in which representatives from towns and the shires were summoned together to discuss matters of national concern. This Parliament is seen as the earliest forerunner of the modern Parliament because of its inclusion of both knights and burgesses, for a reason other than the granting of taxation. This broadened the types of people represented at a high level who were participating in affairs of the nation.

In 1295, King Edward I expanded the Great Council’s membership to include middle-class representatives.  His purpose was to place taxes upon and still ensure loyalty of the wealthy middle class, not to further the development of liberal democracy.   Because the enlarged Great Council served as a model for England’s future legislature (Parliament), it was called Model Parliament.  By allowing non-nobles to have membership in the Great Council, King Edward created conditions that resulted in Parliament dividing into two houses, the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

In the 14^th century, Parliament forced the English monarchs to accept its legislation by threatening to withhold new laws that increased taxes.  The use of this practice was not limited to laws that dealt with taxes.  From that point forward, all laws required the consent of Parliament and the approval of the monarch.

WRITTEN LAW

By the late 13^th century, English judges had established the practice of basing their decisions on similar cases decided previously (precedents). These legal precedents created a group of laws called “common law”. The common law applied to all people equally.  To protect the individual against the possibility of governmental tyranny, the common law held that life, liberty, and property could not be taken by illegal action.  In order for life, liberty, and property to be taken, government had to determine that the individual had committed a crime.  By this time, English law had developed the idea that crime was an act which violated the right of free men to life, liberty, and property.  English common law greatly influenced the American legal system.

Optional tasks for study and exam preparation:

1) Outline the entire passage.

2) Complete the following:

     - define liberal democracy, legislature, political party, grand jury, despot, jury trial, Great Council, tyranny, monarch, House of Lords, House of Commons, common law

     - List the features that characterize a liberal democracy.

     - List the rights protected and guaranteed by Clause 39 of Magna Carta.

     - What is the translated meaning of Magna Carta?

     - In the 14th century, Parliament had a means of forcing English monarchs to accept its legislation. Explain how Parliament was able to do this and how did this affect the way laws were to be passed in England.

     - How did English law define crime?

     - 

Types of Democracies: Direct, Representative, Parliamentary, Presidential

 

VOCABULARY
no confidence vote - a formal vote by which the members of a legislature (usually a parliament) to indicate that they no longer support a leader, government.
figurehead - a head or chief in name only.
Example sentence: The king is merely a figurehead; the government is really run by elected officials.
 
coalition government - coalition government, in a parliamentary government, body of advisors that is formed when different political parties choose to cooperate in the administration and regulation of a country or community. Coalition governments usually are a temporary alliance, being formed when no single political party gains a clear majority and competing parties instead negotiate to work together. Such a situation is likely to occur during a period of crisis, such as during a war, or in response to political breakdown. Members of all parties in a coalition government are appointed to a cabinet.
 
plenum - an assembly of all the members of a group or committee.
 
Federal Democracy vs. Unitary Democracy (Review)
A federal democracy is a system of government in which power is constitutionally divided between a central governing authority and constituent political units (like states or provinces). Each enforces its own law directly on it citizens and neither the national government nor constituent political units can alter the arrangement without the consent of the other. A unitary democracy is a system of government in which constitutional authority lies in the hands of a single central government. Administrative divisions (subnational units) created by the central government are responsible for the everyday administration of government, but exercise only powers the central government chooses to delegate. Great Britain is an example of a country with a unitary system of government.
 
1) What is the other way government power can be distributed and how is it different from both a federal and unitary type?
 
Direct Democracy vs. Representative Democracy (Republic)
All modern democratic countries are representative democracies. In a representative democracy people vote for representatives to make their laws.  A representative democracy is also known as a republic.  In a direct democracy people vote directly for their laws.  There are no representatives to do this. Direct democracies do not exist although elements of direct democracies exist in the form of referendums, recall elections, and initiatives.
 
A referendum is an election where voters are asked to vote for or against a proposed law. Sometimes voters can vote on continuing or repealing a law that has already been passed.
 
A recall election (also called a recall referendum, recall petition or representative recall) is a procedure by which, in certain polities, voters can remove an elected official from office through a referendum before that official's term of office has ended.
 
An initiative is where citizens can propose laws or amendments (changes to a constitution) to be voted on.
 
Presidential Democracy vs. Parliamentary Democracy
A presidential democracy is a form of government in which the executive branch is elected separately from the legislative branch. The chief executive, the president, is elected for a fixed term and cannot be removed except by extraordinary measures. The powers vested in the president are usually balanced against those vested in the legislature. In the American presidential system, the legislature must debate and pass bills. The president has the power to veto a bill, preventing its adoption. However, the legislature may override the president's veto if it can muster enough votes.
 
A parliamentary democracy is a form of representative democracy in which the power to govern is in an elected legislature (lawmaking branch), but the executive and legislative branches are not separate. The elected legislature (which is a parliament) chooses an executive leader who is given the title “prime minister”. The legislature may remove the prime minister at any time by a vote of no confidence and often approves the prime minister's cabinet members (persons who carry out the national laws and policies).
 
In the United States, the Speaker of the House of Representatives is chosen the same way – they are chosen through the vote of all members of the House. As expected, the Speaker will always be a member of the majority party (the party with the most members in the House). However, the Speaker only has power over the House of Representatives. The Speaker of the House has no executive power because that is the role of the president. The Speaker fills four primary roles: 1) they are the most visible and authoritative spokesperson for the majority party in the House of Representatives. Speakers explains policy and bills in Congress to other Washington officials and the public. They manage the assignment of other Congressmen to positions that influence lawmaking; 2) the speaker manages actions on the floor of the House of Representatives (where debate on legislation takes place - and navigates legislative rules, controlling the debates in ways that help his or her party; 3) the speaker oversees everything from accounting to procurement for the House.4) the Speaker of the House is second in the line of presidential succession after the vice president.

Parliamentary systems have a clear distinction between the head of government and head of state. In this system, the head of government and parliament is the Prime Minister. Rather than participating in a general election, the members of Parliament elect the Prime Minister. Citizens elect the members of Parliament. Additionally, Parliament makes up the legislative branch of government.

 The Prime Minister typically has no limit to the time they can stay in office. However, this means that they are dependent on the satisfaction of Parliament, which has the power to remove the Prime Minister from power. This can be accomplished through a no-confidence vote.

 Meanwhile, within a parliamentary system, the head of state may be an elected president. In some cases, the head of state may be a hereditary monarch (a king, queen, emperor) and acts as a figurehead for the nation.

 In presidential systems, the legislative branch will write law for a president to ultimately approve or reject. Though the president may suggest laws, it is ultimately the legislative branch that will write them. In contrast, a Prime Minister will write laws along with the legislature and pass them.

Magna Carta

1) When and where was the Magna Cart formed and signed?

2) Who was the king of England at the time of the forming of the Magna Carta?

3) What issues did the English nobility have with have the way in which King John ruled?

4) What actions did the English nobility take in response to the way in which the king ruled?

5) What is the translated meaning of the term “Magna Carta?”

6) List the conditions that were agreed to by King John at Runnymeade?

7) Why is the Magna Carta important?

Unitary, Federal, and Confederations Systems

 
Unitary governments, federations, and confederations are types of governments that can be found operating in the world today. Each is a potentially successful means of structuring a state. What separates them is the role of the central government within the state.
 
Unitary System
In a unitary system of government, the central government holds most of the power. The unitary state still has local and regional governmental offices, but these are under the auspices of the central government. The United Kingdom is one example of a unitary nation. Parliament holds the governing power in the U.K., granting power to and removing it from the local governments when it sees fit. France is also a unitary government. The national government rules over the various provinces or departments. These local bodies carry out the directions of the central government, but never act independently.

1) How is power distributed in a unitary system?
 
Federalist System
Federalism is marked by a sharing of power between the central government and state, provincial or local governing bodies. The United States is one example of a federalist republic. The U. S. Constitution grants specific powers to the national government while retaining other powers for the states. For example, the federal government can negotiate treaties with other countries while state and local authorities cannot. State governments have the power to set and enforce driving laws while the federal government lacks that ability. Modern Germany is also a federalist republic. The national government shares power with provincial political entities, known as “Länder.”

2) How is power divided in a federal system?
 
Confederations
A confederation has a weak central authority that derives all its powers from the state or provincial governments. The states of a confederation retain all the powers of an independent nation, such as the right to maintain a military force, print money, and make treaties with other national powers. The United States began its nationhood as a confederate state, under the Articles of Confederation. However, the central government was too weak to sustain the burgeoning country. Therefore, the founding fathers shifted to a federal system when drafting the Constitution. A contemporary example of a confederation is the Commonwealth of Independent States, which is comprised of several nations that were formerly part of the Soviet Union. These nations formed a loose partnership to enable them to form a stronger national body than each individual state could maintain.
 

3) List the features of a confederation.

4) In the history of the United States, which systems were used for a national government?

Advantages and Disadvantages
One has only to look at the advantages and disadvantages of each system to see the greatest differences among them. In a unitary system, laws and policies throughout the state are uniform, laws are more easily passed since they need only be approved by the central government, and laws are rarely contradictory since there is only one body making those laws. There are disadvantages of this type of government. The central government may lose touch with or control over a distant province or too much power in the central authority could result in tyranny. In a federal system, a degree of autonomy is given to the individual states while maintaining a strong central authority and the possibility of tyranny is very low. Federal systems still have their share of power struggles, such as those seen in the American Civil War. Confederate governments are focused on the needs of the people in each state, the government tends to be more in touch with its citizenry, and tyranny is almost impossible. Unfortunately, confederations often break apart due to internal power struggles and lack the resources of a strong centralized government.

5) Of the three types of systems, which gives the greatest amount of power to the central government?

6)  List the advantages and disadvantages for each of the following:

     6a) unitary

     6b) confederation

     6c) federal

Authoritarian Government vs. Representative Liberal Democracy: A Comparison

 

GOVERNMENT POWER

Authoritarian Government

     - Government power is unlimited. Usually the power to make, enforce, and interpret law is held by either an individual (an autocrat) or a small group of people (an oligarchy).

     - The form of government is often an autocracy (power held by one person) or an oligarchy (power is held by a small group of people.

Representative Liberal Democracy

     - Government power is limited through the design of government:

          * The powers to make, enforce, and interpret law are placed in different parts (branches) of government. 

          * Government power is divided between central and regional authorities.

     - Government power is limited by written law:

          * Legal protections for individual rights and liberties (e,g, bill of rights).

          * Written law lists what government can and cannot do.

     - Power is held by people chosen by citizens who cast secret ballots in frequently held elections.

RIGHTS, LIBERTIES, AND FREEDOMS

Authoritarian Government

     - The citizens depend on a government with unlimited power to protect their rights and not violate them.

Representative Liberal Democracy

     - Liberties, freedoms, and rights are protected by:

          * Design or structure of government: placing the three legal powers in separate parts of government and dividing power between central and regional authorities.

          * Written law: laws to protect individual rights (e.g. bill of rights); laws specifically stating what government can and cannot do.

ELECTIONS

Authoritarian Government

     - There are either no elections because leadership serves for life, or elections are open to only one political party.

     - No public oversight of elections; voting count subjected to fraud and manipulation.

Representative Liberal Democracy

    - Elections offer a choice of candidates with differing ideas; more than one political party.

     - Honest and fair elections are insured by public oversight to prevent fraud and manipulation of final voting count.

RULE OF LAW

Authoritarian Government

     - Unlimited power of government often results in those in power following the law whenever they choose to.

Representative Liberal Democracy

     - Government (like the citizens) are not above the law.

     - Parts of government have powers to keep other parts of government from becoming too powerful and breaking the law (checks and balances).

          * Laws exist to punish officeholders for wrongdoing.

MAINTAINING ORDER

Authoritarian Government

     - Peace is maintained through violence, the threat of violence, imprisonment, and the threat of imprisonment.

      - Censorship of dissent imposed by law, government controlled media and businesses (fascism).

Representative Liberal Democracy

     - Peaceful demonstrations and protests are guaranteed by law (violent demonstrations and protests are viewed as criminal activities).

     - Dissent is permitted as a right of expression.

     - Crime is defined as an action that deprives others of their rights (e.g. vandalism, theft, unprovoked violence, fraud).

MEMORIZE ALL THE TERMS AND THEIR DEFINITIONS:

rule of law - the principle that all people and institutions are subject to and accountable to law that is fairly applied and enforced; the principle of government by law.

liberal democracy - the combination of a liberal political ideology that operates under an indirect democratic form of government.

representative democracy - indirect democracy in which elected persons represent a group of people.

direct democracy - pure democracy is a form of democracy in which voters (not an elected representative) decide on laws.

authoritarian government - a government that holds power and makes policies without the consent of the people that it rules.

division of powers/ separation of powers – powers divided between the national and the regional authorities (state or provincial governments) as well as the division of the three legal powers (making law, enforcing law, interpreting law) between branches within a government.

impeachment - a charge of misconduct made against the holder of a public office.

dissent - the expression or holding of opinions at variance with those previously, commonly, or officially held.

fascism – an authoritarian government permitting no opposition or dissent, controlling affairs of privately owned businesses.

Branches of Philosophy

A philosophy is a set of ideas that attempts to answer BIG questions as a means of understanding the nature of broad (or large) areas of study.

small question: Who is the best Hip Hop artist of today?

BIG QUESTION: Why do some people like/ not like Hip Hop?

BIGGER QUESTION: Is Hip Hop art?

BIGGEST QUESTION: What is art?

Philosophy asks BIG questions in several areas or topics. 

The areas in which these BIG questions are asked are called "branches".

Some of the Branches of Philosophy

Metaphysics

Epistemology

Ethics

Aesthetics

Political Philosophy

Metaphysics- seeks to find answers to questions about nature and the characteristics of the 

things we experience through our senses.

     Examples of questions in the area of metaphysics:

          - What is quantity?

          - Is everything we experience real?

          - Does nature operate according to a set of laws?

Epistemology - seeks answers about knowledge and our ability to

gain knowledge.

     Examples of questions in the area of epistemology:

          - How do we know what we know?

          - Are we born with knowledge?

          - How can we know if something is true or false?

          - What is the best way to know something?

Ethics - answers questions about how humans should behave as

well as defining the meaning of "good" and "bad" behavior.

     Examples of questions in the area of ethics:

          - How should people behave?

          - How do we put into practice those things we think to be

             "right"?

          - Is trust necessary for a society to function properly?

Aesthetics - answers questions about the characteristics of beauty,

art, and what appeals to people (taste).

     Examples of questions in the area of aesthetics:

          - What is beauty?

          - Can something be "not beautiful" and "not ugly" at the same

             time? If so, then what is it?

          - Why are tastes different from person to person?

Political Philosophy - answers questions about the role government 

plays in society.

     Examples of questions in the area of political philosophy:

          - What is the best form of government?

          - What is the relationship between the individual and 

            government?

          - How much power should government have?

You are taking a civics class.  In this class, you will study how

American government was designed, why it was designed a certain

way, the ideas used to design it, and the proper role of citizens 

within American government.

Civics is the study of the way in which a government works, and

the rights and duties of citizens.

What branch of philosophy does civics fall under? 

wisdom - the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment; the quality of being wise.

The term “philosophy” is built off two Greek words, “philo” which means love, and “sophia” which mean wisdom; and so the term means “love of wisdom”.   A philosophy however is not necessarily wisdom.  Philosophy, like wisdom, is built off knowledge and knowledge is built off experience. The combination of knowledge and experience allows people to identify patterns in life. The use those patterns as a way of understanding reality, is the use of a philosophy.  Philosophers will use a knowledge of history (which are the experiences of mankind during a long period of time) to find patterns, and after identifying those patterns (pattern recognition), he records them for use in understanding society.

1) What is philosophy concerned with?

2) A term used to label an area in which philosophy asks questions is known as?

3) What are the branches of philosophy?

4) What types of answers are sought in the following branches of philosophy?

     - metaphysics

     - epistemology

     - ethics

     - aesthetics

     - political philosophy

5) What is civics?

6) What does civics study?

7) Under what branch of philosophy does civics fall?

Aristotle and Virtue

 

The Noble is that which is desirable… and also worthy of praise; or that which is both good and also pleasant… If this is true of the definition of the Noble, it also follows that virtue must be noble, since it is both a good thing and also praiseworthy.  Virtue is, according to the usual view, a faculty of providing and preserving good things; or a faculty of conferring many great benefits, and benefits of all kinds on all occasions.  The forms of Virtue are justice, courage, temperance, magnificence, magnanimity, liberality, gentleness, prudence, wisdom.  If virtue is a faculty of beneficence, the highest kinds of it must be those which must be useful to others, and for this reason men honor most the just and the courageous, since courage is useful to others in war, justice in both war and peace.  Next come liberality; liberal people let their money go instead of fighting for it whereas other people care more for money than anything else.  Justice is the virtue through which everybody enjoys his own possessions in accordance with the law; its opposite is injustice through which men enjoy the possessions of others in defiance of the law.  Courage is the virtue that disposes men to do noble deeds in situations of danger, in accordance with the law, and in obedience to its commands; cowardice is the opposite. Temperance is the virtue that disposes us to obey the law where physical pleasures are concerned; incontinence is the opposite.  Liberality disposes us to spend money for others’ good; illiberality is the opposite.  Magnanimity is the virtue that disposes us to do good to others on a large scale; [its opposite is meanness of spirit].  Magnificence is a virtue productive of greatness in matters involving the spending of money.  The opposites of these two are smallness of spirit and meanness respectively.  Prudence is that virtue of the understanding which enables men to come to wise decisions about the relation to happiness of the goods and evils that have been previously mentioned.

 

1) How does Aristotle define “The Noble”? Answer in your notes.

2) What is “Virtue” according to Aristotle?  Answer in your notes.

3) List the forms Virtue on the spaces below.

4) What are vices listed in the above text? A vice is the opposite of a virtue.

 

HWK: In your own handwriting, define all the forms of virtue you listed, cowardice, illiberality, incontinence, injustice, and beneficence. Use a dictionary to define not the above text.

Aristotle: Virtues and Vices

 

The Noble is that which is desirable… and also worthy of praise; or that which is both good and also pleasant… If this is true of the definition of the Noble, it also follows that virtue must be noble, since it is both a good thing and also praiseworthy.  Virtue is, according to the usual view, a faculty of providing and preserving good things; or a faculty of conferring many great benefits, and benefits of all kinds on all occasions.  The forms of Virtue are justice, courage, temperance, magnificence, magnanimity, liberality, gentleness, prudence, wisdom.  If virtue is a faculty of beneficence, the highest kinds of it must be those which must be useful to others, and for this reason men honor most the just and the courageous, since courage is useful to others in war, justice in both war and peace.  Next come liberality; liberal people let their money go instead of fighting for it whereas other people care more for money than anything else.  Justice is the virtue through which everybody enjoys his own possessions in accordance with the law; its opposite is injustice through which men enjoy the possessions of others in defiance of the law.  Courage is the virtue that disposes men to do noble deeds in situations of danger, in accordance with the law, and in obedience to its commands; cowardice is the opposite. Temperance is the virtue that disposes us to obey the law where physical pleasures are concerned; incontinence is the opposite.  Liberality disposes us to spend money for others’ good; illiberality is the opposite.  Magnanimity is the virtue that disposes us to do good to others on a large scale; [its opposite is meanness of spirit].  Magnificence is a virtue productive of greatness in matters involving the spending of money.  The opposites of these two are smallness of spirit and meanness respectively.  Prudence is that virtue of the understanding which enables men to come to wise decisions about the relation to happiness of the goods and evils that have been previously mentioned.

 

1) How does Aristotle define “The Noble”? Answer in your notes.

2) What is “Virtue” according to Aristotle?  Answer in your notes.

3) List the forms of Virtue on the spaces below.

 

___________________________________   _____________________________________

 

 

___________________________________   _____________________________________

 

 

___________________________________   _____________________________________

 

 

___________________________________   _____________________________________

 

 

___________________________________

 

4) What are vices listed in the above text? A vice is the opposite of a virtue.

Injustice  (justice)

Incontinence   (temperance)

harshness    (gentleness)

foolishness (wisdom)

cowardice (courage)

magnificence (dullness)

recklessness (prudence)

uncharitableness (magnanimity)

liberality (selfishness)

 

HWK: In your own handwriting, define all the forms of virtue you listed, the vices, and beneficence. Use a dictionary to define not the above text.

Civic Duties and Responsibilities

 

     Our Constitution says that a citizen of the United States is a person who, by birth or choice, owes allegiance to this nation.  You are legally an American citizen if you were born in the United States or in one of its territories.  This is true for those whose parents were not citizens, unless they were living in the United States as representatives of a foreign government. You are legally an American citizen if one of your parents was a United States citizen when you were born. As long as one of your parents is a citizen, it does not matter where you were born. You are legally an American citizen if you have been naturalized, which means you have gone through the process of becoming a citizen.  You are legally an American citizen if you were less than eighteen years old when your parents were naturalized.

 What is the main idea of this paragraph?

     Naturalized citizens have all the rights and duties of citizens by birth except the right to be President and Vice President.  Once you are a citizen, you will always be a citizen except in a few cases.  For example, a person can decide to give up citizenship or become a citizen of another country.  Citizenship may be taken away from a person who is convicted of trying to overthrow the United States government by force.

***************

     Just as a licensed driver has certain duties that go with the right to drive, citizens have duties too. These duties include obeying the laws, defending the nation, serving on a jury or as a witness in court, paying taxes, and attending school. By performing each of these duties, we, as citizens, support our government’s efforts to meet our needs as a society.

     Your family and your classroom have rules that keep them running in an orderly way. A society’s formal rules are called laws. Some laws are intended to keep us from hurting each other. They range from laws requiring drivers to stop at stop signs to laws against murder and armed robbery. Other laws establish the rules for making agreements and for settling disagreements.  We also must obey laws that protect citizens’ rights.

 What is the main idea of this paragraph?

     Helping our country defend itself is another duty of citizens.  When you are eighteen years old or older, you may volunteer to serve in the army, navy, air force, or marines.  In addition, young men must register for military service when they reach age eighteen. Registering does not mean that they will have to serve in the armed forces, but it does mean that they can be called to serve when there is a national emergency.  A man whose moral beliefs prohibit him from fighting may ask to be a conscientious objector.  If his request is approved, he will be assigned to some other kind of public service, such as working in a hospital.

What is the main idea of this paragraph?

According to the above paragraph, what action is required? What action is not required?

     One basic right of citizens is the right to a fair trial.  In our legal system, no person may be found guilty of a crime unless guilt can be proved “beyond a reasonable doubt.”  We believe that the best way to determine a person’s guilt or innocence is to conduct a trial, with citizens participating in the process.  While experts, such as lawyers, police officers, and psychologists may play an important part of a criminal trial, they do not make a final decision as to innocence or guilt.  A judge does not make a final decision, either unless the accused person gives such permission.  Instead, our Constitution guarantees that anyone accused of a crime may have the case decided by a jury of peers – a group of ordinary citizens who hear the case and decide whether the accused person is innocent or guilty.  The decision of the jury is based upon evidence heard at a trial.

What civic responsibility is described in the above paragraph?

     During a trial, the lawyers on both sides may call witnesses to prove their case. Witnesses are people who have seen events related to the crime or who have special information that may help determine the guilt or innocence of the person on trial.  Criminal trials use witnesses and juries. However, criminal trials are not the only ones that use witnesses and juries.  Citizens may also ask a court to decide cases in which they think their rights have been violated or they have been treated unfairly.  If two people cannot settle a dispute, for example, they can go to court.  They can call witnesses to help them by testifying on their behalf.

 What two responsibilities do citizens who are not court officials and not experts perform?

All citizens must pay taxes in one form or another, including federal, state, local, Social Security, property and sales taxes. Each tax funds services and programs - i.e., schools, roads, police and fire protection, Medicare and national defense - that would be impossible to maintain without the support of tax payments.

Every day you go to school, you are performing one of your duties as a citizen.  Society depends on schools to make sure that young people are prepared for the future.  Another important task of the schools is to give students the knowledge, skills, and experiences they need to carry out the duties and responsibilities of the “office of citizen.”  Each of us must be educated about our history, our government, and the workings of our society.

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Civic virtue is morality or a standard of righteous behavior in relationship to a citizen's involvement in society. An individual may exhibit civic virtue by voting, volunteering, organizing a book group, or attending a PTA meeting.

Civic virtue helps people understand their ties to the community and their responsibilities within it. In many ways, an educated citizen who possesses civic virtue is valuable to the society in which he lives.

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Civic virtue is the moral underpinning of how a citizen relates to society. Without an understanding of civic virtue, citizens are less likely to look beyond their own families, friends, and economic interests. They are less likely to help others in the community, to volunteer their time, to give money to nonprofit organizations, or to participate in a group that benefits society (e.g., Kiwanis or Mothers Against Drunk Driving).

1) List six civic duties.
2) How is a civic duty (or responsibility) different from a civic virtue?

Civic Virtue Short Answer

 

What You Need For This Class

 - Notebook

     - While a graph notebook is not required, I do ask students to use them only for purposes of developing neat handriting.

- A pen and pencil.

     - Pencils are necessary for test taking. Scantrons are used and only pencil can be used on them. Using a pen on a scantron will result in every answer being graded as incorrect

- Something to retain all handouts given in class

   - Handouts are worksheets and readings. You will need to keep them as they serve as study materials. Pocket folders to hold these or something to affix them to your notes (a glue stick or stapler) can be used for that purpose.