Jan 31, 2025
### Overview
## American Government
### Principles of American Democracy
- **Supreme law**: Constitution
- **Constitution functions**:
- Sets up government
- Defines government
- Protects basic rights
- **Self-government**: "We the People"
- **Amendment**: Change/addition to Constitution
- **First Ten Amendments**: Bill of Rights
- **First Amendment rights**: Speech, religion, assembly, press, petition
- **Total amendments**: 27
- **Declaration of Independence**: Announced/declared U.S. independence from Great Britain
- **Rights in Declaration**: Life, liberty, pursuit of happiness
- **Freedom of religion**: Practice/no practice any religion
- **Economic system**: Capitalist/market economy
- **Rule of Law**: Everyone, including leaders and government, must follow the law.
### System of Government
- **Branches/parts**: Congress, President, courts (Legislative, Executive, Judicial)
- **Checks and balances**: Prevents one branch from becoming too powerful
- **Executive branch leader**: President
- **Federal law makers**: Congress (Senate and House)
- **U.S. Congress parts**: Senate and House
- **U.S. Senators**: 100
- **Senator term**: 6 years
- **House voting members**: 435
- **Representative term**: 2 years
- **Senator represents**: All state people
- **Representation based on population**: States with more people have more Representatives
- **Presidential term**: 4 years
- **Presidential election month**: November
- **Presidential succession**: Vice President, Speaker of the House
- **Commander in Chief**: President
- **Bill process**: President signs/vetoes
- **Presidential Cabinet**: Advises President
- **Cabinet positions**: Secretaries of various departments, Attorney General, Vice President
- **Judicial branch functions**: Reviews/explains laws, resolves disputes, checks constitutionality
- **Highest court**: Supreme Court
- **Federal government powers**: Print money, declare war, create army, make treaties
- **State powers**: Education, protection, safety, licenses, zoning
- **Political parties**: Democratic and Republican
### Rights and Responsibilities
- **Voting amendments**: 18+ can vote, no poll tax, any citizen can vote, any race male can vote
- **Responsibilities for citizens**: Jury duty, voting in federal elections
- **Citizen rights**: Vote/run in federal elections
- **Rights for everyone**: Expression, speech, assembly, petition, religion, bear arms
- **Pledge of Allegiance loyalty**: U.S. and flag
- **Oaths for citizens**: Loyalty, defense, obedience, service
- **Voting age**: 18+
- **Democratic participation**: Voting, joining parties/groups, campaigning, communication with officials, running for office
- **Tax deadline**: April 15
- **Selective Service registration**: 18-26 years
## American History
### Colonial Period and Independence
- **Colonist reasons for coming**: Freedom, liberty, economic opportunity, religion
- **Pre-European inhabitants**: American Indians/Native Americans
- **Slavery origins**: Africans
- **Colonists' fight with Britain**: Taxes, boarding, lack of self-gov
- **Declaration of Independence author**: Thomas Jefferson
- **Adoption date**: July 4, 1776
- **Original states (13)**: List includes New Hampshire, New York, etc.
- **Constitutional Convention**: Constitution written
- **Constitution year**: 1787
- **Federalist Papers authors**: Madison, Hamilton, Jay
- **Benjamin Franklin's fame**: Diplomat, first Postmaster General
- **George Washington**: Father of Country, first President
### 1800s
- **Louisiana Purchase**: From France, 1803
- **Wars in 1800s**: War of 1812, Civil War, etc.
- **Civil War causes**: Slavery, economic, state rights
- **Abraham Lincoln's contributions**: Emancipation Proclamation
- **Emancipation Proclamation**: Freed Confederate slaves
- **Susan B. Anthony**: Women's, civil rights
### Recent History
- **1900s wars**: WWI, WWII, Korean, Vietnam
- **WWI President**: Woodrow Wilson
- **Depression/WWII President**: Franklin Roosevelt
- **WWII adversaries**: Japan, Germany, Italy
- **Eisenhower's war**: WWII
- **Cold War concern**: Communism
- **Civil rights movement**: End racial discrimination
- **Martin Luther King, Jr.**: Civil rights leader
- **September 11, 2001 attacks**: U.S. terrorist attacks
- **American Indian tribes**: Cherokee, Navajo, etc.
## Geography
- **Longest rivers**: Missouri, Mississippi
- **West Coast ocean**: Pacific
- **East Coast ocean**: Atlantic
- **U.S. territories**: Puerto Rico, Guam, etc.
- **States bordering Canada**: Maine, Montana, etc.
- **States bordering Mexico**: California, Texas, etc.
- **U.S. capital**: Washington, D.C.
- **Statue of Liberty location**: New York
## Symbols
- **Flag stripes**: 13 original colonies
- **Flag stars**: 50 states
- **National anthem**: The Star-Spangled Banner
## Holidays
- **Independence Day**: July 4
- **National holidays**: MLK Jr. Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.