Civics

Responsibilities of a Citizen5th grade

It’s Your Duty!

• Obey laws• Pay taxes• Serve on a jury• Register for selective service• Vote

Laws

• Keep people safe• Protect the rights of citizens• Describe how people should act

Punishments

• Police officers and courts make sure that people obey the laws.

• Punishments for disobeying a law:• The punishment depends on the crime–Fines–Jail time–Life in prison

Tax Time• Local, state, and federal governments

require citizens to pay money for public goods and services. – Schools– Libraries– Highways– Parks– Salaries of government employees

Jury Duty

• The constitution says every U.S. citizen has the right to a trial by jury.

• Jury: A group of about 12 people that listen to a trial and decide if the accused person is innocent or guilty.

• Names are usually pulled from registered voters and people with driver’s licenses.

Selective Service

• Selective Service System: –Gives the government a list of

names of eligible men who could be drafted in case of a national emergency.–All males at the age of 18

Vote

• Voting is one of the most important civic responsibilities.

• There are local, state, and national elections.• Adults get to vote to choose laws and leaders.• Who can vote?– People get to vote after they turn 18.– People must be U.S. citizens to vote.– People must be registered in order to vote.

• People should stay informed about issues by watching the news or reading the newspaper.

Bill of Rights

• http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/constitution_day/inside/index.asp?article=billofrights

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYG_f-y8-VY

• http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/constitution_day/inside/index.asp?article=billofrights

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYG_f-y8-VY

Due Process

• The process of treating everyone FAIRLY• Basic rules:– Laws must be clearly written so people can

understand them.– The accused person has the right to:• Be told of the charges against him.• A fair trial• To be present at his trial• Fair jury• Speak and defend himself

Due Process

• Several amendments protect a citizen’s rights by due process:– 5th: says no person shall be “deprived life, liberty,

or property without due process of the law.”– 14th: declares that no state can “deprive any

person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.”

Changing the Constitution

• Constitution: highest form of government; tells how our government will run

• Amendment: A change or addition• The Constitution is a “living document”

because it can be changed.

Amendment Process

• It takes 2 steps:– Step 1: Proposal - An amendment can be proposed by

either a two-thirds vote in Congress, including both the House of Representatives and the Senate, or a national convention made up of two-thirds of the states. All our current amendments were proposed by Congress.

– Step 2: Ratification - Next, the amendment has to be ratified. It can be ratified by either three-fourths of the state legislatures or by state conventions in three-fourths of the states. Only the 21st amendment used the state convention method.

Why so serious?

• The amendment process is to ensure that the amendment is truly wanted by the American people.

• Congress has considered more than 9,000 amendments. Only 33 have been submitted to states, and only 27 have been ratified!

Voting Amendments

• 12th: says people must vote separately for president and vice president.

• 15th: says African American men can vote• 17th: says senators must be elected directly by the

people of their state.• 19th: says women can vote• 23rd: says citizens in Washington, D.C. can vote for

president and vice president• 24th: says no poll taxes• 26th: says the voting age is lowered to 18 years old

e pluribus unum

• Latin for “out of many, one”• U.S. motto: one nation born out of 13 colonies• Olive branch=peace• 13 arrows for 13 colonies= will defend if

needed