https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/Recent content in Civics and Government on Teddy Rook Bookhttps://teddyrookbook.com/img/share.jpghttps://teddyrookbook.com/img/share.jpgHugoenhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/purposes-of-government/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/purposes-of-government/Governments keep order, provide security and public goods, protect rights and settle disputes; the Preamble lists six purposes, from "a more perfect Union" to "the Blessings of Liberty." Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/forms-of-government/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/forms-of-government/Governments differ by who rules: one person (monarchy, dictatorship), a few (oligarchy) or the people (democracy, direct or representative); a republic is governed by elected representatives, and authoritarian and totalitarian states allow no real opposition. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/natural-rights-social-contract/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/natural-rights-social-contract/Hobbes argued people accept government to escape a "war of all against all"; Locke held that people have natural rights to life, liberty and property and may replace a government that violates them; Montesquieu urged separating powers. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/models-of-democracy/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/models-of-democracy/Political scientists describe participatory democracy (broad participation by citizens), pluralist democracy (groups compete for influence) and elite democracy (a few well-informed leaders and groups decide); each can be seen in American institutions. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/rule-of-law/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/rule-of-law/Under the rule of law, laws are public, apply equally to everyone, including officials, and are enforced by fair procedures; limited government means a constitution sets what officials may and may not do. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/english-roots/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/english-roots/American government drew on Magna Carta (1215), the English Bill of Rights (1689), the Mayflower Compact (1620), colonial charters and assemblies, and the idea that the people's representatives must consent to taxes. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/declaration-ideas/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/declaration-ideas/The Declaration of Independence (1776) states that people have unalienable rights, that governments get "their just powers from the consent of the governed," and that the people may alter or abolish a government that destroys those ends; its grievances accuse the King. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/articles-weaknesses/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/articles-weaknesses/The Articles (1781 to 1789) left power with the states: Congress could not tax, regulate trade between states or enforce laws; there was no executive or national court; laws needed nine states and amendments all thirteen. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/convention-compromises/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/convention-compromises/The 1787 Convention settled conflicts by compromise: the Great Compromise (a House by population, a Senate with two per state), the Three-Fifths Compromise, the slave trade clause (no ban before 1808) and the Electoral College. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/federalist-antifederalist/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/federalist-antifederalist/In Federalist No. 10 Madison argued a large republic controls factions; in No. 51 that "ambition must be made to counteract ambition"; Brutus No. 1 warned that a large republic would be too distant from the people and that the national government's powers would swallow the states. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/ratification-bill-of-rights/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/ratification-bill-of-rights/The Constitution took effect when nine states ratified (1788); several states ratified only with calls for amendments, and the First Congress proposed the Bill of Rights, ratified in 1791. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/preamble/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/preamble/The Preamble begins "We the People" and lists six goals: union, justice, domestic tranquility, the common defense, the general welfare and the blessings of liberty. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/article-1/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/article-1/Article I creates Congress, sets the House and Senate's makeup, lists its powers in Section 8 (taxing, borrowing, commerce, coining money, declaring war and more, ending with the Necessary and Proper Clause), and limits Congress and the states in Sections 9 and 10. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/article-2/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/article-2/Article II vests "the executive Power" in a President, sets qualifications and the Electoral College, and names powers: commander in chief, treaties (with two-thirds of the Senate), appointments (with Senate consent), pardons and the duty to "take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed." Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/article-3/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/article-3/Article III creates the Supreme Court, lets Congress create lower courts, gives judges tenure "during good Behaviour" and pay that cannot be cut, lists the kinds of cases federal courts hear, guarantees jury trials for crimes and defines treason. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/articles-4-to-7/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/articles-4-to-7/Article IV: full faith and credit, privileges and immunities, new states and a republican form of government; Article V: amendments; Article VI: the Supremacy Clause, oaths and no religious test for office; Article VII: ratification by nine states. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/separation-of-powers/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/separation-of-powers/The Constitution gives lawmaking to Congress, carrying out the laws to the President and deciding cases to the courts, so no one branch holds all power. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/checks-and-balances/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/checks-and-balances/Each branch can check the others: the veto and the override, Senate confirmation of judges, judicial review, impeachment, Congress's control of money, and the President's power to nominate judges. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/amending/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/amending/Amendments are proposed by two-thirds of both houses of Congress (or a convention called by two-thirds of the states, never yet used) and ratified by three-fourths of the states (38 of 50), through legislatures or conventions; there are 27 amendments. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/federalism-basics/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/federalism-basics/Federalism divides power: the national government has enumerated (delegated) powers such as coining money and war; the Tenth Amendment reserves other powers to the states or the people; both share concurrent powers such as taxing and making courts. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/supremacy-necessary-proper/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/supremacy-necessary-proper/In McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) the Court held that the Necessary and Proper Clause lets Congress choose reasonable means, such as a national bank, and that under the Supremacy Clause a state may not tax a federal bank. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/commerce-power-civics/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/commerce-power-civics/Congress may regulate commerce "among the several States"; the Court read the power broadly for decades (Gibbons v. Ogden, 1824; the New Deal cases) and then set limits in United States v. Lopez (1995), which struck down a federal ban on guns near schools. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/fiscal-federalism/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/fiscal-federalism/Washington shapes state policy with money: categorical grants (for specific purposes, with conditions), block grants (broad purposes, more state choice) and mandates (federal requirements, some unfunded); conditions on grants are a main tool, within limits the Court has set. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/interstate-relations/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/interstate-relations/Article IV requires states to give full faith and credit to each other's public acts and court judgments, to give citizens of other states the same basic privileges and immunities, and to return people charged with crimes (extradition); states may also make compacts with Congress's consent. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/house-and-senate/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/house-and-senate/The House has 435 members, elected every two years, at least 25 years old and seven years a citizen; the Senate has 100 members, two per state, six-year terms with a third elected every two years, at least 30 and nine years a citizen. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/apportionment-redistricting/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/apportionment-redistricting/After each census the 435 House seats are divided among the states by population (every state gets at least one); states then draw districts, which must have nearly equal populations (Wesberry v. Sanders, 1964), after Baker v. Carr (1962) let courts hear such claims; drawing them for party or group advantage is called gerrymandering. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/powers-of-congress/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/powers-of-congress/Congress's enumerated powers include taxing, spending, borrowing, regulating commerce, coining money, declaring war and raising armies; each house has its own powers: the House starts revenue bills and impeaches, the Senate tries impeachments, confirms appointments and approves treaties. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/congressional-leadership/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/congressional-leadership/The Speaker of the House, chosen by the House, leads it; majority and minority leaders and whips organize each party; the Vice President is President of the Senate and votes only to break ties, with the President pro tempore presiding in his or her absence. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/committees/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/committees/Most work happens in committees: standing (permanent, by subject), select or special (temporary), joint (both houses) and conference (to settle differences between House and Senate versions of a bill); committees hold hearings and mark up bills. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/how-a-bill-becomes-law/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/how-a-bill-becomes-law/A bill is introduced, sent to committee, debated and passed by one chamber, then the other; differences are resolved; the President signs it, vetoes it (Congress may override by two-thirds of each house) or lets it become law without a signature after ten days (Sundays excepted) while Congress is in session. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/filibuster-rules/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/filibuster-rules/The House Rules Committee sets limits on debate and amendments; in the Senate debate is unlimited unless 60 senators vote for cloture, so a minority can block many bills by filibuster; budget reconciliation and nominations have special rules. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/budget-oversight/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/budget-oversight/Congress controls spending: discretionary spending is set each year by appropriations, while mandatory spending (Social Security, Medicare, interest) runs under existing laws; Congress oversees agencies through hearings, investigations and funding; "pork barrel" and logrolling describe trading support for projects. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/representation/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/representation/Members may act as delegates (vote as constituents want), trustees (use their own judgment) or politicos (mix the two); divided government, partisanship and the pull of reelection shape their choices. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/president-qualifications/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/president-qualifications/A President must be a natural-born citizen, at least 35 and a resident for 14 years; the Twenty-second Amendment limits a President to two elected terms; the Vice President comes first in the line of succession, then the Speaker and the President pro tempore; the Twenty-fifth Amendment covers disability. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/formal-powers/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/formal-powers/The Constitution makes the President commander in chief and gives the powers to veto, to pardon, to make treaties and appoint officers with the Senate's consent, to receive ambassadors and to give Congress information on the State of the Union. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/informal-powers/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/informal-powers/Presidents also use powers not listed in the Constitution: executive orders, executive agreements with other countries, signing statements, the "bully pulpit" and party leadership. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/bureaucracy/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/bureaucracy/The executive branch includes 15 Cabinet departments, independent agencies (such as NASA), independent regulatory commissions (such as the Federal Reserve Board, the SEC) and government corporations (such as the U.S. Postal Service); most employees are hired through a merit civil service. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/bureaucracy-accountability/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/bureaucracy-accountability/Agencies write rules under authority Congress delegates; Congress checks them with hearings, budgets and new laws; the President appoints and directs leaders; courts review whether rules follow the law; iron triangles link agencies, committees and interest groups. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/impeachment/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/impeachment/The House may impeach (formally accuse) by majority vote for "Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors"; the Senate tries the case, and conviction takes two-thirds; Presidents Andrew Johnson (1868), Bill Clinton (1998) and Donald Trump (2019) were impeached and acquitted; Richard Nixon resigned (1974) before a House vote. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/war-powers/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/war-powers/Congress declares war and funds the military; the President commands it; Congress has declared war only eleven times in five wars, and the War Powers Resolution (1973) requires the President to notify Congress within 48 hours and to end action within 60 days (plus 30) without its approval. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/federal-courts/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/federal-courts/There are 94 district courts (trials), 13 courts of appeals (12 regional circuits plus the Federal Circuit) and the Supreme Court; federal courts hear cases about federal law and the Constitution, cases between states, and certain cases between citizens of different states. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/supreme-court-process/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/supreme-court-process/Parties ask the Court to hear a case by a petition for certiorari; it takes a case when four justices agree (the rule of four); after briefs and oral argument the justices vote, and opinions are written for the majority, with concurring and dissenting opinions. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/judicial-review/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/judicial-review/In Marbury v. Madison (1803) the Court held that part of the Judiciary Act of 1789 was unconstitutional, establishing that federal courts may refuse to enforce laws that conflict with the Constitution. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/judicial-appointments/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/judicial-appointments/The President nominates federal judges and the Senate confirms them by majority vote; they serve "during good Behaviour" (for life, unless impeached and removed), which is meant to make them independent of politics. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/judicial-philosophy/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/judicial-philosophy/Judges differ in method: originalists read the text as understood when it was adopted; living constitutionalists read its principles in light of changing conditions; judicial restraint favors deferring to elected branches and precedent, while "activism" is a label critics use for decisions they think go too far. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/checks-on-courts/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/checks-on-courts/The other branches check the courts by appointing and confirming judges, passing new laws after a statutory ruling, proposing amendments, setting the courts' size and some of their jurisdiction, and by how they carry out rulings; the courts have no army or budget of their own. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/bill-of-rights-overview/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/bill-of-rights-overview/Match each of the first ten amendments to what it protects: the First (religion, speech, press, assembly, petition) to the Tenth (powers reserved to the states or the people). Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/selective-incorporation/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/selective-incorporation/At first the Bill of Rights limited only the national government (Barron v. Baltimore, 1833); through the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause the Court has applied most of its protections to the states one by one, from Gitlow v. New York (1925) to McDonald v. Chicago (2010). Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/freedom-of-religion/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/freedom-of-religion/The Establishment Clause bars government from establishing religion: Engel v. Vitale (1962) struck down a state-written prayer in public schools; the Free Exercise Clause protects religious practice: Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972) let Amish families end formal schooling after eighth grade. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/freedom-of-speech/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/freedom-of-speech/Speech is broadly protected but not unlimited: Schenck v. United States (1919) used a "clear and present danger" test; Tinker v. Des Moines (1969) protected students' armbands; Brandenburg v. Ohio (1969) protects advocacy unless it is aimed at and likely to produce imminent lawless action. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/freedom-of-press/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/freedom-of-press/In New York Times v. United States (1971) the Court refused to stop newspapers from publishing the Pentagon Papers, applying a heavy presumption against prior restraint; New York Times v. Sullivan (1964) requires public officials suing for libel to prove "actual malice." Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/second-amendment-civics/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/second-amendment-civics/In District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) the Court held the Second Amendment protects an individual right to keep a handgun at home for self-defense; McDonald v. Chicago (2010) applied it to the states; the Court has said the right has limits. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/rights-of-accused/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/rights-of-accused/The Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Eighth Amendments protect people suspected or accused of crimes: Mapp v. Ohio (1961) applied the exclusionary rule to the states; Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) guaranteed a lawyer for poor defendants charged with felonies; Miranda v. Arizona (1966) required warnings before custodial questioning. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/privacy/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/privacy/The Ninth Amendment says listing some rights does not deny others; the Court has recognized rights not named in the text through the Due Process Clause, and it disagrees about how to identify them: Griswold v. Connecticut (1965) and Roe v. Wade (1973) recognized such rights, Washington v. Glucksberg (1997) asked whether a right is deeply rooted in history and tradition, and the Court overruled Roe in 2022. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/equal-protection-civics/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/equal-protection-civics/The Fourteenth Amendment forbids states to deny "the equal protection of the laws"; Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) allowed "separate but equal," and Brown v. Board of Education (1954) held that separate schools are "inherently unequal." Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/civil-rights-acts/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/civil-rights-acts/Congress used its powers to ban discrimination: the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (public places, employment), the Voting Rights Act of 1965, Title IX of the Education Amendments (1972, sex discrimination in schools receiving federal funds) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990). Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/voting-amendments/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/voting-amendments/Amendments expanded voting: the Fifteenth (race, 1870), Seventeenth (direct election of senators, 1913), Nineteenth (sex, 1920), Twenty-third (D.C. electors, 1961), Twenty-fourth (no poll taxes in federal elections, 1964) and Twenty-sixth (age 18, 1971). Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/majority-minority/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/majority-minority/Democracy rests on majority rule and on protecting minority rights; courts, the Bill of Rights, federalism and supermajority rules protect minorities, and debates over affirmative action, voting districts and religious exemptions show how hard the balance can be. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/becoming-a-citizen/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/becoming-a-citizen/People born in the U.S. (and most born abroad to citizen parents) are citizens; others may naturalize, generally after five years as a permanent resident (three if married to a citizen), at age 18 or older, by passing English and civics tests and taking the Oath of Allegiance. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/rights-and-responsibilities/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/rights-and-responsibilities/Citizens have the right to vote, run for most offices and serve on juries; responsibilities include obeying laws, paying taxes, serving on a jury when called and, for men 18 to 25, registering with the Selective Service; civic habits such as staying informed are encouraged but not required. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/voting-and-turnout/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/voting-and-turnout/Citizens 18 and older may vote where they are registered; turnout is higher in presidential years than midterms and rises with age, education and interest; rules on registration, voting by mail and identification vary by state. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/political-socialization/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/political-socialization/Family, school, faith, peers, media and events shape political views; Americans also hold broad shared values (liberty, equality, democracy, individualism, the rule of law) and differ in ideology: liberals, conservatives and libertarians, each describing itself in its own terms. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/public-opinion/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/public-opinion/Polls estimate public opinion from a random sample; a good sample is random and large enough, questions are worded neutrally, and every poll has a margin of error (about plus or minus 3 points for 1,000 people). Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/interest-groups-media/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/interest-groups-media/Interest groups lobby officials, file lawsuits and support candidates through PACs; the media report, set agendas and frame issues; concerns include unequal access, bias claims from all sides and the spread of false information. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/political-parties/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/political-parties/Parties recruit candidates, organize voters and run the government; the U.S. has a two-party system, encouraged by single-member districts with winner-take-all rules; third parties raise issues but rarely win. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/primaries-conventions/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/primaries-conventions/Parties choose presidential nominees through state primaries and caucuses that award delegates; closed primaries admit only party members, open primaries any registered voter; delegates nominate at the national convention. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/electoral-college/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/electoral-college/Each state has electors equal to its House seats plus two senators, and D.C. has three (538 in all); a candidate needs 270; 48 states give all their electors to the statewide winner, while Maine and Nebraska also award electors by district; if no one has a majority, the House chooses, one vote per state delegation. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/campaign-finance/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/campaign-finance/Federal law limits and discloses contributions to candidates (FECA, 1971; BCRA, 2002); Buckley v. Valeo (1976) treated spending as protected speech; Citizens United v. FEC (2010) held the government may not limit independent spending by corporations and unions, which led to super PACs. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/congressional-elections/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/congressional-elections/Most House members who seek reelection win, thanks to name recognition, fundraising and district lines (the incumbency advantage); the President's party usually loses seats in midterm elections. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/state-government/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/state-government/Every state has its own constitution, a governor, a legislature (all bicameral except Nebraska's) and courts; states run elections, schools, most criminal law, licenses and roads. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/local-government/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/local-government/Counties, cities and towns, school districts and special districts (water, fire, transit) provide many services; cities may use a mayor-council or a council-manager form; local governments get their powers from their state. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/direct-democracy/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/direct-democracy/Many states let voters propose laws or amendments by petition (the initiative), approve or reject laws (the referendum) and remove officials before their terms end (the recall); there is no national initiative or referendum. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/tribal-government/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/tribal-government/There are 575 federally recognized tribes (as of 2026); they are sovereign nations with their own governments and courts, in a government-to-government relationship with the United States set by the Constitution, treaties and federal law. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/civics-test-government/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/civics-test-government/Practice questions like those on the naturalization civics test about principles of American democracy, the system of government, and rights and responsibilities. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladderhttps://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/civics-test-history/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://teddyrookbook.com/american-history/civics-and-government/civics-test-history/Practice questions like those on the naturalization civics test about colonial times and independence, the 1800s, recent American history, geography, symbols and holidays. Civics and Government · American History & Civics Ladder