Course Title
Fall/Spring Semester | ||||
Unit Title | Foundations of Government | Political Participation | Policy-Making | Judicial Decision-Making |
Time | 3 weeks | 4 weeks | 5 weeks | 3 weeks |
Understandings | The United States government was founded in 1787 with the signing of the Constitution and became a global precedent for establishing a government that balanced the power of the people with the strength of a federal government.
The United States government is effective in large part due to the balance of three distinct parts: the judicial branch, the executive branch, and the legislative branch.
The federalist system of the American government balances power between the states and the federal powers, limiting the federal government while ensuring it has enough power to maintain the strength of the United States. | In the United States, voting is the most common method of political participation for most citizens, but it is by no means the only way; other methods include non-violent disobedience, participation in political campaigns, and lobbying of their representatives to influence legislative actions.
Part of American civic duties include voting, but also serving on juries when summoned by both local and federal courts.
In the United States, elections are held at three different levels: local, state, and federal and there are strict rules for participating in these elections including residency. | The legislative and executive branches of government combine to create the largest of the government’s policy-making groups which are focused on creating new laws and implementing these laws with oversight between the two branches being dictated by the Constitution.
The President has several key roles including commander-in-chief and chief diplomat with powers checked by Congress.
The president has the ability to influence the legislative body by issuing vetos and executive orders which may expand or limit the enforcement of Congressional laws. | The function of the federal courts is to ensure that American civil rights and liberties are protected at the federal and state level, including the rights for peaceful protest and the rights of the accused.
The federal courts have served as a means to expand or restrain the legal rights as interpreted in the Constitution, such as in Miranda v. Arizona which mandated that the accused must be advised of their legal rights. |
TEKS | USG.1A, USG.1B, USG.1C, USG.1D, USG.1E, USG.4B, USG.6A, USG.6B, USG.6C, USG.6D, USG.6E, USG.6F, USG.7E, USG.7H, USG.8A, USG.8B, USG.8C, USG.8D, USG.11A, USG.11B, USG.12B, USG.12C | USG.2A, USG.2B, USG.3A, USG.3B, USG.3C, USG.9A, USG.9B, USG.9C, USG.10A, USG.10B, USG.13A, USG.13B, USG.13C, USG.14A, USG.14B, USG.14C, USG.15A, USG.18B | USG.1F, USG.4A, USG.4C, USG.5A, USG.5B, USG.7A, USG.7B, USG.7D, USG.7G, USG.17A, USG.17B, USG.18A | USG.7C, USG.7F, USG.12A, USG.12C, USG.12D, USG.12E, USG.12F, USG.12G,USG.15B, USG.16A, USG.16B |
Skills TEKS | USG.19D, USG.19E, USG.20A, USG.20C, USG.21A | |||