Chapter 5 Section 1 Questions

1)   What are the ways a person can automatically become or is considered a U.S. citizen?

-By being born in U.S. territory

-By have American parents

2) Why was the 14th Amendment necessary?

It guaranteed that people of all races born in the U.S. and subject to its government are citizens.

3) How can a person become a citizen by Naturalization?  What are the steps?
First, an applicant must file a petition requesting citizenship.

1. Applicants must have entered the United States legally.

2. They must be of good moral character.

3. They must declare their support of the principles of American government.

4. They must prove they can read, write, and speak English (if applicants are more than 50 years old and have lived in the U.S. for 20 years, they are exempt from the English-language requirement.)

5. They must show some basic knowledge of American history and government.

4) How can a person lose citizenship?

-By giving up one’s citizenship by leaving one’s native country to live in a foreign country.

-A person may lose citizenship when convicted of certain federal crimes that involve extreme disloyalty.

-The loss of citizenship through fraud or deception during the naturalization process is called denaturalization

Chapter 4 Questions

What is the process of admitting a new state?

Congress must first pass an enabling act, which, after being signed by the president, allows the people of a territory to write a constitution. Once approved, the state can be admitted into the union and is equal to the other states.

What are inherent powers?

They are the powers the national government automatically gets because it is A government.

What relations must the government establish?

            Diplomatic.

What kind of government must the states be given?

            Republican.

What must the national government protect states against?

            Invasion and domestic violence.

Why can the government not turn Alaska into multiple states?

It must respect territorial integrity and get permission from Alaska before breaking it into states.

When can the president send troops to the states?

When national laws are being violated, federal property is being threatened, federal responsibilities are being interfered with, or if/when state governments request it.

Citizen

A citizen is someone who not only lives in a specific community or country, but they also help improve life there. Good citizens should follow laws, but continue to be active in their country’s government. It is their duty to change the government as they see fit if it ever seems abusive. They also should look out for their friends and family, as any good person should. The ideal citizen would be respectful and honest, taking responsibility for any of their wrongdoings.

Chapter 4 Section 4 Notes

I.               Federalism and Public Policy

A.     policy is a stated course of action.

B.     Announcing a policy means that a person or organization has decided upon a conscious, deliberate way of handling similar issues.

C.     The course of action a government takes in response to some issue or problem is called public policy.

D.    Federalism affects how and where new policies are made in the United States. It also introduces limits on government policy-making.

E.     Federalism permits states and localities to serve as providing grounds where new policies can be developed and tested.

F.     Sometimes the national government will impose new policies on states in which local pressure groups have resisted change.

II.             Federalism and Political Parties

A.     Rival political parties are a key element of democratic government.

B.     Each political party has a chance to win some elections somewhere in the system, helping lessen the risk of one political party gaining a monopoly on political powers.

III.           Political Participation

A.     Federalism increases people’s opportunities for political participation. It also increases the possibilities that a person’s participation will have some practical effect.

B.     Many Opportunities

a.     Federalism provides for several levels of government and for a great number of state and local government officials.

b.     American federalism give citizens many points of access to government and opportunities for influencing public policy.

c.      Citizens may work with interest groups to influence national policies and state and local government agencies.

C.     Increasing Chances of Success

a.     A related effect of federalism is to increase the chances that one’s political participation will have some practical impact.

b.     Most people are more likely to become involved in political activities if they think their efforts will contribute to something.

D.    Federalism’s Professional Politicians

a.     The increase of federal programs also changed the political relationship of state and federal government officials.

IV.            Differences Among the States

A.     Federalism contributes to real economic and political differences among the states because it permits each state considerable freedom in arranging its own internal affairs.

B.     Because states can create different economic and political environments, Americans have more choices in the conditions under which they want to live.

Chapter 4 Section 3 Notes

I.               Interstate Relations

A.     Full Faith and Credit

a.     Each state must recognize the laws and legal proceedings of other states.

b.     One state cannot enforce another state’s criminal law.

c.      Judicial decisions in civil matters in one state will be honored and enforced in all states.

B.     Privileges and Immunities

a.     The constitution provides that “the citizens of each state shall be entitled to all privileges and immunities of citizens in several states.”

b.     Although the courts have never given a complete listing of these privileges and immunities, some included are the rights to pass through or live in any state; use the courts; make contracts; buy, sell, and hold property, and marry (if you’re straight, excluding the growing bit of America that legalized gay marriage).

c.      If you’re not a state resident, you cannot vote, serve on juries, or use certain public facilities.

d.     Nonresidents of a state do not have the same right to attend publicly supported institutions.

C.     Extradition

a.     Helps keep states from protecting fugitives.

b.     Congress has made the governor of the state to which the fugitives have fled responsible for returning them.

c.      Congress has acted to close the extradition loophole by making it a federal crime to flee from one state to another in order to avoid prosecution for a felony.

D.    Interstate Compacts

a.      The constitution requires states to settle their difference with one another without using force.

b.     Interstate compacts are written agreements between two or more states.

c.      Interstate compacts have become an important way for the states to deal with regional problems without resorting to national government intervention.

E.     Lawsuits Between States

a.     Lawsuits between states are heard in the US Supreme Court, the only court in which one state may sue another.

b.     Cases often include water rights and boundary lines.

II.             Admission of New States

A.     Congress Admits New States

a.     The constitution give congress the power to admit new states to the union.

b.     No state may be formed by taking territory from one or more states without the consent of the states involved and of congress.

c.      The president can veto Acts of admission.

d.     The process begins when Congress passes an enabling act. This act, when signed by the president, enables the people of the territory to prepare a constitution, and submits it to congress. If congress approves, the territory becomes a state.

B.     Conditions for Admission

a.     Congress or the president may impose certain conditions before admitting a new state, including requiring changes in the drafted constitution submitted by a territory.

b.     Once the state is admitted, those conditions may be enforced only if they do not interfere with the new state’s authority to manage its own internal affairs like any other state.

C.     Equality of the states

a.     Once admitted to the union, each state is equal to the rest.

b.     No state has more privileges/fewer obligations than any other.

c.      Each state is legally separate from every other state in the Union.