United States Government
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Historical Reading & Analysis
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Primary sources are firsthand, contemporary accounts of events created by individuals during that period of time or several years later (such as correspondence, diaries, memoirs and personal histories). These original records can be found in several media such as print, artwork, and audio and visual recording. Examples of primary sources include manuscripts, newspapers, speeches, cartoons, photographs, video, and artifacts. Primary sources can be described as those sources that are closest to the origin of the information. They contain raw information and thus, must be interpreted by researchers. |
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Secondary sources are closely related to primary sources and often interpret them. These sources are documents that relate to information that originated elsewhere. Secondary sources often use generalizations, analysis, interpretation, and synthesis of primary sources. Examples of secondary sources include textbooks, articles, and reference books. Complete the activity above to practice identifying primary and secondary sources.
All sources, primary and secondary, are affected by the circumstances under which they were created, so when reading sources, it's important to analyze them closely. Below are some historical questions that you can ask when you analyze documents. Check out this website to find historical documents to analyze.
Different Forms of Government
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A government is the system that governs an organized community, generally a state or country.
There are many different forms of government, and we usually categorize them through which people have the authority to rule. This can either be one person (an autocracy, such as monarchy), a select group of people (an aristocracy or oligarchy), or the people as a whole (a democracy, such as a republic). Watch the video to learn about the different forms of government, and download the reading below. 
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The ConstitutionThe U.S. Constitution is the document that creates the United States government. It details the system of having three branches of government, and specifies how the federal government should work.
The U.S. Constitution contains a preamble and seven articles that describe the way the government is structured and how it operates. The first three articles establish the three branches of government and their powers: Legislative (Congress), Executive (office of the President,) and Judicial (Federal court system). A system of checks and balances prevents any one of these separate powers from becoming dominant. Articles four through seven describe the relationship of the states to the Federal Government, establish the Constitution as the supreme law of the land, and define the amendment and ratification processes. Watch the video for a quick summary on the history of the US Constitution, and then download the reading and comprehension questions.
Test your knowledge of the U.S. Constitution with this true/false quiz.
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The Bill of Rights
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The Bill of Rights are the first ten amendments, or changes, to the U.S. Constitution. The fall into three main categories: individual freedoms, protections against government abuse and power, and rights of people accused of crimes. One of the amendments also assures that the rights listed are not the only rights citizens have.
Watch the video to learn more about the Bill of Rights, and then take the Bill of Rights matching quiz to test your knowledge. |
Download the reading and comprehension questions for more practice with the Bill of Rights.
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The Legislative Branch
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To ensure a separation of powers, the U.S. Federal Government is made up of three branches: legislative, executive and judicial. To ensure the government is effective and citizens’ rights are protected, each branch has its own powers and responsibilities, including working with the other branches.
The legislative branch is made up of the House and Senate, known collectively as the Congress. Among other powers, the legislative branch makes all laws, declares war, regulates interstate and foreign commerce and controls taxing and spending policies. Watch the video to learn about the Legislative Branch of the United States. Download the reading and questions for more practice with the legislative branch. |
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The Executive Branch
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The executive branch consists of the President, their advisors (including the vice-president and cabinet), and various departments and agencies. This branch is responsible for enforcing the laws of the land.
Watch the video to learn about the executive branch of the United States. Download the reading and questions for more practice with the executive branch.
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The Judicial Branch
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The judicial branch is in charge of deciding the meaning of laws, how to apply them to real situations, and whether a law breaks the rules of the Constitution. The highest court in the country is the Supreme Court, and it is made up of nine judges called justices who are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. The justices hear cases that have made their way up through the court system.
Watch the video to learn about the judicial branch of the United States. Download the reading and questions for more practice with the judicial branch.
Review what you know about all three branches of government in the online quiz. |
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Voting Rights
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The people who can vote today look very different from the people who could vote when the United States was founded. Read more about significant events in the fight for voting rights here.
Watch the video, and read through the slides below to learn about the history of voting rights, including women's suffrage, Black disenfranchisement, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the various methods American voters can cast their ballots today.
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The Electoral Process & The Electoral College
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Election for president of the United States happens every four years on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
The election process begins with primary elections and caucuses. These are two methods that states use to select a potential presidential nominee . In general, primaries use secret ballots for voting. Caucuses are local gatherings of voters who vote at the end of the meeting for a particular candidate. Then it moves to nominating conventions, during which political parties each select a nominee to unite behind. During a political party convention, each presidential nominee also announces a vice presidential running mate. The candidates then campaign across the country to explain their views and plans to voters. They may also participate in debates with candidates from other parties. Watch the video and download the reading to learn more about the electoral process. During the general election, Americans go to their polling place to cast their vote for president. But the tally of those votes—the popular vote—does not determine the winner. Instead, presidential elections use the Electoral College. To win the election, a candidate must receive a majority of electoral votes. In the event no candidate receives a majority, the House of Representatives chooses the president and the Senate chooses the vice president. |
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The First 100 Days
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Since the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt, U.S. presidents have understood they will be measured by how ambitious and successful their first 100 days in office are.
While the 100-day milestone is mostly arbitrary, the early days of a presidency can be a choice time for new presidents to make big gains in their agenda. A new president is usually still popular with the public, and lawmakers often have incentive to cooperate with a new leader, creating an opportunity for a president to pass major legislation. Watch the video to learn more the significance of the first 100 days, and then download the reading and comprehension questions for more practice. |
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Party Systems
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Political parties are organized groups of people who share similar political views and work to influence the government. Political parties play different roles depending on what kind of party system a country has.
Watch the video to learn about the U.S. two-party system, and download the readings to learn about other party systems that exist in the world, and more about the different kinds of political parties in the United States.
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Political Cartoons
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Political cartoons have been around as long as there's been political discourse and dissent. In the U.S. they're a vibrant part of American culture and history, and no matter how controversial, are protected as free speech under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Interpreting political cartoons calls for close study of the various elements in order to determine how cartoonists create messages through image and text.
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Rights & Responsibilities of Citizens
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A citizen is a person who lives in a certain place, or is a member of a certain community. Citizens are also people who are legally recognized by a nation as owing loyalty to that nation, and who are entitled to protection by the nation.
Usually, a person becomes a citizen in a nation by being born there, but they can also go through a process to gain citizenship. Even non-citizens living in a country are still "citizens" in the sense that they are members of their community. |
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All people in the United States are guaranteed certain rights by the US Constitution, and laws passed by the US Congress can also create rights. Each state also has its own constitution and laws that concern the rights and responsibilities of state citizens.
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A right is a privilege or claim to something. At the national level, the US Constitution guarantees rights like freedom of expression, freedom to peacefully assemble, freedom to petition the government, freedom of worship, and the right to not have the government search your private property without a warrant. These rights are guaranteed to everyone living in the United States, not just US citizens.
Rights that belong only to US citizens include voting, jury duty, and running for federal office. State constitutions repeat many of the rights in the US Constitution, but they might add more rights as well, such as the right to a free education, or equal rights for men and women. City charters give the rights to services that a city provides, such as sidewalks or parks. |
Responsibilities are duties to other people, the government, or society. City charters and city ordinances list the rules that apply in the city. Fore example, any ordinance may fine people for littering in the park. That means that people in that city have the responsibility to not litter there. Paying taxes is another important responsibility that exists at all levels, local, state and federal.
The US Constitution does not have a list of responsibilities, but it does create a government that can't work if people don't participate. Voting in federal elections and serving on a jury are two responsibilities just for US citizens, and they require participation. What would happen if nobody showed up to vote? Or if they voted without understand the issues? How could the guaranteed right of trial by jury be fulfilled if everyone refused to do jury duty? These are responsibilities US citizens have to both society and the government. The Constitution also gives Congress the power to make laws, and all US residents have the responsibility to follow the law.
The US Constitution does not have a list of responsibilities, but it does create a government that can't work if people don't participate. Voting in federal elections and serving on a jury are two responsibilities just for US citizens, and they require participation. What would happen if nobody showed up to vote? Or if they voted without understand the issues? How could the guaranteed right of trial by jury be fulfilled if everyone refused to do jury duty? These are responsibilities US citizens have to both society and the government. The Constitution also gives Congress the power to make laws, and all US residents have the responsibility to follow the law.
US Government Review
Review all that you have learned from this quarter by answering practice GED questions:
| US Government - GED Review |