CHAPTER 1 The Foundation of American Citizenship As citizens of the United States of America we enjoy rights and privileges that make us unique throughout the world Millions who came before us fought for this to be possible and act as a reminder that we should never take our way of life for granted So what are those rights Who provides them to us How do they apply to everyday life Why are they so valuable And what would it be like to live without them To find these answers one needs to begin with one of the most important documents in America’s history the Constitution When the Constitution was first drafted in the late 1700s it outlined the basic principles by which the new nation was to be governed The first section of the Constitution sets up the rules 4 21st century skills library
The Constitution sets up some basic rules for people who live in the United States Photo Caption A CITIZEN’S GUIDE 5 5
In a democracy people vote to elect their leaders Photo Caption of government through seven articles This is followed by the Bill of Rights which is made up of 10 amendments The principles still form the very foundation of American citizenship and the guarantee that our government exists to serve us For example the Constitution divides power into three branches of government executive legislative and judicial This was done so no single section of government would have too much power and therefore it would be a government of by and 6 21st century skills library
for the people As a result of the ideals laid out in the Constitution the United States became a powerful example of democracy Many other nations have used it as a model in the centuries since 21st Century Content The right to vote for the leaders of government is perhaps the most important right that America provides Voting lets your voice be heard and it is through the vote that ordinary citizens control the way the country runs Think about it if you don’t like the way your representatives are doing their job you can vote them out of office Every elected politician president senator governor mayor and beyond has their job because the voters put them there This is one of the most amazing rights provided by the Constitution A CITIZEN’S GUIDE 7
