Civics_Ch8_info

=**The Citizen in Government Background Information**=

**Electing Leaders:**
The American election system is one in which political parties put up candidates for elected positions to compete for those positions. The U.S. is a two-party system, which means there are two major political parties in the United States that stands to control the government. There are several minor parties in the U.S., but only two major parties. __//NOTE//__: A political party is a group of citizens with similar views on public issues who work to put their ideas into action. These political parties __//NOTE//__: nominate, or select candidates. A __//NOTE//__: candidate is one who runs for office. Political parties try to convince voters to elect candidates who support the party's views. Political parties will often work to get their supporters to go and vote on election day and work to register new voters. __//NOTE//__: The two major parties in the U.S. are the Republicans and Democrats. The __//NOTE//__: Republican Party is more conservative wanting less government involvement and more personal freedom. The __//NOTE//__: Democrat Party is more liberal wanting the government to play more of a role in the lives of the citizens. Single party systems are dictatorships and Communist nations in which no opposition parties are allowed to exist. Many nations in Europe have multiparty systems that have more than two major parties and in order for any one party to get control of the government, they would need to form a coalition or partnership with other parties to establish a majority. The United States does have third parties or other minor parties that do not have the popularity or numbers the major parties but do have a voice to be heard.

Political parties (at least the two major parties) have organization at each level - national, state, and local. Political parties exist for one reason, which is to elect candidates to office. Parties have committees, which do the political party planning and makes sure to work effectively at all three levels. The most important committee is at the local level since they conduct local campaigns and raise money for the party and candidates. For elections, counties are divided into __//NOTE//__: voting districts called precincts and in each precinct voters vote at a polling place. Voters, business groups, labor unions, and many other organizations contribute money to the political party that they believe best represents their interests, but there are limits to the amounts and all must be made public.

In terms of the right to vote, it is one of the most important rights you have, but not until your 18 years old. __//NOTE//__: In order to vote, you must be 18, a U.S. citizen, and a resident of a state or D.C. There two times during the year in which there are elections. In the spring, the primary elections are held and on the first Tuesday of November, the general election is held. __//NOTE//__: The primary election is when voters from each party vote for who will run for a particular office for their party. __//NOTE//__: The general election is when candidates from each party run against each other for a particular office. In 2012, Barack Obama defeated all other Democrats in the Democrat primary in the spring and Mitt Romney defeated all other Republicans in the Republican primary in the spring and they ran against each other in the general election held in November. The U.S. uses a secret ballot, which is a paper ballot that lists the names of the candidates. A voter marks his or her ballot in private, which makes elections fair and honest.

Our leaders must go through the process of winning nomination in the primary elections and then win the general election to be one of our elected leaders. Most elected positions are won when the candidate wins the __//NOTE//__: popular vote, or vote of the citizens. The only elected position not to go by the popular vote is for president. The president is officially chosen by __//NOTE//__: electors, or people from each state and D.C. who formally select the president in the Electoral College. There are 538 electors, with the number from each state being equal to the total number of senators and representatives in Congress. Each party chooses electors and the candidate that wins the popular vote in the state gets the electors to vote. The candidate who wins the majority - 270 - wins. Each party's national nominating convention is held during the summer of the presidential election year and chooses the party's candidate and writes the party's __//NOTE//__: platform, which is the statement of the party's views and policies on important issues.

**The Political System:**
__//NOTE//__: Public opinion is the total of opinions held concerning an issue influenced by family, friends, new ideas, teachers, and media. The __//NOTE//__: media are forms of communication that transmits information. Examples of mass media are books, magazines, newspapers, TV, radio, Internet, and try to influence people. __//NOTE//__: Spreading ideas that are spread to influence people are called propaganda. The major way that public opinion is measured is by public opinion polls which are conducted by profession polling groups and media outlets across the nation. Polls show what the regular citizens think on a particular public policy issue. Politicians often keep a close eye on public opinion polls to ensure they're representing the people accurately.

Often times, groups of citizens look to impact public policy. __//NOTE//__: Interest groups are organizations of people with a common interest that try to influence government policies and decisions. __//NOTE//__: A person who is paid by interest groups to represent that group's interest is called a lobbyist. Lobbyists supply information for a bill and may help write a bill for members of Congress. Lobbyists also try to influence public opinion by advertising in the mass media for support of their positions. Critics charge that too much attention is paid to the interest group that is most organized and most funded (most money).

Taking part in government is important for all citizens to understand. There are several ways that citizens can participate in government. One way is speaking out on issues. Another way is by participating in a community action group. A third way is working on a political campaign, and a fourth, and most important way to take part in government is by voting. Voting is democracy in action and is the single most important opportunity for citizens to participate in the government and is an important civic responsibility. Volunteering is also important. __//NOTE//__: Volunteers are individuals who work without pay to help others. __//NOTE//__: Political action committees (PACs) collect voluntary contributions from members and use this money to fund candidates that their committees favor.

**Paying for Government:**
The government develops yearly budgets at each level of government. NOTE: The single largest cost to the federal government is in benefit payments to people who are elderly, disabled, or living in poverty. Over the years, the government has spent more money than it has raised so to make up the difference, the government borrowed money each year to pay the interest on the national debt. __//NOTE//__: Interest is money paid on borrowed money. Federal, state, and local governments all raise most of their money to pay for services and programs by collecting taxes. Government officials must decide which activities need funding in order of their urgency and need, which is called establishing priorities. The __//NOTE//__: primary purpose of taxes is to raise revenue, or money and to regulate or control certain activities. Income tax is meant to raise revenue. High taxes on cigarettes and alcohol are meant to discourage people from using a lot of these products. Other ways to pay for government come from __//NOTE//__: fees, or payments charged by governments for various licenses such as hunting, marriage, fishing, parking meters, and other items). A __//NOTE//__: fine is money charged as a penalty for breaking certain laws like illegal parking, speeding, and other traffic violations.

There are several types of taxes. __//NOTE//__: Income tax is tax on earnings, which is the largest source of federal revenue. The income tax is a type of progressive tax, which is one that takes a larger percentage of income from higher income groups. Most employers take income tax out of paychecks. Other taxes include __//NOTE//__: sales tax, or a tax on products sold, which is the biggest source of state revenue. __//NOTE//__: Property tax is on the value of your property or business and is the biggest source of local government revenue. Estate tax is a federal tax on the wealth a person leaves when he or she dies. Inheritance tax is on the portion of an estate received by an individual after the estate is divided. A gift tax is a tax on any person who gives a gift worth more than $12,000. __//NOTE//__: Tariffs are import taxes on goods coming into the country.

It's important for the nation to manage its money. __//NOTE//__: The IRS (Internal Revenue Service) is an agency that handles collecting taxes. __//NOTE//__: The Customs Service collects import tariffs. The U.S. Treasury Department spends federal tax dollars under authorization of the Congress. In state and local government the comptroller acts as the watchdog. All governments have budgets, which lists the amount and sources of expected revenue, or money income. The executive draws up the budget and the legislature must approve of the budget. The chief agency that helps the president prepare the federal budget is the Office of Management and Budget. __//NOTE//__: A balanced-budget is when government revenue equals its expenditures and a deficit is when there's a shortage of money. An __//NOTE//__: audit is a careful examination by trained accountants of every item of income and every expenditure and happens at every level.

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