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Featured Teaching Kits

Teacher-approved stories, resources, and worksheets for teaching about the United States Constitution in your classroom, courtesy of Junior Scholastic, the middle school Social Studies classroom magazine

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The Constitution | Free Middle School Teaching Resources

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Featured Teaching Kits Teacher-approved stories, resources, and worksheets for teaching about the United States Constitution in your classroom, courtesy of Junior Scholastic, the middle school Social Studies classroom magazine

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list of president and prime minister of the world

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list of presidents and prime minister of countries

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president and prime ministers of countries of the world

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Types of Governments - The interactive map and list includes the name of current president and prime ministers of countries of the World.

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Definition of Democracy

Democracy is derived from the Greek words demos (people) and kratos (rule). It means a government that is ruled by the citizens of the society. People vote on issues as a group.

Features of Democratic Government :

Representatives are elected by the people.

Every citizen is allowed to vote in the elections.

Everyone has the same political rights, whatever their income, race, religion, etc

The majority party makes the decisions but individual rights (freedom of speech) are also protected.

Certain restrictions are placed on law makers' powers and they can only be in office for a limited amount of time.

Types of Democracy

Direct Democracy

Each citizen votes on all important matters.

Switzerland has a direct democratic government. Citizens can accept or reject decisions made by the legislative body.

This kind of democracy is suitable for small states with few people. Suppose you decide to form a club. You and the other members decide that each one of you will vote on matters concerning the club. This is an example of direct democracy.

Representative Democracy

Supposing your club has so many members that you all can't meet at the same time, to vote on matters. You all hold elections to elect representatives like a Director and a Treasurer to run the club on an everyday basis, on your behalf. This is an example of representative democracy.

In the federal republic of USA, people elect the government officials who act on behalf of their constituencies.

History of Democracy

Democratic government first came into place in Greece.

In the Middle Ages, feudalism allowed people to protect their rights in courts.

Later, the Magna Carta (a British document) had 63 clauses that allowed people to have a fair trial and gave them more power than they had before.

Thomas Jefferson's "Declaration of Independence" in USA in 1776 created a stronger and proper democratic government.

To know more about the different Types of Governments visit http://mocomi.com/types-of-government/
To read more interesting Civics articles for kids, visit: http://mocomi.com/learn/civics/

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What is Democracy? Types and History - Civics for kids | Mocomi

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Democracy is derived from the Greek words demos (people) and kratos (rule). It means a government that is ruled by the citizens of the society. People vote on issues as a group. Representatives are elected by the people. Every citizen is allowed to vote in the elections.

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Gully cricket is popular amongst young boys in India. They just troop into a street with little traffic outside their homes and start hitting the ball with the bat. Now, there are a number of ways in which this can be organized.

When only one boy brings a bat, he rules. He keeps batting even when he gets out and he lets his close friends also bat or as long as they want. If he wants to end the game, he simply walks away with the bat. Let's call this the Bossy Bully system.

Sometimes all the cricket equipment - bat, ball, stump, gloves, etc is contributed by all. So each boy gets a good batting chance, a chance to wear the pads and gloves. Let's call this the Just Friends system.

Sometimes there is a coach. In that case, the coach monitors and improves the game of each and every boy in his tutelage. But you don't get to say whether you like the way he coaches. This can be the Big Brother system.

If we think of these teams as forms of government and of course you have to imagine that there are extremely many boys playing in the street, then the 'bossy bully' is a dictatorship; 'just friends' is a socialist government and or could even be a democracy depending on how you look at it; a 'big brother' is totalitarian and if one of the players owns the street where the boys are playing, it would be a monarchy.

There are 7 Types of Government

DEMOCRACY

Modern governments are complex and are shaped by historical and political events like wars and colonialism. A democracy is governed of the people, by the people and for the people. Here citizens of the country can run for public office. This means the boys in the street get to decide who is in charge of what equipment is in the pile. Of course, each boy will nominate the person who best represents his interests.

Democratic elections could be city-wide for municipal governance, state-wide for state governance or nation-wide for central governance. When the population goes to vote, they vote for a candidate in their area. When the candidate wins, the political party he belongs to also wins. The party with maximum votes forms the government.
What happens here? People enjoy freedom.

DICTATORSHIP

In contrast, a dictatorship where a single individual has gained power through force and everyone has to follow his policies. He's the big bully. The boys have little to no voice in such a system. Oftentimes the advisors who control the equipment kit are his close friends. Examples of dictators are Adolf Hitler in Germany and Fidel Castro of Cuba.

Sometimes you have what is known as a 'benevolent dictatorship.' This is when the dictator maintains his position as the head of the country for the sake of the country instead of self interest. Most dictatorships like to portray themselves in the international community as benevolent but it is not always so.
What happens here? Many people are unhappy in this system.

MONARCHY

A monarchy is another form of government where there is one head of state. In this system a king or queen rules the country for as long as they are alive. The crown is inherited, usually by the first born of the family.

In earlier days, monarchs used to have absolute powers and owned all the public land. Pharaohs for example, claimed to be representatives of the Gods on earth. But nowadays, even democracies like Great Britain, Sweden, and Spain have kings who are nominal heads of state. Still it is their signature that turns a bill into a law.
What happens here? Things work well if the king is a good sportsman and cares about street cricket by choosing the right boys to be prefect of the equipment kit.

THEOCRACY

In countries where any religious institution holds power over the king, the form of government is called a theocracy. Several Islamic nations fall into this category.
What happens here? It's like saying everyone must eat cucumber sandwiches for lunch every day.

TOTALITARIAN

There are totalitarian governments where a single group of friends have had control of the pile of equipment for decades. It is like dictatorship by a party instead of an individual. The regime maintains complete control of the country by not allowing any other people to form a political party.

They control all aspects of a citizen's public and private life through art, science, and educational propaganda. The former Soviet Union and Vietnam are examples of totalitarian governments.
What happens here? It's like having the same class prefect term after term.

REPUBLIC

Some nations are republics, such as the USA. It is a democratic model - people are elected to government office by voters. It is however, headed by a single individual whose office is also elected by the people - the President.

What happens here? This is nicer - everyone gets to be prefect for a while.

ANARCHY

And finally, a country that is usually in the throes of a war or civil unrest and no functioning government is said to be in a state of anarchy.

What happens here? This is somewhat like the snack at someone's place after a particularly gruelling game of street cricket- mum has a tough time cleaning up afterwards.

Project
Ask your teacher to divide you into teams. The size of each team will depend on how many people are in the class, of course. Each team must pick a form of government and get to rule for the day. Discuss what happens in the classroom during the rule of each government. Is the room cleaner? Is the blackboard / whiteboard kept ready for the teacher's use? Is there less bullying? Which rule is more fun for ALL?

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Types of Government - Civics for kids | Mocomi

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Gully cricket is popular amongst young boys in India. They just troop into a street with little traffic outside their homes and start hitting the ball with the bat. Now, there are a number of ways in which this can be organized. When only one boy brings a bat, he rules.

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Welcome to the Journeyperson level Learning Adventures!

If you know a little bit about our Government but want to know more, this is a great place to start!

Learn about Federally recognized tribes in the United States.

Learn how the Federal and state governments share power.

In this Learning Adventure, we'll discover who made the Branches of Government and why they're so important.

Learn about the language of the law and discover how laws are made.

Learn about the election process for Federal officials. Information about specific candidates and their campaigns or political parties and their platforms will not be found here.

Symbols, Songs, & Structures of U.S. Government

We've divided these into three areas:

Historical Documents

In these Learning Adventures, we will be learning about important Historical Documents that helped to shape the United States as a nation. These documents include:

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If you know a little bit about our Government but want to know more, this is a great place to start!

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This file is intended for students in grades 4 through 7. Other versions of this page are available:

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If you have any questions about any words or ideas on this page, please ask your parents or teachers for help. Understanding the Constitution is important for all Americans, even kids!

If there is anything that could be improved on this page, please let the Webmaster know!
The Basics
The Constitution is the highest law in the United States. All other laws come from the Constitution. It says how the government works. It creates the Presidency. It creates the Congress. It creates the Supreme Court. Each state also has a constitution. The constitutions of the states are their highest law for that state - but the United States Constitution is higher.

The Constitution can be changed. The Constitution is changed by an "amendment." Among the amendments is a list of the rights of the people. By listing these rights, they are made special. It is illegal for the government to violate those rights. As of 2006, there are 27 amendments. Not all of them involve rights, but many do. The first ten amendments are special. They are called the Bill of Rights.
History
The Constitution was written in 1787. Yes, it is over 200 years old. We actually have old copies of what was created. The master copies are stored at the National Archives in Washington D.C. We also have pictures of the Constitution on this site.

From May to September 1787 a group of men known as the Framers met. The Framers talked about what should be in the Constitution. The United States was a brand new country. The United States had a government that did not work very well. The Framers met to find a new way of running the country. This meeting is called The Convention. Some of the Framers are famous to us today. They include James Madison, Ben Franklin, and George Washington.

At that time there were only 13 states. The men came from all the states except Rhode Island. Each state had ideas for the new government. The Framers had many debates. They talked a lot. They make a lot of speeches. By talking about it, they came up with a plan that everyone could agree with. They had to have a lot of compromises. Only by agreeing could all the arguments be worked out. Ben Franklin said the he was not sure if the plan was perfect. He said that it was probably as perfect as it could be.

After the Convention, the Constitution had to be approved. Actually, only nine states had to agree to, or ratify, the Constitution. But everyone wanted all 13 states to agree. Two states took a long time to decide to agree. These states were Rhode Island and North Carolina. In the end, they did agree. Once the first nine states agreed, we say the Constitution was "ratified." New Hampshire was the ninth state to ratify.
Amendments
When the Constitution was written, the Framers knew their creation was not perfect. They knew that other people would have good ideas for the Constitution. They wanted to be sure that it wasn't too hard to make changes. They also wanted to be sure that it wasn't too easy.

The Framers added an amendment process. An amendment to the Constitution is a change that can add to the Constitution or change an older part of it.

Originally, some people did not want to ratify the Constitution. One big reason was that it did not have a bill of rights. A bill of rights is a list of rights that belong to the people. The government is not allowed to break these rights. Some of these rights might sound familiar: the right of free speech; the right to practice your own religion; the right to be silent if you are arrested. The original Constitution had no bill of rights. Many of the Framers did not think it was needed. But many people wanted one. So, promises were made to add one, using the amendment process.

Soon, the new government started meeting. Congress proposed the Bill of Rights. A list of twelve changes was sent to the states. In 1791, ten of those changes were agreed to by the states. The ten changes were added to the Constitution. These ten changes are called the "Bill of Rights."

Other changes to the Constitution are discussed below. The last change to the Constitution was made in 1992. The 27th Amendment is actually one of the two left-over amendments from 1791. It is very unusual for an amendment to take that long to be accepted, but it is possible. Some, like the 26th Amendment, are accepted very quickly, in just 100 days. Most, though, take a little over a year to be ratified.
Slavery
In 1787, most of the black people in America were slaves. A slave is someone who is owned by someone else. Today, there are no legal slaves in America. It was common in 1787. As time went by, more people thought that slavery was wrong. Most of the people who wanted to end slavery were from the states in the north. They were called abolitionists. Most of the people who wanted to keep slavery were from the states in the south. Slavery was important in the South. A lot of how the people in the south made money involved slaves. Slaves were worth money. Slaves picked their crops, like cotton and tobacco.

The people in the North wanted to end slavery. They said it was an important step for America. The people of the South were afraid of losing slavery. They were afraid of losing business. They thought that having slavery was important for each state choose on its own. When President Lincoln was elected, the South got very angry. Lincoln had said he didn't like slavery. Most of the Southern states decided to break away from the United States. They created their own country. It was called the Confederate States of America. The USA did not agree that the states of the CSA could break away. The Civil War followed. The USA won that war. It was a terrible war. Many people died. Many buildings were destroyed.

Something good did happen, though. Slavery ended. With the 13th Amendment, slavery was made illegal. The 14th Amendment said that every person born in the United States was a full citizen. Even former slaves were full citizens. The 15th Amendment made sure that black people could vote.

These changes protected many freedoms. But it took a long time to change peoples' minds. Many people still did not like black people. They thought that white people were better. For 100 years, some laws reflected this feeling. Today, these laws are also gone. Most people do not think that anyone is better than someone else just because of their color.
Women
At the beginning, we talked about the men who were the Framers. For a long time, most of the people who shaped the country were men. This is not because women could not help. It is not because women did not want to help. Instead, men held all the positions of power. Men were the Presidents. Men were the members of Congress. Men were the mayors. Men were the owners of companies. Women had very little chance to advance in life. Today, many women like taking care of the home. Today, though, this is a choice. Before, this was the only option for a woman.

Women had no role in government. They had no role in politics. They were homemakers. They took care of their husbands or fathers. They took care of kids. Most men did not feel that women should vote. There were actually laws that said women could not vote. Many people decided this was wrong and many women and some men fought against it. Finally, in 1920, the 19th Amendment was passed. It says that women can vote in all elections.

Today, women are active in government and politics. Being able to vote is a big part of that. Without the ability to vote, women had no voice. Without a voice, there was no reason for politicians to care what women think. They did not care about issues that are important to women. Once women could vote, some got very interested in politics. Some women ran for office. There have not yet been any women as President. However, it is only a matter of time before the first woman President is elected.
The Bill of Rights
We already talked about the Bill of Rights. It was passed because some people were afraid that the government would have too much power. They were afraid that some important things could be made illegal. They wanted to be sure to keep those things legal.

For example, you can say whatever you want about the President. You can say that you don't like his hair. You can say you don't like his voice. You can say you don't like the war in Iraq. You can say you don't like his tax ideas. It seems normal to us to be able to say these things. We can criticize the President. We can criticize a member of Congress. We can criticize a mayor. We can say what things they do that we don't like. This is only possible because of the Right of Free Speech. The Bill of Rights protects Free Speech.

Imagine if there was no right to free speech. A law could be passed that says that if you criticize the President's hair, you can spend a day in jail. Or worse, criticizing the President's taxes can get you a year in jail. These are the kinds of laws that the Framers were afraid of. The Bill of Rights protects us from such laws. We cannot be put in jail because of our opinions.

The Bill of Rights protects a lot of other freedoms. For example, you can believe in any religion you want. The government cannot force you to believe in something. You cannot be forced to house soldiers in your home. The police cannot come into your home without a good reason. The police may not take your papers without reason. The police cannot force you testify against yourself in court. In fact, the police cannot force you to tell them anything at all. This is called the "right to remain silent". And you cannot be given unusual punishments. You cannot be given twenty years in jail for speeding.
How it all works
The Constitution sets up the government. It is split into three branches. The first is the Legislative. The second is the Executive. The third is the Judiciary. Each one has its own role in how the law is made and used.

The Legislature makes the law. The legislature is called the Congress. It is split into two parts. The first is the House of Representatives. The second is the Senate.

Each Representative comes from a district in one of the states. That person's job is to represent the people in that district. The people elect the Representative. They have the right to tell him or her how they feel about issues. There are 435 Representatives. Bigger states have more Representatives. Every state has at least one.

The Senate is made up of 100 Senators. There are two Senators from each state. The people elect Senators. Senators should represent the interests of all of the people.

When the Congress wants to pass a law, both the House and the Senate must agree to the exact same law. If they cannot agree, then the law cannot pass.

The role of the Executive is mainly to make sure the law is carried out. The President heads the Executive. The Executive also includes the Vice President. The Secretaries of all the departments are also in the Executive. One department is the Department of Homeland Security. Another is the Department of Education. And one more is the Department of Defense.

Before a law becomes a law, the President must agree to it. If he does not agree, he rejects, or vetoes, the law. When he vetoes a law, he sends it back to the Congress. Congress can then try to pass the law again. The President can also refuse to sign a law - if he does, it will become a law any way. The government has lots of checks and balances. This is one example of the checks and balances. The Congress must pass laws the President will agree to. The President is accountable for his decisions regarding laws.

The last branch is the Judiciary. This includes all the federal courts, all the way up to the Supreme Court. States have their own court systems, too. The state courts are under the national courts. The role of the Judiciary is to interpret the law.

The law might say, "It is illegal to break into someone's home." If someone is caught breaking into a home, the courts will ask several questions. First, can the government make this illegal? If it cannot, the law is called "unconstitutional." Such laws are invalid. Next, the court will ask if the person is actually guilty. Usually, a jury will find someone guilty or not guilty. Sometimes just a judge decides this.

A trial by jury is a right. It means that other people from your area will decide if you broke the law. Sometimes juries, and courts, make mistakes. If someone is found guilty, they can "appeal." There is a set of special courts set up for appeals. The last court of appeal is the Supreme Court. Whatever the Supreme Court says is the end. There is no appeals court higher than the Supreme Court.

This page is a very basic introduction to the Constitution. It also talks about some of the topics that surround it. There are lots of good books in your local library, too. They will let you get a lot more detail. This site also has a lot of good pages that have more detail. See the list of links below for some of these pages.

URL: //www.usconstitution.net/constkids4.html

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The Constitution for Kids (4th-7th Grade) - The U.S. Constitution Online - USConstitution.net

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An introduction to constitutional topics for upper elementary school kids.