7.6 – Read the Text #4: Putting It All Together
Click the start button below to listen to a recording of Module 7 Reading Text [or listen as your teacher reads] OR take just a couple of minutes to scan the text again quickly. Think about any words or information you still have questions about. Then discuss the critical thinking questions as a class.
READING TEXT
Module 7: Civic Participation and Power of the People
The people who live in a city, state, or country expect their government to help them in different ways. A government’s responsibilities include making and enforcing laws. The government also protects people by providing police, military, and emergency services. Governments collect taxes. With the tax money they try to support a good quality of life for the people. For example, governments use tax money to build and take care of roads, bridges, prisons, parks, schools, and government buildings (like post offices and courthouses). Tax money also helps give us federal, state, and local programs. It pays for public education, Social Security and disability benefits, health services, and much more.
People in a society also have responsibilities to their community and to the government. The government requires all people living in the United States to follow laws, pay taxes, and go to school if they are a certain age. U.S. citizens who are 18 years old or older must participate on juries in courts; this is called “jury duty”. If there is a war, the government can also call for certain U.S. residents who are 18 and older to serve in the military. All male citizens and permanent residents between 18 and 25 must register with a U.S. program called the Selective Service to prepare for this. U.S. citizens 18 and over can vote in elections to help choose their government officials. Some people lose the right to vote after a court finds them guilty of serious crimes.
Being an informed citizen is a major responsibility in a democracy. This is also true for community members who don’t have citizenship status. We can all become informed by learning about news and information from different sources. We can go to local meetings, read newspapers, and find TV and radio news and internet media that we trust. Informed citizens can also learn more about their communities if they participate in civic activities. We can vote, volunteer in schools, support community programs, and organize political campaigns for elections. People can run for government positions to represent the people where they live. Workers can join unions to support their rights to fair pay, benefits, and safe working conditions.
Another way to become a more informed citizen is to support a political party. Political parties are groups of people who work together to elect candidates to the government. Political parties may have different ways to address problems. They look for candidates who will try to use their power to solve problems according to the party’s views. But after politicians win their elections, they often have to listen to all of the people. They also listen to companies and organizations that donate money to them.
The two major political parties in the United States are the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. Democrats usually believe in liberal ideas, like voting equality, equal rights, and spending government money on social programs such as health care, Social Security, and unemployment insurance. Republican beliefs are more socially and financially conservative; they support lower taxes, less tax money for government programs, and fewer government laws for businesses. There are also smaller U.S. political parties that work to bring attention to ideas they see as important. For example, the Green Party fights for environmental conservation.
Because of the protective laws written in the Bill of Rights, all people in the U.S. can express the ideas that they believe in. They can organize meetings and protests to share their ideas and try to influence lawmakers to support policies. Social progress in the U.S. and the world has happened because of the power of people coming together. People used their freedom of speech to push against unfair practices and ideas. As a result, many groups today have the right to vote, to run for office, to own property, to attend college, and to receive government benefits. “People power” and civic participation help drive our society forward to a future that supports the needs of every person.
Review Questions
Review the two questions below and be prepared to discuss the answers as a class or in small groups.
- Which types of civic activities do you like to participate in? Which would you like to try in the future, or spend more time doing?
- The United States has two strong political parties. Do you think the nation would benefit if multiple additional parties had more power? Why/how?
LET’S WRITE! Remember, a summary includes the main idea and major supporting details.
Now, you will write a brief summary of the reading text for this module on Civic Participation and Power of the People. Think about 3-5 points that you would write to someone who hasn’t read the text.
Write your summary in your notebook. You can work on your own or with a partner. You may be asked to share it with the class.
