Chapter 1: Introduction: The Citizen and the Government

Chapter Outline

Citizenship Is Based on Political Knowledge and Participation

Government Is Made Up of the Institutions and Procedures by Which People Are Ruled

• Different Forms of Government Are Defined by How Powerful the Government Is and How Free the People Are
• Limits on Governments Encouraged Freedom
• Expansion of Participation in America Changed the Political Balance
• Politics Means Having a Say in What Happens

The Identity of Americans Has Changed over Time

• Immigration and Increasing Ethnic Diversity Have Always Caused Intense Debate
• Changing Government Criteria for Racial Classification Reflects America’s Changing Identity
• Today the Country Still Confronts the Question, “Who Are Americans?”

America Is Built on the Ideas of Liberty, Equality, and  Democracy

• Liberty Means Freedom
• Equality Means Treating People Fairly
• Democracy Means That What the People Want Matters
• American Political Values Conflict

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