Transcript Our Government

Second Grade, Mrs. Johna Bequette
Click on Uncle Sam to begin learning about the US government
Why do we have a government?
A government is a group of people who
work together to bring order to a
community, state, or nation. To keep
order, the government makes laws to keep
people safe and to help people live
together. The government also makes
sure that we have the things we need such
as roads, schools and parks.
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How do we choose our
government?
Most of the time, people vote to choose
their government leaders. An election is a
time when people vote to choose a leader
they think will make fair laws and make
good choices.
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Levels of Government
There are three levels of government in
our country:
The Local Government
The State Government
The National Government
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Local Government
The city or town you live in has a
government. In Ste. Genevieve, we have
a mayor. A group of people called the city
council help the mayor to make decisions
about our town and choose leaders such
as the chief of police. Let’s meet the
government of Ste. Genevieve.
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Ste. Genevieve’s Government
Ste. Geneveive Fire Fighters
Richard Greminger
Mayor
Richard Herbel
City Administrator
Ste. Geneveive Police Dept.
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State Government
The state government makes important
decisions for our state. The leader of the
state is called a governor. The governor
and people elected from each city in the
state work together to make important
decisions and laws for our state. Let’s
meet Missouri’s government.
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Missouri’s Government
The governor and the other leaders of
Missouri work in the capitol of Jefferson
City.
Governor Matt Blunt
Missouri State Capitol
Building
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National Government
Over 200 years ago, American leaders
met in the city of Philadelphia to plan a
new government for our new country. The
plan they wrote is called the Constitution
of the United States. It tells how our
government will work and lists many
important laws and freedoms.
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The Constitution
The Constitution gives people in the
United States certain rights, or freedoms.
These freedoms include the right to vote,
to pray as we choose, and to say what we
think. The Constitution also makes sure
that all laws are fair and equal.
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Parts of National Government
The Constitution says that the United
States government has three equal parts
that work together. These parts are:
The President
The Congress
The Supreme Court
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The President
The President of the United States is the
leader of the country. He works in our
national capitol of Washington D.C. in the
White House. He chooses people to help
him run parts of the government.
President George W. Bush
The White House
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The Congress
The Congress makes laws for the United
States and is made up of two parts: the
House of Representatives and the Senate.
The members of Congress are chosen by
people from each state. They work in the
Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.
The Capitol Building
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The Supreme Court
The Supreme Court makes sure that all
the laws in the country follow the
Constitution and are fair. It has nine
judges. A judge is a person who makes
important decisions in a court of law.
The Supreme Court Building
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Being a Good Citizen
A citizen is a person who belongs to a
community, state or country. You are a
citizen of your town or city, your state, and
your country. People who are not born in
the USA may become a citizen by asking
permission from our government and
passing a test about the United States.
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Responsibilities of Citizens
Citizens say “The Pledge of Allegiance” to
promise to be loyal to our country. As a
citizen, you have certain responsibilities. A
responsibility is something you should do.
As a child, you can promise to obey laws,
keep our country clean, and learn about
our government. When you turn 18, you
should be responsible and vote.
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Our Nation’s Symbols
In the United States, we have many
symbols that show that we are a proud
nation. Some of these symbols may be
monuments. A monument is a building or
statue that is built to remember heroes or
important events in our history. Let’s look
at some important national symbols.
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The Bald Eagle
The bald eagle is the national bird of
the United States. The bald eagle was
chosen because it reminds people of
strength and courage.
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The Liberty Bell
The Liberty Bell rang out in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to
celebrate the signing of the
Declaration of Independence. The bell
is a symbol of our country’s freedom
from Great Britain.
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Uncle Sam
Uncle Sam is not a real person. He is
a symbol of the United States
government. He has the same initials
as the United States: U.S.
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Links and Resources
Thank you for touring the United States government with me. If you
want to learn more, you may follow these links:
Ben’s Guide to Government
White House for Kids
Missouri Governor’s Mansion
President for a Day
Be a Good Citizen by Recycling with Jimmy Neutron
Most of the text and layout for this presentation was taken from
Houghton Mifflin’s second grade Social Studies text, Work
Together, which was published in 2003.