High School U.S. History Study Guide for the STAAR test

Government and Citizenship

Ten of the 68 questions on this test will ask you about your knowledge of government and citizenship. Think back to the structure and roles of government and citizens.

The Changing Role of Government

Over time and as the country grew in size and population, the role of the government changed. Largely, the influence of the federal government has increased over time.

New Deal Legislation

The New Deal was Roosevelt’s plan to get the U.S. out of the Great Depression. It required heavy government spending to get people back to work. This spending included creating various organization and many building projects that are today upkept by state and local governments.

Federal Government Policy Changes

As the country faces challenges, policy of the federal government has to adapt and change to meet these challenges.

World War I—The U.S. had a policy of isolationism prior to WWI in which the country tried to stay out of foreign affairs and alliances. The devastation of the war led to U.S. to continue to pursue this model after the war.

The Great Depression—This period led the government to spend more to help jump-start the economy.

World War II—The country emerged a superpower on the world scale and marked the beginning of the U.S. maintaining a high level of influence in global affairs.

The 1960s—Countercultural and Civil Rights movements along with the Vietnam War led the government to make some major changes and pass several amendments to the Constitution.

9/11—The events of this day spurred a dramatic shift in airline security and led to increased government surveillance programs.

Political Scandals

Political scandals impact leaders and the government in negative ways and lead to a distrust of the government by the public.

Teapot Dome—when a member of Harding’s cabinet accepted a bribe while in office; marked the first time a Federal official was convicted of a crime

Watergate—when government officials broke into competing party’s offices leading up to an election; led to the resignation of President Nixon.

Impeachment of Bill Clinton—president impeached for accusations of sexual relations and an affair with a White House staff worker

Contemporary Government Legislation

The decisions the government makes impact on everyone, including businesses and private individuals. These are a few examples.

Community Reinvestment Act of 1977—helped low income communities by providing the means for citizens to get loans

USA PATRIOT Act of 2001—passed after the 9/11 attacks; helps the government detect and prevent terrorist attacks by monitoring communications

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009—economic stimulus bill to help those most impacted by the recession in 2008 and 2009

International Activities

You should be able to evaluate the pros and cons of U.S. participation in international organizations and treaties. Some examples include NATO, NAFTA, and the UN.

The Three Branches of Government

The Founding Fathers designed our government to have three branches with checks and balances in order to prevent the government from becoming too powerful. The legislative branch is made up of elected representatives who speak for the needs of the people and make laws. The executive branch enforces the law and the judicial branch interprets the law to make sure everything is operating according to the Constitution.

Executive and Legislative Branch Relations

Sometimes, the executive and legislative branches share power in times that demand quick action. The following are some examples of this.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution—during which Congress gave the president complete power to do whatever he felt necessary to combat communist aggression in Vietnam

War Powers Act—limited the ability of the president to use military force without the consent of Congress

All Three Branches

All three branches must work together for our government to be effective. The following are examples of how the branches relate to each other and sometimes impact major events.

F.D.R. and the Supreme Court—FDR attempt to increase the number of justices on the Supreme Court; other branches resisted this action saying that it was his attempt to pack the court (the president appoints judges to the court)

Presidential Election of 2000—controversial election that was the closest in history and the only race to be decided by a Supreme Court ruling

Constitutional Issues

As citizens influence change in government policy, American society changes. The laws of the land influence the daily lives and activities of citizens. The following are examples of court cases that have impacted daily life in American society over time.

Landmark Supreme Court Decisions

Sometimes, the Supreme Court hears cases and makes decisions about the constitutionality of certain situations. The court rulings always impact society and sometimes impact what people can and cannot do on a regular basis.

Brown v. Board of Education—ruled that segregation in schools was unconstitutional and mandated that schools must integrate

Plessy v. Ferguson—ruled that segregation was legal and that public facilities could be separate but equal

Hernandez v. Texas—ruled that Mexican Americans and all other racial groups had equal protection under the law

Tinker v. Des Moines—ruled that students were allowed to express their peaceful protest of the Vietnam War at school

Wisconsin v. Yoder—ruled that Amish children could not be required to go to school past 8th grade

White v. Regester—challenged an earlier ruling that congressional districts be drawn according to roughly equal population size

Historical Reasons for Constitutional Amendments

Historically, Constitutional Amendments have been made to meet the needs of the people. As our society grows and changes over time, so do the needs of the people. The Constitution was designed to adapt to these changes and that has happened through the adding of amendments over time. Amendments have been passed to address issues in American society at different points in time.

American Exceptionalism

In the early 1800s, Alexis de Tocqueville, a French political scientist, wrote Democracy in America, in which he praised the American form of government. He argued that the following five values were critical to the success of the unique and exceptional form of government in the U.S.

Liberty—freedom from tyranny, or an oppressive government

Egalitarianism—equal status in society, no class structure or limitations on social class

Individualism—people free to pursue their own happiness and goals

Populism—all people in society permitted and encouraged to participate in politics

Laissez-faire—a hands-off government approach to the economic system.

Democratic Process Expansion

The democratic process relies on the participation of the people. Over time, many efforts have been made to increase civic participation. This has come through the work of individuals, groups, and government legislation.

Increasing Participation

The following are a few specific ways that people and groups have attempted to increase participation in the democratic process.

Lobbying—the process of seeking to influence legislation, often through campaign contributions

Non-violent Protest—the process of deliberately disobeying laws in a peaceful manner to bring about change

Litigation—the process of taking legal action to make a change, often through court cases

Constitutional Amendments—additions to the Constitution to allow minorities and women the right to vote and protect the rights of all citizens.

Achieving Political Rights

The following amendments and laws have been passed to provide rights to people who lacked them.

19th Amendment—granted women the right to vote

24th Amendment—eliminated the poll tax, a fee people had to pay in some states in order to vote. This provided greater access to voting as people of lower income levels could now vote without paying a tax.

26th Amendment—set the legal voting age to 18

American Indian Citizenship Act of 1924—granted American Indians born in the U.S. full citizenship and rights of citizens, including the right to vote

Effects of Participation

Participation in the democratic process is a reflection of our nation’s founding and the freedoms we enjoy as a society. The Founding Fathers wanted to prevent the kind of government that abuses its power. Therefore, it is our responsibility as citizens to take part in the civic process to maintain a government for the people and by the people.

Effective Leadership

Effective leadership is also important in our country. We need leaders who can work together and provide for the needs of the people for the good of the country as a whole.

Andrew Carnegie—influential in the growth of the steel industry and major philanthropist who contributed to the growth of social institutions like the public school system

Thurgood Marshall—active in the Civil Rights Movement and first black Supreme Court Justice

Billy Graham—Christian evangelist and moral leader who served under multiple presidents

Barry Goldwater—presidential candidate and long-serving senator known for his moderate stance and good leadership

Sandra Day O’Connor—first woman appointed to the Supreme Court

Hillary Clinton—wife of President Bill Clinton, senator, and first female candidate for president