Table of Contents
Foreword Yolanda Renee King 10
Introduction 12
What Is Government Anyway? 14
Types of Government 15
The United States Government 16
Founding Documents 18
The Declaration of Independence
Articles of Confederation
The United States Constitution
How to Amend the Constitution
Bill of Rights
Other Constitutional Amendments
What Does the Government Look Like? 30
The Three Branches 31
The Legislative Branch
The Executive Branch
The Judicial Branch
Checks and Balances 33
Church and State 35
Political Parties 36
Democratic Party
Republican Party
Third Parties 40
How Does the Government Work in My Community? 42
City Government 44
County Government 45
State Government 46
How Do You Run for a Political Office? 48
Why Do People Run for Office? 49
Getting on the Ballot 50
Why Do Incumbents Usually Win Reelection?
Step-by-Step Campaigning 52
Primaries and Caucuses
Democratic and Republican Conventions
Presidential Debates
How Does Voting Work? 62
Who Can Vote? 63
Voter Suppression 64
Gerrymandering
Different Ways to Cast Your Vote 68
What Kinds of Elections Are There? 70
Presidential Elections
Midterm Elections
Special Elections
The Electoral College 73
Here's How It Works
Winning the Electoral College
Red States and Blue States
Swing States
Let's Go Win the Presidency
What If No One Wins a Majority?
Time for Change?
Pros and Cons of the Electoral College
What Does the President Do? 82
Powers of the President 83
Presidents of the United States 84
The President's Team 88
What if Something Happens to the President? 89
Which Presidents Didn't Finish Their Terms?
Taking Office 91
State of the Union 92
Impeachment 94
The Vice President 96
The First Lady (and First Gentleman) 97
What Happens in Congress? 98
What Does Congress Look Like? 98
Powers of Congress Page 100
The House of Representatives vs. the Senate
What Are Congressional Committees? 106
Types of Committees
Key Standing Committees
How Do You Get on a Committee?
How a Bill Becomes a Law 110
What Are Interest Groups? 116
How Do Interest Groups Affect Which Bills Become Laws?
What is the Supreme Court? 120
Who Are the Supreme Court Justices? 123
How Do You Get on the Supreme Court? 125
Who Else Works at the Supreme Court? 127
Which Cases Does It Rule On? 128
Important Supreme Court Cases
Who Else Works in the Government? 132
The Cabinet 133
What Are the Cabinet Departments?
Leadership of Congress 138
Leaders in the House
Leaders in the Senate
Civil Service Jobs 140
What Can I Do? 142
Moments and Movements: A Timeline of Progress 146
Conclusion 152
Glossary 156
Index 168
