Study guide: Government and Helping Our Community
Distinguish levels, public decisions and participation.
Ideas to explain in your own words
- Government institutions make public decisions and provide services at different levels. Local examples concern a town or county; state examples concern one state; national examples concern the country. Shared responsibility can involve more than one level. The fictional responsibilities here are stated for the exercise, not universal legal assignments.
- The U.S. Constitution divides the federal government among legislative, executive and judicial branches. Congress makes laws; the executive carries them out; courts interpret laws in cases. Checks and balances let one branch limit another through specified powers. No branch is simply the boss of every other branch.
- Some services are organized for a community rather than a single customer. Government revenue can come from taxes and other sources. A public budget describes planned revenue and spending. A budget is a plan; evidence of spending is a separate record. These fictional examples do not state actual tax duties.
- People can help civic life by asking questions, volunteering, petitioning or attending a public discussion. These actions have different purposes. An invitation to a discussion is not proof that everyone’s views were heard. Our fictional tasks can be completed on paper; real participation is optional.
Useful vocabulary
- Local
- the stated town or county level
- State
- the stated state level
- Legislative
- the branch responsible for making federal laws
- Executive
- the branch responsible for carrying out federal laws
- Public service
- a service organized for community needs
- Revenue
- money coming into the stated budget
- Information request
- asking for facts needed to understand a public issue
- Volunteering
- offering time or effort without required payment
Watch your reasoning
- Mixing up Local and State. Re-read what each note says before choosing.
- Adding a detail that is not on the card. Point to the words that help explain your answer.
A worked review example
Worked example: The card says: “Fictional town council decides a town park schedule.” That matches Local. Local is the stated town or county level. Compare the note for National: National is the countrywide federal level. That is a different clue.
Make a practice plan
- Read or listen to the notes in the four lessons. An adult can read aloud.
- Try each lesson’s main question and three practice questions. Say, draw or write what helped you choose.
- Use the review cards, then try the changed card in any lesson you want to practice again.
- Complete the four-box task. Then try the separate subject-test cards.