The United States has been governed under a democracy for over 200 years. As a citizen in a democratic America, based on the Constitution, an individual has the right to vote, the freedom to practice any religion, and the rights to free speech, freedom of the press, and freedom to assemble. All countries are not governed by the principles of Democracy and there are many other forms of government, such as Socialism and Communism. Throughout this learning experience, keep in mind the different types of governments because it will be very helpful information as you move into the economic and global issues segments of the curriculum.

Topics to check out!

Voting

Voting is an important process by which citizens control how they are governed, and who will govern. Today, any citizen over the age of 18 has the right to vote. However, this wasn't always the case.

• Amendments to the Constitution have extended the definition of who has the right to vote including the 15th, 19th, and 26th.
• The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was enacted to end practices which kept minority citizens from having equal access to voting. For example, some communities required citizens to pass a literacy test before being allowed to vote.
• Opinions
  • Why I don't vote.
  • Why I do vote.

Affirmative Action

There are some people who believe that this is justified based on the racism and discrimination that people of color have suffered in America and that Affirmative Action is a way to "even the playing field". On the other hand, people who disagree believe that positions in schools as well as jobs should be filled with the best qualified person and not based on their gender or race. This is an opportunity for you to inform yourself about this issue.

• An Affirmative Action officer has written a document describing reactions to the current debate over affirmative action.
• Here is a "brief history of affirmative action" that also discusses the positive and negative effects of this policy.

Immigration

Immigrants are people who come from other countries to live in America and they come to the U.S. for various reasons, such as religious freedom, access to employment opportunity, and better living conditions. Immigrants face many barriers to becoming a part of the United States' democratic system, such as getting to America, finding work, and bringing the rest of their families from other lands.

• A 10th grade American History class has put together the "American Immigration Home Page", a very good web site that discusses many of the issues surrounding immigration.

More Information

If you're interested in finding out more, check out these other sites related to Democracy