Civics

Standards
Topics

What is Government and What Should it Do?
1.	Understands ideas about civic life, politics, and government
2.	Understands the essential characteristics of limited and unlimited governments
3.	Understands the sources, purposes, and functions of law, and the importance of the rule of law for the protection of individual rights and the common good
4.	Understands the concept of a constitution, the various purposes that constitutions serve, and the conditions that contribute to the establishment and maintenance of constitutional government
5.	Understands the major characteristics of systems of shared powers and of parliamentary systems
6.	Understands the advantages and disadvantages of federal, confederal, and unitary systems of government
7.	Understands alternative forms of representation and how they serve the purposes of constitutional government
What are the Basic Values and Principles of American Democracy
8.	Understands the central ideas of American constitutional government and how this form of government has shaped the character of American society
9.	Understands the importance of Americans sharing and supporting certain values, beliefs, and principles of American constitutional democracy
10.	Understands the roles of voluntarism and organized groups in American social and political life
11.	Understands the role of diversity in American life and the importance of shared values, political beliefs, and civic beliefs in an increasingly diverse American society
12.	Understands the relationships among liberalism, republicanism, and American constitutional democracy
13.	Understands the character of American political and social conflict and factors that tend to prevent or lower its intensity
14.	Understands issues concerning the disparities between ideals and reality in American political and social life
How Does the Government Established by the Constitution Embody the Purposes, Values, and Principles of American Democracy?
15.	Understands how the United States Constitution grants and distributes power and responsibilities to national and state government and how it seeks to prevent the abuse of power
16.	Understands the major responsibilities of the national government for domestic and foreign policy, and understands how government is financed through taxation
17.	Understands issues concerning the relationship between state and local governments and the national government and issues pertaining to representation at all three levels of government
18.	Understands the role and importance of law in the American constitutional system and issues regarding the judicial protection of individual rights
19.	Understands what is meant by "the public agenda," how it is set, and how it is influenced by public opinion and the media
20.	Understands the roles of political parties, campaigns, elections, and associations and groups in American politics
21.	Understands the formation and implementation of public policy
What is the Relationship of the United States to Other nations and to World Affairs?
22.	Understands how the world is organized politically into nation-states, how nation-states interact with one another, and issues surrounding U.S. foreign policy
23.	Understands the impact of significant political and nonpolitical developments on the United States and other nations
What are the Roles of the Citizen in American Democracy?
24.	Understands the meaning of citizenship in the United States, and knows the requirements for citizenship and naturalization
25.	Understands issues regarding personal, political, and economic rights
26.	Understands issues regarding the proper scope and limits of rights and the relationships among personal, political, and economic rights
27.	Understands how certain character traits enhance citizens' ability to fulfill personal and civic responsibilities
28.	Understands how participation in civic and political life can help citizens attain individual and public goals
29.	Understands the importance of political leadership, public service, and a knowledgeable citizenry in American constitutional democracy

	1.	American constitutional government
	2.	American national identity and political culture
	3.	American political conflict
	4.	American response to demographic and environmental developments
	5.	Attaining of individual and public goals
	6.	Celebrations, traditions, and customs
	7.	Citizenship
	8.	Civic characteristics and disposition
	9.	Civic life, politics, and government
	10.	Civic responsibility
	11.	Civil society and government
	12.	Confederal, federal, and unitary systems
	13.	Conflicts among values and principles in American political and social life
	14.	Development and implementation of U.S. foreign policy
	15.	Distinctive characteristics of American society
	16.	Distinguishing characteristics of social and political participation
	17.	Distribution of power under the United States Constitution
	18.	Distribution, sharing, and limitation of powers of the national government
	19.	Diversity in American society
	20.	Domestic policies in late 20th century United States
	21.	Economic rights
	22.	Education and society
	23.	Ends and means of U.S. foreign policy
	24.	Evaluating rules and laws
	25.	Foreign policies in the late 20th century United States
	26.	Formation and implementation of public policy
	27.	Forms of political participation
	28.	Function of government
	29.	Functions of state constitutions
	30.	Government representatives
	31.	Government taxation
	32.	Historic documents, treaties, and agreements
	33.	Historical context of U.S. foreign policy
	34.	Human and civil rights
	35.	Ideals and reality in American political and social life
	36.	Impact of world economic, technological, and cultural developments
	37.	Impact of world political, demographic, and environmental trends
	38.	Individual rights and responsibilities
	39.	Influence of American political ideas on other nations
	40.	Influence of media on American political life
	41.	Institutions of the national government
	42.	International diplomacy and relations
	43.	International political developments in the United States and in other nations
	44.	Judicial protection of individual rights
	45.	Labor movements, patterns, and conflicts
	46.	Liberalism and American constitutional democracy
	47.	Limited and unlimited government
	48.	Meaning and importance of United States Constitution
	49.	Nature of representation
	50.	Necessity and purpose of government
	51.	Organization of the world
	52.	Personal responsibility
	53.	Personal rights
	54.	Political and economic freedoms
	55.	Political leadership and public service
	56.	Political organizations and groups
	57.	Political parties, campaigns, and elections
	58.	Political rights
	59.	Power and authority
	60.	Prevention and management of conflict
	61.	Prevention and management of conflict in society
	62.	Privacy
	63.	Promotion of American democratic ideals
	64.	Public agenda
	65.	Purpose and function of international organizations
	66.	Purpose and function of rules and laws
	67.	Purpose and use of constitutions
	68.	Relationship between state and local governments
	69.	Relationship between states and the national government
	70.	Religion, belief systems, and values
	71.	Republicanism and American constitutional democracy
	72.	Responsible political participation
	73.	Role of justice in American society
	74.	Role of law in American society
	75.	Role of public opinion in American politics
	76.	Rule of law
	77.	Scope and limit of rights
	78.	Selection of political leaders
	79.	Shared powers and parliamentary systems
	80.	Shared values and principles in American society
	81.	Structure and responsibilities of local government
	82.	Structure and responsibilities of state government
	83.	Structure and responsibilities of the national government
	84.	Structure of constitutional government
	85.	Symbols and landmarks
	86.	United States foreign policy, early 19th century
	87.	Values and principles of American democracy
	88.	Voluntarism in American life

Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning

Civics

Standards

Topics