Government Chapter Notes | Social Studies for Grade 3 PDF Download

Introduction

The government is a group of people who make rules and decisions to help keep our community, state, and country safe and organized. It helps us live together peacefully by making laws, providing services, and protecting everyone. In this chapter, we will learn about why we have a government, how it works at different levels, and important rules like the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. We will also explore how the government makes sure everything is fair and how we choose our leaders, like the President.

Purpose of Government

The government makes laws to keep people safe and maintain order.

• It provides services like schools, roads, and hospitals for everyone.
• It protects the country from dangers with police and the military.
• It makes sure people are treated fairly and have equal rights.
• It helps solve problems between people, like disagreements or conflicts.
• It collects taxes to pay for things like parks, libraries, and public transportation.
• It works to keep the environment clean and safe for everyone.
• It helps people in need, like providing food or shelter during emergencies.

Local Government

Local government takes care of a town, city, or county.

• It makes rules for things like traffic, parks, and local businesses.
• It provides services like garbage collection, water, and streetlights.
• The mayor is the leader of a city’s local government.
• City councils help the mayor make decisions and laws for the community.
• Local government runs schools and libraries in your town or city.
• It keeps the community safe with police and fire departments.
• People can vote for local leaders like the mayor or council members.

State Government

State government takes care of an entire state, like California or Texas.

• It makes laws for the state, like rules for driving or schools.
• The governor is the leader of the state government.
• State lawmakers, called legislators, help make state laws.
• It builds and takes care of state roads, bridges, and parks.
• It runs state programs, like helping with healthcare or education.
• Each state has its own capital city where the government works.
• People vote for the governor and other state leaders.

Federal Government

The federal government takes care of the whole United States.

• It makes laws for the entire country, like rules for trade or safety.
• The President is the leader of the federal government.
• It has three parts: Congress, the President, and the Supreme Court.
  • Congress makes laws and is made up of the Senate and House of Representatives.
  • The Supreme Court makes sure laws follow the Constitution.
• It protects the country with the military, like the army and navy.
• It handles things like money, mail, and relationships with other countries.

The Constitution

The Constitution is the most important set of rules for the United States.

• It was written a long time ago by leaders to guide the country.
• It tells how the government should work and what it can do.
• It says the government has three parts: legislative, executive, and judicial.
  • The legislative part (Congress) makes laws.
  • The executive part (the President) makes sure laws are followed.
  • The judicial part (courts) decides if laws are fair.
• It protects the rights of all people in the country.
• It can be changed, but only with agreement from many people.

The Bill of Rights

The Bill of Rights is the first ten changes to the Constitution.

• It lists important rights that every person in the U.S. has.
• It says people can speak freely and share their ideas.
• It says people can follow their own religion.
• It allows people to write or publish news and opinions.
• It says people can gather together peacefully to talk or protest.
• It protects people from unfair treatment by the government.
• It says people have the right to feel safe in their homes.
• It makes sure everyone gets a fair trial if they are accused of a crime.

Checks and Balances

Checks and balances make sure no part of the government has too much power.

• The three parts of government: Congress, the President, and the Supreme Court—watch each other.
  • Congress makes laws, but the President can say no (veto) to a law.
  • If the President vetoes a law, Congress can vote again to make it a law anyway.
  • The Supreme Court can decide if a law follows the Constitution.
• The President picks judges for the Supreme Court, but Congress must agree.
• Congress can make laws to limit what the President can do.
• This system keeps the government fair and balanced.

Presidential Elections

Presidential elections happen every four years to choose the President.

• People vote for the President and Vice President they want.
• Candidates travel around the country to share their ideas.
• People called electors vote in something called the Electoral College.
• Each state has a certain number of electors based on its size.
• The candidate who gets the most electoral votes becomes President.
• The President starts their job in January after the election.
• A President can serve for up to two terms, which is eight years.