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Consumer Focus: Democracy in America

Democracy in America - Part 2 The nightly news is filled with stories about the election season. People and parties, programs and promises are being discussed by all of the candidates. In part one of Democracy in America, we took a quick look at our country�s history, our constitution, our bill of rights, and what is involved with becoming a citizen. Now, in part two we�ll look forward to the election by reviewing the branches of the government and our election process itself. Branches of the Government Elections Getting Children Involved with the Election Process Other Resources E-mail this Information to A Friend Other Topics in the Consumer Focus Archive Democracy in America Top

Branches of the Government The Founding Fathers, wanted to form a government that did not allow one person to have too much authority or control. The abuses of King George III taught them how bad things can go when one leader has too much power. Yet the failure of the Articles of Confederation taught them that there was a need for a strong centralized government. So they decided to create a government with three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial. The Legislative branch is headquartered in the U.S. Capitol and is made of up the Congress which contains the House of Representatives and the Senate. The Executive branch is headquartered in the White House and is made up of the President, Vice President, and offices supporting them. The Judicial branch is headquartered in the U.S. Supreme Court and is made up of the Supreme Court and all lesser courts. A complete diagram of the branches of the U.S. Government may be found in the U.S. Government Manual. Top

Elections Presidents are elected every four years, Senators are elected every six years, and members of the House of Representatives are elected every two years. So, even though only one third of the house runs for office every two years, there are always multiple elections each season. On November 02, 2004 the next Presidential and general election will occur. Registered voters across America will go to their local polling place and cast their vote using paper ballots, mechanical lever machines, punch cards, marksense, or direct recording electronic (DRE). Anyone who isn�t already registered, but wants to vote, should click on register, and follow the instructions in the link. If you don�t know where your polling place is, please contact your local Board of Elections to find out. You can find your local Board of Elections in the local government section of your blue pages. Many people ask, �Does my vote really matter?� And to us at the FCIC the answer is always yes, yes every vote does matter. Elected officials make decisions about things that are important to you, including your job, your health care, your environment, and your security. One vote has made the difference in a number of federal and local elections. So when election day comes, stand up and represent your values and beliefs by voting for the candidate who most represents you. And when you go to vote, remember these two important things: Individual States have different rules about elections so make sure you bring identification to the polling place. If you have questions in the polling place there will always be volunteer pollsters to help you. Here are some interesting facts about elections: Federal elections have been held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November since 1845. Since America was originally a society where most people farmed or worked on the land, November was chosen for elections because it is the most convenient month for farmers and rural workers to travel to the polls. The first Tuesday after the first Monday was chosen for Election Day in order to avoid the election ever being on November 1st. Lawmakers didn�t want Election Day to fall on November 1st because it is a religious holiday for Roman Catholics. Also, in 1845 merchants usually balanced their books from the previous month on the first day of the new month. Top

Getting Children Involved with the Election Process Another common question we hear a lot is, �Can I get my children involved in the election process?� The answer to this question is yes again. Elections are great opportunities to talk about America and how democracy works. And research has shown that children of parents who regularly vote are more likely to be active voters themselves. You can watch TV and discuss election news with your children, hold mock elections in your home, and even bring your child to the polls with you to show him/her how to vote. Teenagers who will be voting for themselves in a few years will probably appreciate the trip to the polls especially, since they can treat it as a practice run. Top

Other Resources This is just a brief overview. For more information, check out these resources: *Websites:** Ben's Guide Federal Citizen Information Center Federal Election Commission FirstGov.gov House of Representatives Senate White House * Names of resources and organizations included in this online article are provided as examples only, and their inclusion does not mean that they are endorsed by the Federal Citizen Information Center or any other Government agency. Also, if a particular resource or organization is not mentioned, this does not mean or imply that it is unsatisfactory. If you click on these links, you are leaving FCIC's website. Please bookmark us before you leave so you can return easily. FCIC is not responsible for the content of these websites. Top*

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