Congress for Kids: [Independence]: Democracy

Independence

Introduction Democracy Democracy vs. Autocracy The Original Thirteen Colonies The Declaration of Independence, Part I The Declaration of Independence, Part II The Articles of Confederation

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What is democracy?

Where did the idea of democracy come from?

How did democracy spread in the 20th century?

What is the difference between a democracy and a republic?

Credit: National First Ladies' Library

Democracy Kids

Democracy

The United States has had the same type of government for more than 200 years. It's called a "representative democracy," which is a type of “republic” (link to http://www.williampmeyers.org/republic.html for further information). Among the nations of the world, it is unusual for a system of government to last so long. Most governments are based on a written set of principles, sometimes called a "constitution" or a "charter." When citizens directly participate by voting, the government is called a "democracy."

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The United States is not a democracy? The United States is a Republic - a democratic republic. Its citizens elect representatives (the Congress). The founding fathers warned of the problems of democracy and the tyranny of the majority in many early writings. You will find no mention of democracy in the US Constitution.

Projects You Can Do

Research one of the following topics: Transportation, Hospital, School, Police Department, Fire Department, Media, Library, Housing, Court House, The Capitol.

Prepare a PowerPoint slide or poster which answers the following questions about your topic:

Which level(s) of government is responsible for this aspect of our community life?

How does governmental action affect me and my family?

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