Utah s Government Structure and the Basics of Government · Utah’s Government Structure and the Basics of ... Explain the rights and ... Quickly go through the process of How a

Utah’s Government Structure and the Basics of Government By: Christina Jacobs

Summary:

The purpose of this mini unit is to give students an overview of the three branches of government.

Enduring Understanding: Students will be able to understand the function and structure of each branch of government.

Main Curriculum Tie: Social Studies-Utah Studies 3.2 and 3.3

3.2: Examine the structure and function of city, county, and state governments.

a. Explain the role of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches in state government.

b. Assess the similarities and differences between the levels of local government.

c. Identify local officials and their responsibilities.

d. Research services that are provided by each level of government; i.e., city, county, township.

3.3: Assess the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

a. Compare and contrast the United States and Utah Constitutions.

b. Explain the rights and responsibilities of good citizens.

c. Investigate how individuals can be involved in the political process.

Materials:

Computer/projector

Ipads or chormebooks

Worksheets

Utah’s government Structure Notes

Representative Research Assignment

How A Bill Becomes a Law Notes

Writing a Bill

Senator/Representative Member sheet

Committee member sheet

How a Bill Becomes a Law Quiz

Case Studies or Scenarios

Gallery Walk papers on executive branch

Rights and Responsibilities Worksheet

Prior Knowledge: Students should have received instruction and have mastered knowledge and content about

the Constitutional Convention.

Instructional Procedures:

Day 1-Introduce Utah’s Government Structure

1. Have students look at a chart on the board that has Territorial Government and its features on one side

and State government and its features on another side and proceed to determine which one looks more

like the federal government. Have the students line up on the side that they believe and call on a few to

explain why they chose the side they did.

2. Take Guided Notes on Utah’s Government Structure-goes through the Executive Branch-it’s role and

some features of its office as well as officials in that branch, the legislative Branch with an overview of

what it does, and the Judicial branch. It also discusses how local government (county and city) are set

up to give the students and understanding of that as well.

3. Introduce the Utah Representation Research Assignment. This assignment will be for homework as

students will look online who their state senator and representatives are, what bills they are working on,

the committees that they are on, etc. It allows them to identify who their representative is and what they

do. It also allows them to look at who their mayor is and who their local school board members are to

get a better idea of who “runs” their government at the state and local levels.

Day 2-How a Bill Becomes a Law

1. Have the students turn in their Representative Research Assignment.

2. Have a list of topics or issues that are current in Utah that may be controversial. Have the students pick

one that sounds interesting and then form a group with people that have a similar interest, but give the

assignment after the notes.

3. Discuss how a Bill Becomes a Law by showing first the video Schoolhouse Rock I’m just a Bill.

4. Quickly go through the process of How a Bill Becomes a Law through guided notes.

5. Explain to students that they will be Writing Bills they are going to pass in class through the house and

the senate and that it is to be signed by the governor (the teacher).

6. Have the students draw slips of paper from a hat that will have an S or R on them which determine if

they are part of the senate or the house and have them get into those groups and pick a leader who

records their names.

7. Have the students pull out their Writing a Bill Papers and get into those groups and discuss what will be

their central focus. Then have them use the chromebook or iPads (whichever is available) to research

background knowledge and statistics on the issues. Have the group be in agreement on a “side” that

they choose.

Day 3-Continuation of Research, Writing the Bill, and House Vote

1. Students will get into their groups and discuss their issue and proceed to write a Bill.

2. Bills will be brought before the House first and discussed (each group will have a committee chair who

will be the sponsor).

3. Bill will be voted on and if it passes, then the Senate can read and deliberate on it.

Day 4-Senate Discussion and Vote

1. Students will get into their groups and continue with the project.

2. The Senate will collaborate on the bill and vote on it. If changes are made, it must go back to the House

for deliberation and a vote.

3. After all the Bills have gone through the process of being voted on, the students will then hear the

results from the governor (teacher). The governor will then either sign the bill into office or veto the

bill. If the bill is vetoed by the governor, the class will have the opportunity to override the executive

veto.

Day 5-Judical System

1. Give the students a short formative assessment on How a Bill Becomes a Law.

2. Review quickly the Judicial Branch and what they do

3. Have a guest speaker (preferably a Juvenile Court Judge) talk to the students about the courts and their

importance. *If a speaker cannot come in, get question and answer sheets on different judges from

online*

4. Explain that case studies or scenarios will be handed out and students will then be the judge.

Day 6-Executive Branch

1. For bell work or a short writing assignment, have the students write down what they learned about the

judicial branch from the guest speaker and from the case scenarios.

2. Review the Executive Branch and the role it plays in government.

3. Have students do a gallery walk in learning a little bit about a few cabinet members and their roles in the

state government

Day 7-How do I fit into this government structure?

1. Have students fill out the Rights and Responsibilities Worksheet found in the textbook for bell work.

2. Review the difference between a Right and Responsibility for clarity.

3. Have the students write down which right or responsibility they believe is most important to have.

4. Present the Huntsman Seminar PowerPoint they show to students on voting and getting involved in

politics.

5. Have a class discussion on the citizens’ role in government and why voting is important.

Optional: Have the students fill out an “I side with” quiz or a “Where do I fit” quiz about the political parties

Assessment: Department’s Unit 5 Assessment (also includes Utah’s Struggle for Statehood and how it became

a state) that consists of multiple choice, short answer questions, and a primary source analysis.

Worksheets

*not all are included*

Utah’s Government Structure Which government looks more like the U.S. Government? Why?

Executive Branch: _____________________ the Laws

Who leads the Executive Branch, and who is in that position?

What jobs does the Governor have?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Who helps the Governor with his jobs?

Lieutenant Governor: Spencer J. Cox

o Responsibilities:

State _____________________: _____________________________________

o Responsibilities:

________________ __________________: John Dougall

o Responsibilities:

Attorney General: ________________________

o Responsibilities:

State Boards, Departments, and Commissions

o Responsibilities:

Legislative Branch: __________________________ the Laws

How many houses are in the Legislative Branch?

Judicial Branch: _______________________ and ________________________ the Laws

What types of Courts does Utah have?

Who has the final say in the state Constitution?

What type of government do most citizens interact with?

What jobs does County Government have?

What jobs does City Government have?

Who are the Utah County Commissioners?

What are the three types of City Government? Which kind does Alpine have?

Utah Representation Research Assignment

1. Go to le.utah.gov. On that webpage, the bottom left corner has a box to enter your address to find out which

Utah Senators and Representatives represent you! Enter your address and zip code.

Senator:

Representative:

2. Click on your Senator or Representative’s name. On their page, click on “view sponsored legislation”. What are

the titles of the bills they’re sponsoring?

3. Go to electionresults.utah.gov/elections and click on State House and then click on district 27. Who won the

election in this district? What political party do they belong to?

4. Click on County and then choose Utah County. How many of the candidates received 100% of the vote? How

could someone get 100% of the vote and why do you think so many people got 100% of the vote?

5. What kinds of problems could our local government have if there are candidates getting 100% of the vote?

6. What are the names of the people who won seats on the School Board? (Hint, there’s more than 1 seat)

How a Bill Becomes a Law in Utah Notes

Step 1: Idea

Legislators need an idea!

Ideas come from:

• _______________________ experiences

• Utah Citizen

• Special Interest Groups or ________________

Step 2: ________________________________________________

Utah legislators get help from lawyers while they write their bills

Step 3: Bills Read

Once Bills are written, they need to be ____________ to Congress (either the House of Representatives

or the Senate)

After they’re read, bills are given a _____________ and ____________and sent to committees

Step 4: Committees Can…

1. _____________: Make changes to the bill

2. Substitute: Replace the bill with an entirely new bill that is about the same topic)

3. Hold: Take no _____________

4. Table: Decide not to deal with the bill until the next meeting

5. Pass the Bill: pass the bill…Now it can be _________________ to the rest of the Senate/House

Step 5: ______________ are read to Legislators

Can happen in _______________ or House of Representatives

1. Bills are read, including their title and number

2. The sponsor will explain the bill and answer questions from legislators

3. All members of Congress will make ________________ to the bill (they have to be relevant!) or

substitute the bill for another one

4. Legislators vote on the Bill—___________________ wins!

Step 6: ____________________________________________________________

A Bill has to pass the ______________ and the __________ of __________________________.

What if the bill doesn’t pass both houses?

Step 7: Bill is ________________ by the leaders of both houses

This is called __________________ and helps the Bill get ready to send to the Governor

Step 8: The ________________________ decides

The Governor has 20 days to choose if he wants to:

1. _________ the Bill (Makes it a law)

2. Not sign the Bill (It won’t be a law)

3. _________ the Bill (It won’t be a law)

Step 9: What if both houses want the Bill to become a law?

If both houses has ___________ of people vote to make the Bill a law, they override the

Governor’s veto.

The Bill becomes a law!

Name___________________________________________________________ Period________________

Writing a Bill

Committee Name: ______________________________________________________________________

Topic of discussion: _____________________________________________________________________

Explain the issue by giving background knowledge needed, by using statistics, state arguments supporting your

opinion, state arguments that oppose your opinion and why they are not valid.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Create a solution to the problem/issue/dilemma. A solution should be specific to the problem and discuss the

following:

What is the solution, who is responsible for ensuring the solution’s execution, where will the funding come

from and how much will it take, what are the penalties if the solution involves mandated actions, who will

enforce the law

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________

Votes for this bill in House__________Votes against this bill in House__________ Passed____Failed___

Votes for this bill in Senate_________Votes against this bill in Senate__________ Passed____Failed___

Presidential signature _________________________________________________Veto bill___________

House of Representatives Assembly Date: ___________ Period: _____________

Speaker of the House: ________________________________

Other House Members:

1) ______________________Discussion Grade (10)________









10) ______________________Disc. Grade (10)________

11) ______________________Disc. Grade (10)________

12) ______________________Disc. Grade (10)________

13) ______________________Disc. Grade (10)________

14) ______________________Disc. Grade (10)________

15) ______________________Disc. Grade (10)________

16) ______________________Disc. Grade (10)________

17) ______________________Disc. Grade (10)________

18) ______________________Disc. Grade (10)________

19) ______________________Disc. Grade (10) ________

Bills being discussed and voted on:

1) ________________________________________________Final Vote ____________

Passed Rejected

2) ________________________________________________Final Vote ____________

Passed Rejected

3) ________________________________________________Final Vote ____________

Passed Rejected

4) ________________________________________________Final Vote ____________

Passed Rejected

Senate Assembly Date: ___________ Period: _______________

President of the Senate: ________________________________

Other Senate Members:

1. ______________________Discussion Grade (10)________









10. ______________________Disc. Grade (10)________

11. ______________________Disc. Grade (10)________

12. ______________________Disc. Grade (10)________

13. ______________________Disc. Grade (10)________

14. ______________________Disc. Grade (10)________

15. ______________________Disc. Grade (10)________

16. ______________________Disc. Grade (10)________

17. ______________________Disc. Grade (10)________

18. ______________________Disc. Grade (10)________


1. ________________________________________________Final Vote ____________

Passed Rejected

2. ________________________________________________Final Vote ____________

Passed Rejected

3. ________________________________________________Final Vote ____________

Passed Rejected

4. ________________________________________________Final Vote ____________

Passed Rejected

Committee: ________________Date: ___________ Period: __________

Committee Chair: _____________________________________

Other Committee Members:











1. ________________________________________________Final Vote ____________

Passed Rejected

2. ________________________________________________Final Vote ____________

Passed Rejected

(please staple bills to the back of this sheet and write either passed or

rejected on front of bill)

Name_______________________________________________Period_________Score______/9

How a Bill Becomes A Law Number the following steps in order. Notice that number 1 is already done for you. Note: The bill began in the House of Representatives ___1__ A member of congress introduces the bill to the House of Representatives

______ The President signs the bill and it becomes law.

______ The House debates the bill after it comes out of committee.

______ The bill is presented to the Senate.

______ The bill is assigned to a committee in the senate to be examined.

______ The House votes on the bill. If it passes the House it goes to the Senate.

______ The bill is sent to a committee in the House to be studied.

______ The senate votes on the bill. If the bill passes the Senate, it goes to the President.

______ The senate debates the bill after it comes out of committee.

Rights and Responsibilities Notes Open your textbook to page 307. You will use this page to complete these notes.

What are our Rights and Obligations set by?

Using the table below, list all of the Rights and Responsibilities that U.S. and Utah Citizens have.

Rights Responsibilities

Which responsibility is the most important one and why? Write one

paragraph to persuade someone to agree about what responsibility is most

important.

Where Do You Fit? The Political Party Quiz

Answer 12 questions that were part of a national survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, and

find out where you fit on the partisan political spectrum.

How do you feel about each of the following …?

There needs to be stricter laws and regulations to protect the environment

Completely Agree Mostly Agree Mostly Disagree Completely Disagree

The government should help more needy people even if it means going deeper in debt


The growing number of newcomers from other countries threaten traditional American customs and values


I never doubt the existence of God


Business corporations make too much profit


Gays and lesbians should be allowed to marry legally


The government needs to do more to make health care affordable and accessible


One parent can bring up a child as well as two parents together


Government regulation of business usually does more harm than good


Abortion should be illegal in all or most cases


Labor unions are necessary to protect the working person


Poor people have become too dependent on government assistance programs


http://www.people-press.org/political-party-quiz/?result

http://www.people-press.org/political-party-quiz/?result

Documents

Utah s Government Structure and the Basics of Government · Utah’s Government Structure and the Basics of ... Explain the rights and ... Quickly go through the process of How a