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defense
One of the most important functions of the federal
government is to provide for the nation’s defense.
The United states government spends many
billions of dollars each year to maintain its armed
forces. The federal government is entrusted with
the power to declare war, and the president is the
commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The
department of defense is headquartered in the
Pentagon, in Arlington, Virginia (above).federAl gOVernmenT
The workings of the federal government
affect everyone, no matter what state or
city they live in. The Constitution
established the structure of the federal
government, and outlined its powers.
some responsibilities entrusted to
the federal government include
national defense, regulating trade
between states, collecting taxes,
printing money, and providing
for the welfare of all citizens.
The federal government also
liaises with the governments
of other nations.Uncle sam
The character of “Uncle sam” has come to symbolize the
United states government. legend has it that the real
Uncle sam was a new York meatpacker named
samuel Wilson. during the War of
1812, Wilson supplied rations to
the Army with the initials “Us”
(for Us Army) marked on each
barrel. When a visitor to Wilson’s
plant asked what the initials stood for,
an employee humorously replied it
must be his boss, Uncle sam. soon,
everyone was using this nickname to
represent the federal government.
Uncle sam’s stars-and-stripes costume
appeared in cartoons from the 1830s.
Uncle sam has been used to promote
everything from war bonds to ice cream.gOVernmenT PrOgrAms
Tax money is used to fund welfare
programs such as social security, which
includes unemployment insurance,
pensions, and family aid. each citizen
is issued a social security card (above).mOneY And TAXes
The Constitution gives the federal
government the power to coin
money. The Us mint is
responsible for making coins,
and for safeguarding the gold
and silver reserves stored at
fort Knox, Kentucky. The
Bureau of engraving and
Printing makes paper money.
However, the money used to
fund government programs,
such as national defense, mail
services, firefighting services, and
social security, is not simply printed
or minted—it comes from taxes.The Capitol building,
Washington, D.C.eleCTIOn dAY
People vote to elect a government
to represent their wishes. Voter
turnout is on the decline, and less
than half of all those qualified
usually vote. To encourage greater
participation, a number of states
have made laws to make voter
registration simpler.With approximately 60% of
eligible voters heading to the
polls, the 2008 Presidential
election had the highest voter
turnout since 1968.Congress
law
Political parties
PresidencyFind out more
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