USG-1.1 Summarize arguments for the necessity and purpose of government and politics, including the idea that politics enables a group of people with diverse opinions and interests to reach collective decisions, the idea that government gives people the security they need in order to reach their full potential, and the idea that the purposes of government include enhancing economic prosperity and providing for national security. (P, E)

USG-1.2 Summarize differing ideas about the purposes and functions of law, including the "rule of law" and the "rule of man" and the idea that the "rule of law" protects not only individual rights but also the common good and summarize the sources of laws, including nature, social customs, legislatures, religious leaders, and monarchs. (P)

USG-1.3 Compare the characteristics of a limited and an unlimited government, including the idea that a civil society maintains a limited government: how a civil society provides the opportunity for individuals to associate for different purposes, how a civil society allows people to influence the government by means other than voting, how political and economic freedoms can limit government power, and how the government of a civil society differs from the governments in authoritarian and totalitarian regimes. (P)

USG-1.4 Compare the characteristics and the advantages and disadvantages of confederal, federal, and unitary systems, including how power is distributed, shared, and limited in these systems. (P)

USG-1.5 Compare the advantages and disadvantages of the ways in which power is distributed, shared, and limited to serve the purposes of constitutional government, including the criteria of effectiveness, the prevention of the abuse of power, and responsiveness to popular will. (P)

USG-1.6 Analyze alternative forms of representation and the extent to which they serve the purposes of constitutional government, including arguments for and against representative government as distinguished from direct popular rule, common bases upon which representation has been established, different electoral systems, and differing theories of representation. (P)

USG-3.1 Contrast the distribution of powers and responsibilities within the federal system, including the purpose, organization, and enumerated powers of the three branches; the workings of the Supreme Court; and the operation of the law-making process. (P)

USG-3.2 Explain the organization and responsibilities of local and state governments, including the purposes and functions of state constitutions; reserved and concurrent powers in the states; the relationships among national, state, and local levels of government; and the structure and operation of South Carolina's government. (P)

USG-3.3 Summarize the function of law in the American constitutional system, including the significance of the concept of the due process of law and the ways in which laws are intended to achieve fairness, the protection of individual rights, and the promotion of the common good. (P)

USG-3.4 Summarize the process through which public policy is formed in the United States, including setting a public agenda and the role of political institutions, political parties, and special interest groups. (P)

USG-3.5 Summarize features of the election process in the United States, including the roles of the political parties, the nomination process, the Electoral College, and the campaigns; the issues of campaign funding; and trends in voter turnout and citizen participation. (P, H)

USG-5.1 Classify the rights of United States citizens as personal, political, or economic and identify the significance and source of such rights and the conflicts that can arise when these rights are limited. (P, E)

USG-5.2 Summarize commonly held personal and civic responsibilities and their significance in maintaining a democracy, including voting, serving as a juror, obeying the law, paying taxes, and serving in the military. (P)

USG-5.3 Explain ways in which Americans can monitor and participate in politics and government, including engaging in political leadership or public service, analyzing and becoming informed about public issues and policy making, joining political parties and interest groups, voting, and volunteering in the community. (P)

USG-5.4 Explain the process of naturalization in the United States, including naturalization laws and the criteria of length of residency, English language literacy, proof of character, knowledge of United States history, and support for the values and principles of American constitutional government. (P)

USG-5.5 Summarize character traits that are important to the preservation and improvement of American democracy, including dispositions that encourage citizens to act as independent members of society, that foster respect for individual worth and human dignity, and that engage the citizen in public affairs. (P)