Your task with this web
quest will be to learn about the history of Illinois and the Illinois
Constitution. The information
provided in the lesson page section will answer most of the questions on the
assignments. There are internet
links that will provide the answers to the rest of the questions. This should be an enjoyable way of
learning these facts.
The
web quest is broken down into 10 lessons.
Each lesson has reading and web links that will help you answer the
questions. Please do the lessons
in order and remember to put your name on your packet. Some of the answers will not be in the
reading. You can find these
answers by looking at the links provided.
Now
it is time to get to work on the assignments. Click on the lesson that you need to complete and remember
that you are to complete the lessons in order. Click on the links below to find the study guide for each
lesson. Complete the worksheets
for each lesson using the online study guide. If you can not find the answer in the online study guide,
try looking it up on the Internet using the links provided at the end of each
study guide.
Good
luck and have fun!
Statistics:
Illinois
- 21st state
Land
and Water Area = 58,000 miles
Dimensions
- 385 miles long and 218 miles wide
By
the time the U.S. Constitution was being signed, our state was a wilderness.
Early visitors described the area as a rolling prairie covered with tall
grasses and woods. The "discovery" of Illinois by whites took place
in 1673 by the 2 French explorers, Marquette and Joliet. During the time
between the discovery of Illinois and its admission to the union as a state,
the French and English both controlled the area at times.
French
forts and communities sprung up in the Illinois wilderness. Fort de Crevecoeur
was established near Peoria in 1680 followed in 1682 by Fort St. Louis on
Starved Rock. One of the first white villages, Pimitouri, later called Peoria
was established in 1691. Cahokia was organized in 1699 and Kaskaskia four years
later.
Indian
tribes of Illinois included the Miami, Illiniwek (Illinois), and Potowatomee
Indians. Most were relocated westward later.
Defeated
by England in the French and Indian War in 1783, France gave up its claim to
its possessions east of the Mississippi River.
Illinois
was established as a county of Virginia in 1778. In 1787 it became part of the
Northwest Territory, in which it remained until 1800. In 1800 the territory of
Indiana was established and Illinois became part of it. In 1809 Illinois and
the present state of Wisconsin was made a territory. Kaskaskia was its capital
and Ninian Edwards of Kentucky was the first territorial governor.
On
December 3, 1818, Illinois was admitted as the 21st state. Kaskaskia was our
first capital city and Shadrach Bond became the first governor.
The
last great Indian uprising in Illinois was the Black Hawk War in 1832. Chief
Black Hawk and his Salk and Fox warriors defeated the white militia at
Stillman's Run, but retreated into Wisconsin where the band was defeated.
The
capital was moved from Kaskaskia to Vandalia and in 1839 the capital was moved
to Springfield. Abraham Lincoln urged the selection of Springfield while he was
a member of the state legislature.
Soon
after Springfield was selected as the new capital, the state became divided on
the question of slavery. Lincoln emerged from political retirement in 1858 to challenge
Stephen A. Douglas, U.S. Senator, and the national policy on slavery, which he
advocated. They eyes of the nation focused on the state as the two men engaged
in their 7 historic debates. Although Lincoln lost the election in 1858 to
Douglas, the campaign gave him national recognition. Two years later he won the
Republican nomination for the Presidency and was elected the 16th
President.
Here are a couple of links to visit and gain more information
on the history of Illinois.
Our
state is located at the heart of the great interior river system of the
continent. Rivers help to form some of the boundaries of our state. The
Mississippi River forms our state's western boundary. The Wabash and Ohio
Rivers form part of the eastern boundary. The Ohio River forms Illinois'
southern boundary. Across the state flows the Illinois, Kaskaskia, Sangamon,
Spoon, Rock, Embarrass, Kankakee and Des Plaines Rivers - each in its day a
highway of trade. Our nation's number one waterway of trade throughout history
has been the Mississippi River. The Indians called it "the Father of all
the Rivers."
Besides
trade, Illinois has used its rivers as a source of transportation, recreation,
hydroelectric power, and natural beauty.
Illinois
rivers have also been a source of problems. In earlier days Malaria was a
problem facing the settlers of Illinois. Today flooding is a concern for
thousands of people who live along rivers. Although improving, pollution of
Illinois waterways is an area of concern.
Lesson 3: The Legislative
Branch
The
Legislative Branch is the law-making branch of Illinois government. The
legislature (law-making body) of Illinois meets each year beginning on the
second Wednesday of January and concluding when the legislative work of the
state has been finished. The governor, after the legislature has adjourned, may
call extra sessions.
The
General Assembly
The
main body of the Legislative Branch is the General Assembly. It consists of the
Senate and House of Representatives. (In other words, the Senate and the House
of Representatives together are known as the General Assembly). There are 177
members in the General Assembly. The Senate has 59 members and the House of
Representatives has 118 members.
All members of the General Assembly are elected by the
people. All members of the
General Assembly must be 21 years old or older, be a resident of the district
for at least 2 years, and be a citizen.
In
order to do work, a quorum of its members must be present. A quorum is a
majority of the members. Each house determines its own rules and procedures. No
member can be expelled, except by a 2/3 vote. Either house can imprison any
people who show disrespect to the house, but only for 24 hours. Both houses are
organized into committees to help conduct business efficiently.
Districts
There
are 59 legislative districts in the state. Each district elects one state
senator and 2 state representatives. We live in State District 27 and our State
Senator is Matt Murphy.
Special
Duties
Besides
making the laws, the General Assembly conducts investigations, submits
constitutional amendments to the people, acts on amendments to the federal
constitution, and confirms appointments made by the governor.
The
State Senate
There
are 59 state senators, one from each of the legislative districts. A senator's
term is for four years and he/she may be re-elected without limit. Elections
are held in even-numbered years, with about half the Senate elected every two
years. The presiding officer of the Senate is the President of the Senate, who
is elected by all the state senators.
Special
Duties of the State Senate
In
addition to its regular law-making powers, the senate has the following special
powers: The Senate tries impeachment cases and the Senate must approve many of
the appointments made by the governor.
The
State House of Representatives
There
are 118 state representatives, 2 from each of the 59 legislative districts. A
representative's term is for two years. Elections are held in even-numbered
years and representatives may be re-elected without limit. The presiding
officer of the House is the Speaker of the House, elected by the
representatives themselves. We live in the State Representative District 53 and
our state representative is Sidney Mathias.
Special
Duties of the House
Besides
its regular law-making duties, the House of Representatives has the sole power
of impeachment. As you may recall, impeachment means to charge an official with
wrongdoing.
Federal
Officials Who Represent Us
Illinois
has 20 U.S. Representatives and 2 U.S. Senators that represent Illinois in the
U.S. Congress in Washington, D.C.
Our U.S. Senators are Mr. Richard Durbin and Mr. Roland Burris. Rolland
Burris took the place of Barrack Obama after he was elected president of the
United States. We live in the 10th
Congressional District and our U.S. Representative is Mr. Mark Kirk.
Lesson 4: The Process of Making
Laws
According
to Article IV of the Constitution, "the General Assembly shall enact laws
only by bills. Bills may originate in either house, but may be amended or
rejected by the other."
In general, a bill becomes a law after
passing both houses of the General Assembly and receives the Governor's
approval. In case of a veto from the Governor, the bill can still become a law
by passing both houses by a 3/5 vote.
A
bill may start in either house. Committees are used in the state law-making
process much like in the federal government. Bills only need a majority vote
for passage. However, if the Governor vetoes a bill that has been sent to him,
the General Assembly must then pass the bill by a 3/5 vote in both houses to
override his veto.
The
constitution's rules about passing bills include:
1.
Bills are to be read on 3 different days (by title) before final vote on
passage.
2.
Most bills are confined to one subject.
3.
A bill passed by both houses must be sent to the Governor within 30 days. The
Governor has 60 calendar days to sign it, or to return it with his veto. If he
does nothing, the bill will automatically become a law after the 60-day period.
Lobbies
are important in the law-making process. Lobbies are organized groups who seek to
influence lawmakers. Most of these lobbies operate legally under the laws
controlling them, and some of them do a service of informing our lawmakers.
However, there are some instances where these lobbies exert too much influence
and the views of other citizens are overlooked.
While our legislators are making laws
they are free from arrest except from major crimes such as felonies.
Restrictions on the State Senators and Representatives include:
1.
They cannot receive an appointment by the Governor to another public
office.
2.
They cannot hold any other public office in the state.
3.
They must file a statement of economic interests.
4.
They cannot receive a salary increase during their term of office.
5.
Neither house can adjourn
without the consent (approval) of the other house.
Lesson 5: The Executive
Branch
The
Governor
The
Executive Branch enforces and administers the laws. The Governor is the Chief Executive
of state government. In other words, he/she is the head of the Executive
Branch.
The Governor must be at least 25 years old and a resident of the
state for the three years preceding his election, and a citizen. The Governor's
term of office is 4 years and may be re-elected an unlimited number of times.
The order of succession to the Governor's office is:
1.
Lieutenant Governor
2.
Attorney General
3.
Secretary of State
The
Governor, besides enforcing and administering the law, also has the important
duty of vetoing or approving bills passed by the General Assembly.
Other duties of the Governor
are:
1.
The Governor appoints many members of the state government. Many of these
appointments require the approval of the State Senate. The Governor may also
remove any of these officials he feels are incompetent. (The Governor cannot
remove the other executive officers such as the Secretary of State since they
are elected).
2. The Governor may grant pardons, reprieves, and
commutations. Pardon means to forgive a person of a crime. Reprieve means to
delay the carrying out of a criminal sentence. To commute a sentence is to
shorten a criminal sentence.
3. The Governor shall deliver to the General
Assembly an address about the condition of the state.
4. The Governor is
the commander-in-chief of the state militia, except in cases of national
emergency when they are called into federal service. The Governor may call out
the militia to carry out the laws of the state.
5. The Governor may call
special sessions of the General Assembly.
Vetoes
The
Governor has three types of vetoes. The regular veto is like the President's
veto in which the whole bill is rejected. The bill is returned to the house of
the General Assembly where it began with a list of reasons why the Governor
vetoed it.
The
item veto means to veto only a part of a bill. This type of veto is for
appropriations (spending) bills where the Governor simply changes the
appropriation. The houses can pass over this veto by simply accepting the
appropriation change.
The
third type of veto is the amendatory veto. If the Governor notes specific
recommendations the house can pass the bill by simply accepting the
recommendation.
The
Governor's office is similar in some ways to the office of the President except
Governors do not deal with the making of foreign policy or national defense
issues to any great degree.
Lesson 6: Other Executive
Officers
Officers
Besides
the Governor, other executive officers include the Attorney General, Secretary
of State, Treasurer, Comptroller, and the Lieutenant Governor.
The Illinois Constitution provides that
all executive officers have the same qualifications and term as the Governor.
Lieutenant
Governor
The
Lt. Governor shall perform the duties and exercise the powers in the executive
branch that may be delegated to him by the Governor and that may be prescribed
by law. The Lt. Governor may become the Governor if for some reason the present
Governor can no longer fulfill his duties.
Attorney
General
The
Attorney General is the chief legal officer of the state. This office gives
legal advice to the Governor and executive branch. The Attorney General's
office has been given a new task with the 1970 Constitution. This office
protects consumers from fraud and rip-offs.
Secretary
of State
The
Secretary of State's office deals more directly with the people of Illinois
than any other executive office. This office maintains drivers' records, issues
driver licenses and plates, and maintains vehicle records. This office is also
the keeper of the Great Seal of Illinois. It is in charge of the maintenance of
the Capitol building. The Secretary of State's office is in charge of the state
library system and is the State Archivist.
Comptroller
The
Comptroller is the state's chief fiscal (money) control officer. The
Comptroller checks to make sure all bills submitted to the state are valid and
should be paid. Sometimes the Comptroller's office is called the "Watchdog
of the State's Money".
Treasurer
The
Treasurer shall be responsible for the safekeeping and investment of the monies
and securities deposited for the state.
Terms
of Office
All
officers in the executive branch are elected and serve 4-year terms.
Executive
Department Organizations
Various
departments of the Executive Branch are organized to carry out specific tasks.
These are called Civil Administrative Code Departments. The most important of
these are: Aeronautics, Agriculture, Conservation, Finance, Labor, Mines
Safety, Public Aid, Public Works and Buildings, Registration and Education,
Revenue, Personnel, Children and Family Services, Insurance, Mental Health, and
Financial Institutions. The Governor selects and appoints the heads of these
departments.
Besides
the Code Departments, there are also a great number of independent boards and
commissions under authority of the Governor. Some of these boards and
commissions are permanent while others exist only for a short time. Examples
include: Racing Board, Fair Employment Practices Commission, Human Relations
Commission, and the Toll Highway Commission. The Governor also appoints these
commissions.
The
Governor and Executive Officers
Governor,
Pat Quinn
Lieutenant
Governor, Vacant
Attorney
General, Lisa Madigan
Secretary
of State, Jesse White
Comptroller,
Daniel W. Hynes
Treasurer,
Alexi Giannoulias
The
main functions of the Judicial Branch are they administer justice, interprets
the meaning of law and the Constitution of Illinois, and settles disputes. It
is composed of a system of state courts. The state courts are the Illinois
Supreme Court, Illinois Appellate Courts, and the Illinois Circuit Courts.
Circuit
Courts
Circuit
courts are the general trial courts. In these courts cases are heard and
judgements are made. They have original jurisdiction.
The voters elect
circuit court judges to 6-year terms.
Appellate
Court
This
court hears appeals from the Circuit courts and therefore has appellate
jurisdiction. Its judges are elected and serve for 10-year terms.
Supreme
Court
The
Supreme Court of Illinois has original jurisdiction in the following cases:
Revenue, mandamus, and habeas corpus. Otherwise it is simply the final court of
appeal on all other state matters that have come up from the lower courts. Its
judges serve for 10-year terms. There are seven Supreme Court judges. These are
elected also.
Re-election
Once
judges have been elected, they may run for re-election on their records,
without opposition. In these cases voters simply vote yes or no on their
retention. If 3/5 approval is not obtained, the judge must be replaced.
Qualifications
All
judges must be citizens, licensed attorneys of the state, and residents of the
districts from which they are elected. Judges must devote full time to their
judicial duties and may not engage in law practice or hold other office,
including officers in political parties.
Qualifications
To
vote in Illinois, a person must be at least 18 years old, a resident of their
district for 30 days and a citizen. Voters must register with the local
election district at least 28 days before the election.
General
Election
General
elections are always held on the first Tuesday following the first Monday in
November in even-numbered years.
Primaries
Primaries
are elections in which party members elect the candidates of their party. Three
ways of nominating candidates used are convention, caucus, and primaries. The
primary is the most widely used method. In a closed primary, voters on Election
Day must choose one political party's ballot. Only Democratic candidates are
found on the Democratic ballot. Republican candidates are found on the
Republican ballot. Voters must choose only one ballot. Therefore in closed
primaries, voters receive the same ballot, which contain the candidates' names
from all political parties. The voters do not have to declare their party
affiliation in open primaries. Illinois uses the closed primary system. In the
convention method, counties choose delegates to meet in a convention to decide
party's candidates. In the caucus methods, party leaders select political party
candidates for the ballot.
Voting
Disqualification
A
person convicted of a felony or who is otherwise under sentence in jail loses
the right to vote. This right is restored after the sentence is served.
Referendums
Voters
are sometimes asked not only to vote for candidates, but also to vote on public
issues such as bond issues of some governmental body or change in the state
constitution. A tax increase for a school is settled by referendum.
http://www.cyberdirveillinois.com/publications/handbook/executive_branch/election_process.pdf
Illinois
has 102 counties. The county is the largest unit of local government. Each
county has a county seat where its governing body is located. Our county is
Cook. All counties carry out state policy in a general nature; they enforce
laws, prosecute offenders, build and maintain roads, keep records, conduct
elections, assess property, and collect taxes. Each county has a governing body
known as the county board.
Throughout the United States, many different forms of local
government are implemented. Though all forms of municipal government may
exercise the same basic power structure, there are a variety of different
relationships between the legislative (alderman/trustee/councilman) and
executive (mayor/president) branches, within these different forms of
government. Some of the services a municipality provides are: fire services,
police protection, street construction, water services, sewer services,
cultural and recreational services and activities.
Individual state constitutions allow for City charters to adopt a
constitutional "home-rule" whereby, the citizens of a City may decide
which form of municipal government they wish to implement. Some states, may
however, impose certain restrictions. For example, a state may not allow a city
with a population below 5,000 to perform any actor organize themselves in any
fashion not expressly allowed by the state.
The three of the five forms of Municipal Government that Illinois
recognizes are: The Council-Manager Form, Mayor-Council, and Commission.
A mayor-council city government consists of a
mayor and a number of council members or aldermen. The mayor is elected at
large, and the aldermen may be elected at large but generally are chosen from
wards or aldermanic districts. The mayor presides at council meetings and is
the chief executive officer of the city. He is properly the head of the police
force and the budgetary officer of the city. The council is the legislative
agent; the proposals and appointments of the mayor are or may be subject to its
approval.
In
the council-manager form of government, the council is the governing body of the city
elected by the public, and the professionally trained manager is hired by
council to carry out the policies it establishes. The council usually consists
of five to nine members including a mayor (or council president) who is either
selected by the council or elected by the people as defined in the city
charter. The size of the council is generally smaller than that of a
mayor-council municipality, and council elections are usually nonpartisan.
Under the commission form of government voters elect a
small governing commission, typically five or seven members, on an at-large
basis. As a group the commissioners constitute the legislative body of the city
responsible for taxation, appropriations, ordinances, and other general
functions. Individually, each commissioner is in charge of a specific aspect of
municipal affairs, e.g., public works, finance, or public safety. One of the
commissioners is designated chairman or mayor, but his function is principally
one of presiding at meetings and serving in ceremonial capacities. Thus the
commission plan blends legislative and executive functions in the same body.
Special Purpose Districts
Special-purpose districts provide specialized services only to
those persons who live within them. Special districts possess fiscal and
administrative autonomy. They often are empowered to tax residents of the
district, usually by a property tax but sometimes an excise or sales tax, for
the services that they provide. They often cross the lines of towns, villages,
and hamlets but less frequently cross city or county lines. Increasingly,
however, regional special districts are being created that may serve a large
portion of a state or portions of more than one state.
Special districts are sometimes created to provide fire
protection, sewer service, transit service or to manage water resources, among
many other possible functions. In many states in the USA, school districts
operate the public schools (as opposed to dependent school systems, which are
dependent on the state or a local government for administrative and/or fiscal
direction). All special-purpose districts are founded by some level of
government in accordance with state law and exist in all states.
Lesson 10: Illinois
Constitution and State Symbols
John
Deere's invention of the prairie plow in 1837 gave encouragement to Illinois
agriculture and it became a leading agricultural state. After the Civil War,
Illinois turned to the development of its natural resources and to its
transportation. By 1870 coal mining had become one of Illinois' largest
industries. Improved transportation, an abundance of coal, and westward
movement of industry combined to make Illinois a great industrial region.
Sprawling, vigorous Chicago was destined to become the manufacturing center,
not only of Illinois, but the entire Midwest.
Constitution
The
first Constitution of Illinois was adopted in 1818 by a convention, which met
in Kaskaskia.
In 1848 a new
constitution was adopted. This constitution was noted for the increase of power
to the people since they could now elect many government officials.
In
1862 a new constitution was discussed, but not adopted. In 1869 another new
proposal met with success and became the new constitution in 1870.
In
1969, Illinois voters elected delegates to a new constitutional convention.
The
Constitution of 1870 had proven to be outdated and it had been almost
impossible to govern Illinois under such a document. The new convention met for
the first time in 1970 under the leadership of Samuel Witwer who had fought for
23 years for a new constitution. A new constitution was written, adopted in
convention on September 3, 1970, and approved by the voters on December 15,
1970. The Constitution of 1970 went into force on July 1, 1971.
Organization
The
U.S. Constitution gives certain responsibilities to the states. To carry these
out, states have set up state constitutions. The state government for example
is responsible for state highway construction and maintenance, local laws,
intrastate commerce, traffic laws, education, marriage and divorce laws,
hospitals, voting regulations and etc...
The
organization of state government is very similar to that of the federal
government. Both have three branches of government with similar functions. Both
the U.S. Constitution and the Illinois Constitution have a bill of rights.
Changing
the State Constitution
The
two ways of amending the Constitution are:
1. Constitutional Convention:
If 3/5 of the members in each House of the General Assembly (state legislature)
approve, there can be a call for a constitutional convention, which voters can
approve or disapprove.
2. By the General Assembly: If 3/5 of each house
of the General Assembly approve, amendments can be proposed by the General
Assembly. These must be submitted to the voters at the next General Election.