Civics & Citizenship

Founding-documents-based American civics education

Recapture Our American Civil Discourse

Candace teaches the fundamentals of liberty that inspired the American system of government.
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Uncovering the Real Christopher Columbus: Facts, Myths, and His Impact

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(This is an updated version of the original article) Think you know a lot about Columbus? After all, many of us rely on childhood stories or contemporary professors to assess Columbus. Will the real Columbus please stand? Enter historian Bill Federer. His uncanny knack for explaining historical facts with words, pictures, and word pictures is worth exploring. (link appears below) Federer notes that Columbus made a far better explorer than a (failed) governor. He backs up this claim with Columbus’ own words: “I undertook a new voyage to the New World which hitherto had been hidden … They judge me there as a governor who had gone to Sicily or to a city or town under a regular government … I should be judged as a captain who went from Spain to the Indies.” -Excerpt from Columbus’s letter to Queen Dona Juana de Torres We all learned that Columbus undertook four voyages. There’s more to the story. Let’s take a brief look through Federer’s account: 1ST VOYAGE …

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Know Your Rights: The Bill of Rights Made Easy

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Do you know what rights the Bill of Rights guarantees to you as a U.S. citizen? If you ask around, you might be surprised how many Americans aren’t sure. Let’s change that!  -The Bill of Rights is a part of the Constitution, not a separate document.  -Our rights are God-given, not government-granted.  -The five freedoms contained in the First Amendment. I read portions of the 10 amendments in the Bill of Rights to my 12-14-year-old students from their textbook. This was the first time any of them heard or read the Bill of Rights. Personal Rights When I asked the class if they knew any of the five freedoms listed in the First Amendment, a few chorused out, “freedom of speech!” (How surprising that tweens and young teens knew they had freedom of speech, right? LOL) One also knew freedom of the press. The First Amendment lists these five freedoms: freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition Property Rights I read the Fourth Amendment to my …

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I educate Americans on who we are, what we stand for, and how to communicate with one another!
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Candace has a variety of teaching experiences and is a certified instructor for adults and homeschoolers through the Institute on the Constitution. Her hobbies include walking, world travel, Pilates, writing, and spending time with her grandsons. …

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Recent Articles

Uncovering the Real Christopher Columbus: Facts, Myths, and His Impact

(This is an updated version of the original article) Think you know a lot about Columbus? After all, many of us rely on childhood stories or contemporary professors to assess Columbus. Will the real Columbus please stand? Enter historian Bill Federer. His uncanny knack for explaining historical facts with words, pictures, and word pictures is […]

Know Your Rights: The Bill of Rights Made Easy

Do you know what rights the Bill of Rights guarantees to you as a U.S. citizen? If you ask around, you might be surprised how many Americans aren’t sure. Let’s change that!  -The Bill of Rights is a part of the Constitution, not a separate document.  -Our rights are God-given, not government-granted.  -The five freedoms […]

Quick Quiz on U.S. Constitutional Basics for Students and Learners

Think you know the foundations of American government? Put your knowledge to the test with this quick quiz on the basics of the U.S. Constitution. Whether you’re a student, a lifelong learner, or just brushing up on your civics, these questions will help you review essential constitutional principles in a fun and interactive way. Quiz […]

Why Constitutional Process Still Matters

Power and Control Power and control are magnets for human beings. Anyone who is tuned in to our world today can see the attraction at work in industry, education, media, and politics. Our Founders knew this, so they structured our government with horizontal separation of powers and vertical boundaries between local, state, and national government […]

What Are Checks and Balances? A Teen-Friendly Guide

How would you explain checks and balances to high school students? This concept goes over the heads of many adults, let alone teenagers, so let’s review it. What Are Checks and Balances? First, our Founders developed checks and balances to avoid tyranny, plain and simple. If the government is divided in its responsibilities, each branch […]

Why Knowing the Three Branches of Government Matters for Americans

Alarming Statistics: Americans and Civic Knowledge One in three Americans cannot name the three branches of government. Only 11% can name two of the three branches of government. Also, 16% cannot name any branch of government. (1) Why should you care? The Role of Citizens in a Representative Government Since We the People run the […]

What Would the Founders Think about AI?

What would the Founders think about AI expansion in America? This gives us a modern-day test of constitutional issues that still matter today: centralized power, factions, separation of powers, and checks and balances. Federal Power Was Meant to Be Limited James Madison explains in Federalist No. 45 that constitutional federal power is limited, while the […]

9/11 Remembrance: Honoring Courage and American Resolve

 How does a nation commemorate a surprise attack on its own soil by invaders who wished to take down our country decisively? What has history shown? I was thinking of 9/11/21. I also thought of times like the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and the overwhelming power of the British during our […]

Federalists vs Anti-Federalists: Key Differences in Constitutional Debate 

Who were the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists? As we consider the Constitutional debates, let’s clarify these two groups of patriots. Yes, that’s right. Both groups were patriotic Americans and supported the Constitution. They raised different but compelling concerns over what type of Constitutional government would best serve Americans then and in the future. Why the […]