Do you want a centralized government where the federal government has the power and most of the control? Or do you prefer a national government with a constitution that divides federal power with regional entities (like states)? Think about it carefully. What Are the Arguments? The argument for a centralized authority sounds something like this: […]
Speaker of the House: Chaos? Or Constitutional Republic At Work?
The election of the Speaker of the House is going on and on and on. That’s a good thing. It’s our Constitutional Republic at work. Article 1, Section 2 lists the first order of business for the House: Elect a Speaker. It doesn’t say the process is microwavable. Instead, there are no time limits on […]
Threats to Democracy?
We’re hearing rumblings about “threats to democracy.” Exactly, what does that mean? First, let’s define “democracy.” Founder James Madison called it “mob rule.” It’s a majority vote, no debate. That’s why our Founders adopted a Constitutional Republic where debate occurs, not a revolving door of hot-headed legislation. Recently, democracy has been described as “three wolves […]
Making Article 1 Interesting Again
How do you make the U.S. Constitution’s Article I interesting enough for Americans to pay attention to it? Let me tell you. It’s a challenge! This week, I will teach 7th and 8th graders an overview of the Constitution. A few hours later, I teach Article I to homeschooled high schoolers. The next night, I […]
Think and Do, Not Feel and Repeat
Are you tired of arguing? Have you lost friends and relatives over your opinions? Let me ask you: What’s the difference between a debate question and a policy question? Not knowing the answer separates the closest of friends these days in our country. We must understand the difference to lay the groundwork for a civil […]
We Can’t Do Everything; We Can Do Something
Many fellow citizens have expressed deep concerns, like, “Should I take our country seriously? Or languish in feelings of defeat for the almost 250-year-old American Experiment?” Last night, I met “Ash Bay.” Hear the story of an everyday American that decided to do something small and do it with “all-in” effort. The town board asked […]
Civil War 2.0??
Do you think America is headed for Civil War 2.0? I get comments from readers that don’t simply question the possibility. They assume it. Or fear it. Or both. So, I’ve been thinking this through and doing some research. Looks like the idea of another Civil War is being promoted as an unquestionable event to happen soon. I’m not buying it. Emotion is not an effective strategy to accomplish goals. Thinking things through to logical outcomes is a better way toward a satisfactory result.
True American Law and Government (Part 2)
Let’s continue our discussion on True American Law and Government that we started a few days ago. Thanks to all of you for your valuable input and civil discourse on this topic. Here is Part 2. American law recognizes individual rights. The power of our American government is limited and defined by our Constitution. Totalitarianism […]
True American Law & Government
Welcome back to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship! Several raw interactions I’ve had this past week call for a review of what it means to be truly American. Let’s dive right in! It’s hard to believe, but many Americans have been deceived. We have fellow citizens believing that the government, once voted in, has a […]
Can America Recover?
Thank you for returning to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship. If you are a new subscriber to our newsletter, welcome! This week, I address the concern about America ever returning to its founding priniciples. Our second article (under “articles” in the upper right on the home page of .http://www.civicsandcitizenship.org) takes a look at one of […]
People In Power Ought To Be Mistrusted
Who said this? “The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted.” You’re right if you said many have expressed this sentiment over the decades. This particular quote is from the “Father of the U.S. Constitution” and our fourth president, James Madison. When you first read it, maybe you thought it was […]
Patriotism Defined
Thank you for returning to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship. How have headlines influenced our culture since the 1800s? Also, America’s founding generation had a working definition of “patriotism.” We examine these issues, noting how subtle forces influence us in ways that take us off point from what our country was created to be in […]
Communist Goals Part 4
Welcome back to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship and our newsletter. Today, our topic concerns liberty and what it takes to keep it. We are looking at the fourth in a series of Neo-Communist goals described in the book “The Naked Communist” by W. Cleon Skousen in 1958. “Do We Have the Right Stuff?” is […]
Factions Don’t Work
Have you ever thought that this or that could be a great idea if only it were given the opportunity? Later, your idea was tried, but it nearly brought disaster. You end up pondering, “How could this be? I thought it surely would yield the best outcome. What went wrong?“ That’s where I am at […]
Communist Goals, Circa 1958
Thank you for returning to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship and this newsletter. The articles this week concern communist goals for our country that were developed in the 1950’s. Part 2 appears first and part 1 appears underneath it. I divide the discussion into education and the arts. Perhaps you will see the digression of […]
