Have you heard? Some Americans are sympathizing with, even claiming to love, a CEO killer they neither know nor have met. This is not normal. Yet, in the twentieth century and today, certain Americans evaluate suspects based solely on their outward appearance, disregarding the alleged crime entirely. This blind affirmation of physicality over facts or […]
What the State of the Union Is Meant to Be
Article II, Sec. 3 requires that the President of the United States inform Congress of the State of the Union. Through our elected representatives, We the People are: 1. to be informed about how our country is doing 2. to be given any recommendations the President thinks are necessary. The Constitution says it this way: […]
Travel Is a Civics Lesson
Travel is a great way to enhance your civics knowledge. It’s a fascinating way to learn about America through the lens of hikes, road trips, and really any mode of travel. Recently, I taught my Jr. High civics students a lesson about travel using three principles: 1. You leave home (travel) to find things different, […]
What Kind of Government Do You Want?
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: […]
Adopting the House of Representatives Rules
Now that we have a Speaker, what happens next in Congress? The House of Representatives must adopt rules that govern their operations every two years. The 118th Congress votes on those rules as the second order of business. (The Constitution requires the House to elect a Speaker as the first order of business). It’s important […]
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 […]