When you cast your ballot, what factors determine who you choose to lead? How do you select leaders? That was the topic in my Jr. High civics class this week. It sounds so simple, but then again, it’s not easy, as my ‘tweens discovered. Maturity I asked the students what “maturity” meant. One child answered, […]
Consider this: Accept America’s Founding
Welcome back to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship. I’m not sure how your week went, but mine was full of questions-my own and other people’s as well. In our first article, we look at accepting America’s founding rather than trying to re-make her. This dovetails on the article below about the affect of the media […]
Who Does It Better?
Should parents have a say about the content of their children’s education? It’s a Constitutional issue, so let’s talk about it. I’ve been sitting on the idea for this article for almost a week. Since this site is not a political page but an educational one, I want to examine it from the original intent […]
A Road Map for What’s Next
“These are the times that try men’s souls…”- Thomas Paine, author of Common Sense. As Americans, we can relate to Thomas Paine’s pain, if you will. We wonder, what will happen in the next days and weeks to our country? What will be the outcome? Since this is a civics education page, I will summarize […]
The Constitution Belongs to You and Me
Presidents come and go. They make their mark. For sure, not all had perfect personal lives. Take, for example, Grover Cleveland. He legally paid an immigrant $300 to take his place in the Civil War (legal for the sole supporter of a family at that time). He had a child out of wedlock when he […]
Simple Civics 101 National Party Conventions
Every four years, political party conventions convene to nominate their respective party’s candidate for President and Vice-President. These events very much resemble a giant party combined with business, specifically, the party platform—more on that below. Ok, I admit it. I’m a political party watcher, having done so since I was a tot. There’s a single […]
From the Mailbag
From my mailbag: Let’s take a peek inside my Common Sense Civics and Citizenship mailbag to see what is on a few fellow Americans’ minds. (There’s always a link on this website to “Join the Conversation” if you would like to see the responses and conversations we have on my social media education page). Question: […]
Simple Civics 101-The Executive Branch
Let’s do a basic civics review of the Presidency, which is the federal government’s Executive Branch. Qualifications: Must be at least 35 years old Natural born citizen of the United States Must be a resident of the United States for the past 14 years Term of Service: Four years Two-term limit Note: the Founding Fathers […]
Term Limits-Good or Bad?
How familiar are you with the idea of term limits for Congress? Do you even care? I hope you do. My purpose here is not to argue about term limits because both sides make a solid case for their position. I doubt if anything I say will change your mind. (People dig their heels in […]
Simple Civics 101
The Legislative Branch The Legislative Branch is the least popular branch among Americans. You may likely be one of those Americans who disapproves of Congress. They make law, but some would argue that they do nothing (which is good, because then there are fewer laws to follow)! Ironically, We the People elect those who serve […]
Action, not Anger!
People are asking Common Sense Civics and Citizenship what they can do about the quarantine and various aspects of life in a COVID-19 world. First, it’s a big country. I can guarantee that not everyone thinks or feels the same way about the virus as you do. My purpose here is to educate, not entertain […]
About the recent mass murders…
We know that if guns are removed from the hands of law abiding citizens, criminals will still get their hands on some other form of weaponry-like a truck, for example. Removal of trucks and/or guns doesn’t solve the problem, so let’s consider what might be the root cause of the heinous acts of mass murder […]
Critical Thinking vs Critical Theory
Americans seem to have left critical thinking behind and replaced it with critical theory. As I see it, logic, common sense, and thinking for yourself has been replaced by the prevailing opinions of the day… a sort of “groupthink.” Perhaps I will do a video teaching on this soon. For now, check out episode 14b […]
Passing On Our Patriotism
You don’t need a trip to Washington to learn about our House (The House of Representatives). No matter what your level of interest, you’ll find fun details and info at www.history.house.gov There’s information on everything from the 1927 Congressional Club Cookbook, to the House Practice and Traditions, to Minorities in Congress, tothe History, Art and […]
