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 […]
North American Union and You
There is a movement afoot that seldom, if ever, makes national news. It’s called the “North American Union.” It is a long-range plan that’s been in the works for years. The goal is to erase the borders between contiguous countries to the north and the south of the U.S., leaving one ginormous nation called the […]
How Do You Select Leaders?
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, […]
The Doctrine of Separation of Powers
Chess pieces on chess board illustrate the separation of powers.
October Surprises
We hear a lot about anticipated “October Surprises” at this time of the year. These events may change our minds, focus, or direction rather suddenly.
Global, National, and State Issues Affecting Your Life
Let’s apply common sense civics and citizenship to global, national, and state issues affecting your life. These subjects have been rolling around in my brain because they affect my life, country, and my world. A State Issue Affecting Your Life We’ve talked about gerrymandering, the controversial but legal practice of redrawing elec-toral districts to gain […]
How Can You Know a Candidate?
Thank you for returning to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship! We are a month away from elections, so it’s time to be thinking about the candidates, their credentials, but most of all, finding out who they are from reliable sources-namely the candidate’s own actions. Let’s jump right in! How can you know a candidate? You […]
Constitution Day, 2022
Thank you for returning to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship, where we’ve been thinking about Constitution Day (September 17). I hope Americans never lose sight of the fact that the Constitution remains the “Supreme Law of the Land.” In all the distractions, we still want to remember that We the People run the U. S. […]
Civic Duty
What qualities of citizenship are we passing on to the next generation? Is it not our civic duty? I hear all sorts of interesting adjectives to describe Queen Elizabeth II as people pay tribute to her following her passing. She was the Queen for about 30% of the time our country has existed, as well […]
Natural Law
Wrong is wrong. Even if someone declares it right, it is still wrong. Bad is bad, even if it is better than ______________. Do you agree? I mean, how do you know if you’re right and the other person is wrong? Our Founders always returned to “the Laws of Nature and Nature’s God.” That was […]
You and Your Government: Liberty Under Law
Welcome back to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship. It’s back to school time, and so we begin with lessons in civics basics. This week, I’m using personal experiences to make my point. I know your time is valuable. I hope you find the articles on this site to add to your knowledge and enhance your […]
Back to School, Back to Civics
It’s back-to-school time. We’re catching up with friends we maybe haven’t seen in a few months. The common question is, “So, what have you been up to lately?” While walking on the local exercise path, I ran into some old friends with whom I hadn’t had a personal conversation in a while. One asked that […]
What Ingredients Make Self-Government Work?
Thank you for returning to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship as we take a look this week at what it takes to be a self-governing people. Let’s dive right in. “Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom.” What do you think of that statement by Benjamin Franklin? I was not aware of the heated […]
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.
