Political Resources
Civics
Advocates/Services
“Through Public Achievement, people of all ages work with others to meet challenges and solve problems. They learn from each other the meaning of citizenship and democracy. Ordinary people do extraordinary things.”
“Hi there! I’m Sharon McMahon, a former high school government and law teacher on a mission to combat political misinformation. You may know me from my viral Instagram account @SharonSaysSo, and I’m dedicated to sharing non-partisan facts about the US government and democracy.”
Articles/Op-eds//Essays
Can Civics Save America? George Packer.
Teaching civics could restore health to American democracy, or inflame our mutual antagonisms.
“...Unlike Educating for American Democracy, the Biden administration’s rule, like its conservative critics, imposes a fixed view of civics and U.S. history in place of inquiry, debate, and disagreement. By intent or blunder, the left and right are colluding to undermine the noble, elusive goal of giving American children the ability to think and argue and act together as citizens.”
Free Spaces and citizen, Harry Boyte.
“Vending machine democracy.” We live in an age of ‘vending machine’ democracy which turns citizenship into a consumer experience where government’s role is to deliver goods and services to customers. Colleges, schools, media, even congregations and nonprofits often fall into the same pattern. These dynamics lead to fragmentation, polarization, and the erosion of our capacities to address common challenges...” (read more)
The State of Civics Education, Sarah Shapiro and Catherine Brown.
“Civic knowledge and public engagement is at an all-time low. A 2016 survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center found that only 26 percent of Americans can name all three branches of government, which was a significant decline from previous years.1 Not surprisingly, public trust in government is at only 18 percent2 and voter participation has reached its lowest point since 1996.3 Without an understanding of the structure of government; rights and responsibilities; and methods of public engagement, civic literacy and voter apathy will continue to plague American democracy. Educators and schools have a unique opportunity and responsibility to ensure that young people become engaged and knowledgeable citizens.”
John Dewey and Citizen Politics, Harry C. Boyte.
“Can we become masters of our fate in an age of smart machines governed by an efficiency creed, with its conviction that “the system is the solution”? In this 2017 Dewey lecture I answer affirmatively the question raised by nine scientists in a Scientific American essay, “Will Democracy Survive Big Data and Artificial Intelligence?” I argue that we need a different kind of politics, citizen-centered, educative, and empowering, as well as places to learn such politics and put it into practice. Drawing on Dewey, I use schools embedded in communities as a case study for developing civic power.”
Podcasts
How to Citizen with Baratunde.
“reimagines the word “citizen” as a verb and reminds us how to wield our collective power. So many of us want to do more in response to the problems we hear about constantly, but where and how to participate can leave us feeling overwhelmed and helpless. Voting, while critically important, simply isn’t enough. It takes more to make this experiment in self-governance work.
Proposals for Action
Promoting Nonviolent Civics Activism, Harry Walker.
“Nonviolent Civic Activism focuses three threads of activity: 1. Forming local community groups passionate about advocating for one or more of the issues identified. 2. Getting out the vote for candidates most likely to support the issues. 3. Continuously contacting elected officials to address these issues.”