Civics is
the study
of the structure and function
of government,
and the rights and duties
of citizens.
- It looks at the ways that our governments are organized, how they're supposed to work, and how they really do work.
- Civics is an essential, but neglected, area of our education.
- The government operates by a set of rules.
- We have the right and responsibility to participate in our government.
- However, we can't participate fully if we don't know those rules.
No, the President Does Not Have Total Power
Not a chance.
At least twice, Donald Trump claimed absolute control of the United States government.
"When somebody's the president of the United States, the authority is total,"
he said.
Actually, no, we have rules about that.
Stay-at-Home and Social Distancing Orders ARE Constitutional
Americans need to learn what our schools refuse to teach.
For the last few weeks, astro-turfed organizations have been staging rallies demanding the end of that all stay-home and social distancing orders. The protestors are white “patriots” – with guns. Since they’re probably not planning to shoot the virus, their real purpose is to threaten and intimidate the rest of us. Apparently, coronavirus is no longer a threat, because we’re bored with it.
Political Ignorance Breeds Political Impotence.
Community Matters Article Categories
FEATURED ARTICLE
The same old issues keep re-appearing on our political landscape.
This is an update on a recurring issue.
Defective Teaching Methods Produce American Political Ignorance
What’s wrong with our civics education and how to fix it.
Civics courses are supposed to teach how our government works in real life. Americans' anger at government has been growing for 30 years. We've seen griping, grumbling, ranting, and raving about government's size and its role in our lives. False information causes much of the noise. Civil, healthy debate is valuable, but it's impossible when the participants are uneducated.
Patricia A. O'Malley
Social Policy & Programs Consulting ~ Community Matters
P.O. Box 97803 ~ Pittsburgh, PA 15227 ~ 412-310-4886 ~ info@patomalley-consulting.com
Copyright Patricia A. O'Malley ~ All rights reserved
Established 1993
I've been writing Community Matters since 2008.
Here are my most recent articles.
These essays do what our schools fail to do.
They teach civics properly.
It's not your boring high school civics class.
Pat uses current events and the U.S. Constitution to explain what's happening, and why.
With these tools, you can better understand current events,
be an informed voter, and influence your government officials.
You can help make the world be what you want it to be.
America will work for you
when you know how to make it work.
American politics are in turmoil because most Americans don't understand how their government works.
Those who understand how government
works know how to influence it.
Through Community Matters, I use the U.S. Constitution and current events to teach American government – civics.
I don't report the news. I explain it.
The Constitution’s Real Purpose
Many people get it wrong.
Somehow, many Americans created the notion that our founders wrote the constitution to restrict government power. They’re wrong. And that hurts all of us.
Patricia A. O'Malley
Social Policy & Programs Consulting
Training and Services for agencies working toward social and economic justice