Mike E.

More on how social identity — here, racial / ethnic identity — can trump (!) ideology and interests. “This is a dynamic Tesler describes well. “In the post-civil rights era, Democrats needed to maintain their nonwhite base without alienating white voters,” he said. “So their incentive was silence. And Republicans Read more…

Good stuff here for discussing federalism, 2nd Amendment / gun control, and also (since Cody Wilson is a self-described anarchist) the Lockean / Hobbesian argument for government as against the violence and insecurity of an anarchic state of nature. Link to US Civitas Facebook discussion thread

Lots here on freedom of speech, including the fact that First Amendment applies only to government action and that, therefore, private social media platforms are free to restrict or allow speech at will. (“Censorship,” as a constitutional law matter, is only when government restricts speech.) There is also mention of Read more…

I haven’t closely examined this study, but the executive summary is jaw-dropping: “The Democracy Perception Index (DPI) finds a majority of people around the world feel like they have no voice in politics and that their governments are not acting in their interest (51% and 58% respectively). In particular, they Read more…

This would be great for discussing ideologies and the idea that politics (in my modified-Crickian sense) consists of a set of free nonviolent activities (and that this commitment to freedom and nonviolence sets its apart from other forms of power struggle). Both ideas converge in this discussion of the “alt-right” Read more…

This would be a fun one for discussing federal courts. Link to video Original Facebook Discussion Thread

Professor Jeff Lazarus on how interests groups like the NRA exert power over the system. Link to US Civitas Facebook Discussion Thread

‘Can the Parkland Survivors Inspire a New Focus on Civics Education?‘-Education Week Link to US Civitas Facebook Discussion Thread  

This is about “online learning success,” but it’s a useful brief summary of findings in learning science that can be applied to all forms of teaching and learning. Link to article Link to US Civitas Facebook Discussion Thread  

I took two classes at Maryland with one of the co-authors of this article (Peter Levine). He’s a very smart and insightful scholar, and he is a thought leader in the effort to revive civic education. This report covers a lot about both the sad state of civic education and Read more…

Good one for discussing political participation. Poll: only 28 percent of young voters say they will certainly vote in the 2018 midterms -Vox News Link to US Civitas Facebook Discussion Thread