| Last week’s curation at RealClear’s American Civics portal begins with the Annenberg Public Policy Center’s civics knowledge survey, which is released annually in celebration of Constitution Day. The findings of this year's survey, in which 1,482 U.S. adults were asked a series of civics questions, are distressing but not surprising: “Many Americans do not know what rights are protected under the First Amendment and a substantial number cannot name all three branches of government.” Respondents generally could list only the freedom of speech when asked about the rights protected by the First Amendment. While 66 percent of respondants could name all three branches of government, 17 percent could not name any branch, or one in six Americans. As Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of both the Annenberg Public Policy Center and the survey, stated in response to these results, “One is unlikely to cherish or work to protect freedoms one does not know one has and will have trouble holding elected and unelected leaders accountable if one does not understand the nature and prerogatives of each branch and the ways in which the power of each is kept in check.” In remembrance of 9/11, The American Mind published two pieces that focus on different aspects of the terrorist attacks that occurred 22 years ago. First, Alexander Riley notes that the crash of Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, in which passengers sacrificed themselves to avert another likely attack on the nation’s capital, was an attack on the spirit of America, the very myths that give our country its spiritual lifeblood. Next, Peachy Keenan gives a biographical account of the attacks, noting that to the surprise of her friends and family, she moved to New York in the months afterward, where she would meet the man whom she would marry. As she concludes, “Ground Zero was where my path started to take its current turn, for better or for worse.” Essential Reading Karl Rove, Claremont Review of Books Grover Cleveland is a presidential anomaly, the only occupant of the White House (so far) to serve... In the News Jonathan Skrmetti, Tennessean Sean Salai, Washington Times Colin Young, Eagle Tribune Michelle Blanchet, Edutopia Joel Kotkin, Quillette Annenberg Public Policy Center Scott Bomboy, National Constitution Center John O. McGinnis, Law & Liberty Cory Sharber, WHYY Arrman Kyaw, Diverse C. Bradley Thompson, Substack Jessica Philips & Julia White, 59 News Patrick J. Kiger, History.com Christian Barnard, Reason ABC 7 Hillsdale College Beginning in 2010, and coinciding with the opening of Hillsdale College's Allan P. Kirby, Jr. Center for... We the People We have just launched an exciting project on the NCC's website: The Founders' Library. In it, you... Carl Cannon's Great American Stories It's Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, and the day of the week when I share a quote meant to be uplifting ... Good morning, it's Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023. Another commemoration of the attacks of 9/11 has come and gone. I was ... It's Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023. I hope you had a productive and enjoyable Labor Day weekend. From its late 19th ... | 