| At RealClear’s American Civics portal this past week, we’ve continued to feature articles, essays, and podcasts discussing the 234th anniversary of the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. The Heritage Foundation recently published “The Essential Constitution,” a booklet that gives a brief overview of the Constitution’s historical origins and purposes. It describes the building blocks of our constitutional architecture, such as the separation of powers and federalism. In addition, it tells the story of the compromise that led to the Constitution’s passage – the Founders agreed to having two houses of Congress, one featuring proportional representation and the other equal representation – and makes the case for how the Constitution should be interpreted. At American Greatness, Anthony Esolen writes about the difficulty students have with reading key texts of the American Founding, such as “The Federalist” – a series of 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay supporting the Constitution’s ratification. Instead of learning about American civics, Esolen charges that Americans and their leaders spend their time watching “one fatuous soap opera after another; in other words, who follow the words and deeds of our entertainers and politicians.” Bob Woodson and Ian Rowe of 1776 Unites argue at Newsweek that well-meaning politicians who are working to ban the teaching of critical race theory miss the real problem in education today: the “failure to enable the majority of students – regardless of race – to achieve academic excellence or even, in many cases, basic skills.” Also from 1776 Unites is a recent podcast featuring Rowe, along with Judge Janice Rogers Browns, Glenn Loury, and Wilfred Reilly, discussing principles and ideas that can provide the basis for reestablishing a new “e pluribus unum.” American Civics portal editor Mike Sabo reviews Ronald J. Pestritto’s latest book “America Transformed: The Rise and Legacy of American Progressivism” at City Journal. Sabo argues that the fracturing of modern society can be traced back to an alternate theory of government that the leaders of the Progressive Movement first taught over one hundred years ago. Woodrow Wilson, Theodore Roosevelt, John Dewey, and Frank Goodnow, among other luminaries, launched a scathing critique of the Constitution and posited an alternate form of government in which experts who are insulated from political accountability rule for the good of Americans. Essential Reading The Heritage Foundation Bottom Line: A product of the greater Western intellectual inheritance, the U.S. Constitution was created by the American people... Nathan Harden, RealClearEducation If a tree falls in the wilderness and there’s no one there to hear it, does it make a sound? That could be the start of an interesting... In the News Ben Boychuk, American Greatness Robert Elder, History News Network Dan Springer, Fox News J.D. Davidson, The Center Square Rachel Lu, Law & Liberty Patrick J. Kiger, History.com Christopher Wolfe, Public Discourse Star Parker, Daily Signal David F. Krugler, Teaching American History Dennis Saffran, City Journal Daniel J. Mahoney, Law & Liberty Richard Stengel, New York Times Anthony Esolen, American Greatness Christopher Jacobs, The Federalist Richard Hall, History News Network Lucas Morel & Jeff Sikkenga, American Idea In this episode of The American Idea, Jeff welcomes back Dr. Lucas Morel, Professor of Politics at Washington and Lee University... Jonathan Rauch & Rausch, Heterodox Out Loud On today’s episode of Heterodox Out Loud, we venture into the mind of James Madison, one of the most insightful political thinkers... Jeffrey Rosen, Martha S. Jones, Hasan Kwame Jeffries, & Robert P. George, National Constitution Center Join President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen and Chief Learning Officer Kerry Sautner for a special All-Star Edition of our popular Fun Friday classes. Chris Flannery, American Story The first duty of civic education is to teach each new generation of Americans what it is about the country that makes it worthy... Ian Rowe, Janice Rogers Brown, Glenn Loury, & Wilfred Reilly, AEI In an age marked by racial division and political polarization, what visions and ideals can Americans share? When our national history... PolicyEd The Constitution includes checks and balances in order to protect individual rights. But since the middle of the twentieth century... Jeffrey Rosen, William R. Hite, Louise Dubé, & Sal Khan, National Constitution Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen will be joined by leaders from government, education, and cultural institutions, including... Joeseph Fornieri & Jeff Sikkenga, American Idea Building on our recent conversation with Fox News Contributor Mollie Hemingway, Jeff welcomes Joe Fornieri, Professor of... Carl Cannon's Great American Stories Good morning, it's Friday, Sept. 24, 2021, the day of the week when I reprise quotations intended to be uplifting ... On this date in 1944, Franklin Delano Roosevelt kicked off his fourth presidential campaign. It was late in the game ... It was on this date in 1832, at a meeting of the New England Anti-Slavery Society, that a 29-year-old black ... |
