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Civics Is All Around Us

by Bill of Rights Institute on

Learning about civics and civil society goes beyond being able to identify the three branches of government or the names of Founders.

Understanding the rights and responsibilities of citizenship requires an appreciation for the relationship between government and civil society.  This is the focus of the Bill of Rights Institute’s new Government and Politics: Civics for the American Experiment curriculum. It examines how the actions and beliefs of the people direct the government and also fosters an understanding of civics that promotes self-government.

This approach reveals how civics intersects with our lives on a daily basis. It can be found in your local community, through simple acts like conversing with your neighbor, volunteering at your local library, or returning your shopping cart to the grocery store when you finish your trip.

The role of civil society has always been core to BRI’s approach to civics. BRI’s comprehensive U.S. history digital textbook, Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, explored this relationship in various ways, including  an essay by Alexis de Tocqueville. A member of the Versailles court of law in France, de Tocqueville visited the United States in 1830 and shared incredible insights into how civil society supported American democracy in the early republic.

BRI’s  Documents of Freedom resource also explored this relationship by looking at the role citizens can play in their local communities and how civics and the concept of a community are closely linked. Citizens often work together in their local communities to support each other through endeavors like volunteering, being a school board member, or serving in their local government.

There might be no better example of civics in local communities than BRI’s MyImpact Challenge. The annual civic engagement contest highlights students who actively engage in service, volunteerism, or entrepreneurship in their communities for the opportunity to win cash prizes.

Students can apply for this year’s MyImpact Challenge until 11:59 p.m. ET on May 18, 2025.