Yearlong Civics Course

What does it mean to be a part of a community? What does it mean to be a citizen? This unit explores what it means to live with others in a community and the role of governments within our communities.

The American experiment in self-government seeks to answer whether or not we, “are capable or not, of establishing good government from reflection and choice…” or whether we are, “forever destined to depend…on accident and force.” Explore the philosophical foundations of the government of the United States and how these foundations shaped our government.

“But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature?” With an understanding built through theory and practical experience, Americans worked to design a government that would secure liberty and justice.

The Constitution of the United States outlined a national government consisting of three branches, the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial. Each branch is delegated different responsibilities that together work to, “establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty”. This unit explores the various responsibilities of the branches and how they operate.

This unit examines how the Constitution of the United States and the government it proscribes has adapted and changed throughout its history. The Constitution would provide a framework in which each successive generation would work to tackle the challenges and opportunities they faced.

What does it mean to live in a community? What responsibilities do we owe to each other? This unit examines the opportunities, challenges, and responsibilities of living in communities and the informal constitutional mechanics that help us live prosperously together.

Realizing the promise of liberty and equality at the center of the American experiment in self-government requires work. This Unit explores the individuals and organizations who have, since the founding, striven for a fuller realization of the principles of the Declaration of Independence.