If your goal is solving a national or state-level problem, you will want to work with voters and lawmakers on all sides to get results that most people will accept as legitimate and useful. To achieve this, you will rely on fact-seeking and brainstorming. If your goal is for your side to win, you will […]
The Problem with Winning Read More »
In today’s tight races, it makes sense for both major parties to try to earn new votes. Showing respect for rural versus urban differences should be part of that strategy. At least some of our differences arise quite naturally from geography and demography – rural and urban situations are quite different. We review some differences
Winning Votes from Our Urban and Rural Cousins Read More »
Recent news reports indicate the two major political parties are getting ready for a gerrymandering war that will further undermine the quality of democracy in our republic. Leaders in several “red” and “blue” states are contemplating redistricting for partisan advantage in advance of the mid-terms rather than under the usual ten-year census cycle. The very
The 249th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence is a time to celebrate the founding of our nation—an ambitious, imperfect, and ongoing experiment in self-government. We have come a long way since 1776. Today, the United States is one of the world’s most free, powerful, influential, and wealthy nations. Even so, we can always be
249 Years Later: The Power & Price of Self-Government Read More »
The following is a summary of material available in our short course on the presidency as a branch of the U.S. government and how it has changed over time. It is not about any one person. In Part One of our course, you will learn that the framers of our Constitution had a lot of
Presidential War Powers and More Read More »
The following is an excerpt from our short course entitled “What Could Governments Do for Us?” In our previous posts, we discussed the difficulties faced by Congress and the president when deciding the best mix of taxation, spending, and borrowing. We also reviewed specific budgetary choices concerning liberty and justice, national security, the advancement of
Budgeting for Social Protections Read More »
The following is an excerpt from our short course entitled “What Could Governments Do for Us?” In our previous posts, we discussed the difficulties faced by Congress and the president when deciding the best mix of taxation, spending, and borrowing. We also reviewed specific budgetary choices concerning liberty and justice, national security, the advancement of
Budgeting for Productivity & Quality of Life Read More »
Memorial Day is more than a holiday. It is a solemn day of remembrance—an opportunity to honor the men and women who served in our armed forces and sacrificed their lives and limbs in defense of the values we aspire to uphold as a nation. They served with courage, believing in a country where the
The following is an excerpt from our short course entitled “What Could Governments Do for Us?” In our previous posts, we discussed the difficulties faced by Congress and the president when deciding the best mix if taxation, spending, and borrowing. We also reviewed specific budgetary choices concerning liberty and justice, national security, and the advancement
Budgeting for Natural Resource Management Read More »
The following is an excerpt from our short course entitled “What Could Governments Do for Us?” In our previous posts, we discussed the difficulties faced by Congress and the president when deciding the best mix if taxation, spending, and borrowing. In this post, we discuss specific budgetary choices concerning national security and the advancement of
Budgeting for Security Read More »
The following is an excerpt from our short course entitled “What Could Governments Do for Us?” In our previous post, we discussed the difficulties faced by Congress and the president when deciding the best mix if taxation, spending, and borrowing. In this post, we discuss specific budgetary choices concerning liberty and justice. Classically liberal republics
Budgeting for Liberty & Justice Read More »
The following is an excerpt from our short course entitled “What Could Governments Do for Us?” In this post, we discuss issues related to making budgetary choices. Previous posts dealt with issues related to taxation and borrowing and governmental capacity to get things done. The Constitution assigns Congress the powers to raise revenues, spend, and
Making Budgetary Choices Read More »
The following is an excerpt from our short course entitled “What Could Governments Do for Us?” In our previous post, we discussed some of the factors that share a government’s ability to get things done. In this post, we discuss a key requirement for accountability, the willingness and ability to monitor government policy outcomes against
Monitoring & Accountability Read More »
The following is an excerpt from our short course entitled “What Could Governments Do for Us?” In this post, we discuss issues related to governmental capacity to get things done, and done well. Previous posts dealt with issues related to taxation and borrowing and how various governments manage them. Government revenue and spending policies get
Government Capacity, Strong or Weak Read More »
The following is an excerpt from our short course entitled “What Could Governments Do for Us?” In this post, we discuss issues related to government deficits and borrowing. Some national governments seek balanced budgets, but most run deficits. A fiscal deficit arises when total spending exceeds revenues. That deficit must be financed by money creation
Ins & Outs of Government Borrowing Read More »
The following is an excerpt from our short course entitled “What Could Governments Do for Us?” In this post, we discuss issues related to taxation. How much government do we want? For some parts of the world, this question is a luxury – for them, the question is, “How much government can we afford?” Governments
How Much Government Do We Want to Pay For? Read More »
CFFAD maintains a glossary of terms that are used in civics. Our new addition is corruption. Check it out.As with all of our glossary entries, we try to be careful. You will sometimes see more than one definition for a word. This is because words can have different meanings for different people. The meaning of
Political Corruption Read More »
It is possible to live without a government, but few people like to do so. The absence of any kind of government is referred to as anarchy. Some people may believe anarchy is ideal because everyone has total freedom. In practice, our liberty often bumps into someone else’s freedom. Social norms can sort some of
Why Do We Need Governments? Read More »
Could constitutional checks and balances within the federal government impact your bank balance and the checks you write? Yes, definitely! After a brief reminder of what we mean by checks and balances, we will give you two examples from other countries of how that can happen. The Constitution’s framers created checks and balances to make
Checks and Balances: Yours & The Governments Read More »
Sometimes, when a problem gets bad enough, people say things like “burn it all down and start over.” Many people have said that about the federal government. Suppose the “burn it down” people get their way. What kind of government would you like to see built after the fire? To help you think about that,
After the Fire: What Next? Read More »
New evidence from The Pew Research Center (Feb. 14, 2025) is thought-provoking. Many partisan citizens report they are comfortable giving presidents more power when the president shares their political ideology – even while they would prefer to limit presidents who do not share their ideology. We can’t have it both ways. Either we constrain presidents,
Who Wants the Separation of Powers? Read More »
In a democracy, people need to trust that they will be treated fairly. They need to know they can vote like anyone else, that they will be treated just as well as anyone else, and that elected officials will feel as accountable to them as anyone else. It’s a good bet that at least one
December 15 is Bill of Rights Day. Why is that important? Back when the Constitution was written, some people did not trust the new federal government the framers created. Those who felt this way, the so-called Anti-federalists, were especially concerned that the new government would tyrannize the people or the state governments. Here is how
Bill of Rights Day Read More »
By now, you know we have a president-elect and many new people coming into the U.S. Congress. But how much do you know about the office of the president the Congress? What does the Constitution say about what they can and cannot do – and is that the end of the story? How do these
What Does the Constitution Say About the President and Congress? Read More »
We are living in almost unprecedented times. Many problems have piled up on top of one another in a way younger Americans have never seen – and older Americans haven’t seen for many decades. Making things worse, many of us feel either very frustrated and apathetic or very angry about what has been going on.
Timeless Ideas for Tough Times Read More »
Some of the stuff on the radio, TV, and social media sounds pretty ominous. But how much of it is meant to deliberately get you scared? What would be the advantage of getting you scared? How can you fight the fear? We’ve got your back – check out the answers here. It’s a short read.
Fear and Fear-Mongering Read More »
It is time for the two major parties to work harder to earn new votes. One-third of Americans have not registered to vote and have not given their allegiance to any political party. Worse, neither of the major parties seems to be making much effort to earn new votes from these people. According to the
The Parties Should Work Harder Read More »
Decide for yourself: is the Office of the President too strong or too weak? Do most modern presidents serve all Americans or just some? Who is the President accountable to, if anyone? Staying vigilant to these issues and the evolving nature of the presidency (and the Constitution itself) is critically important to any American who
The American President: Too Strong? Unaccountable? Read More »
In today’s tight races, it makes sense for both major parties to try to earn new votes. Showing respect for rural versus urban differences should be part of that strategy. At least some of our differences arise quite naturally from geography and demography – rural and urban situations are quite different. We review some differences
Winning Votes from Our Urban and Rural Cousins Read More »
CFFAD adds its thoughts and prayers for the victims of the senseless tragedy of July 13 and wishes a full, speedy recovery to former President Trump. Political violence has no place in a healthy democracy. We condemn it in the strongest possible terms. Rather than violence, we believe the better option is to insist on
