Civics

How the republic actually works. The Constitution, your rights, your vote and how to be heard by the people you elect.

GuideMarcus ValeNov 6, 20266 min

Voters can recall a governor in 19 states, not a senator

Recall is a power you hold at the state and local level only. Here's who it reaches, what it takes, and when it's the wrong tool.

A blocked law isn't a dead law. Read the order to see why

From the Civics archive

Older stories

GuideMarcus ValeSep 23, 20266 min

Why We Have a Bill of Rights and What Each One Says

GuideMarcus ValeSep 23, 20266 min

Reading the Declaration of Independence Line by Line

GuideMarcus ValeSep 23, 20266 min

What each of the seven articles of the Constitution actually does

GuideMarcus ValeSep 23, 20265 min

What the First Amendment Actually Protects, and What It Doesn't

GuideJosh HalloranSep 23, 20266 min

What the Courts Have Actually Held on Religious Liberty

GuideMarcus ValeSep 23, 20266 min

How a Case Reaches the Supreme Court and Gets Decided

Civics on video

Worth an hour of your evening

From channels we rate. Plays on YouTube.

TED-EdOct 30

A 3-minute guide to the Bill of Rights - Belinda Stutzman

Turning Point USAFeb 26

Charlie Kirk On Why Americans NEED To Own GUNS 👀🔥 *FULL CLIP*

Civics ReviewJan 18

The Bill of Rights: Every Amendment, Why it's important, and How it limits the government

Heimler's HistorySep 30

The BILL of RIGHTS [AP Gov Review Unit 3 Topic 1 (3.1)]

Turning Point USADec 18

Glenn Beck's Lesson On True Freedom #AMFEST2023

Jake the LawyerDec 10

The Bill of Rights - 800 Years in the Making (Lawyer Explains)

CrashCourseMar 20

How a Bill Becomes a Law: Crash Course Government and Politics #9

Jack ItalixMay 30

Schoolhouse Rock- How a Bill Becomes a Law

Khan AcademyDec 22

How a bill becomes a law | US government and civics | US government and civics | Khan Academy

Khan AcademyJan 12

Diagramming how a bill becomes a law in the U.S.

Government ExplainedSep 7

How a Bill Becomes a Law

Fresberg Cartoon – Learning & History for StudentsJan 2

Wait… Who Makes the Laws?! How a Bill Becomes a Law for Kids

GPB EducationDec 15

How Does a Bill Become a Law?

Learn Something - PoliticsDec 31

How a Bill Becomes a Law | Learn Something

Mr. Raymond's Social Studies AcademyDec 19

How A Bill Becomes a Law 3.7 - Benchmark Civics EOC Exam - Congress II

Teach With TVWDec 6

How a Bill Becomes a Law

Nate VanderzeeMay 5

How a Bill Becomes a Law (cartoon)

SpringtideJul 4

How a bill becomes a law

Civics quizzes

Quiz yourself, then your friends

All quizzes

GuideMarcus ValeOct 28, 20265 min

The people who set your tax rate meet in public, and almost nobody comes

Your county board decides more about your roads, taxes and neighborhood than anyone in Washington does. Here's who they are and how to get in the room.

GuideJosh HalloranOct 13, 20265 min

Who gets to define antisemitism, and why it matters in law

One definition is used by the State Department and written into state laws. It isn't law itself, and the fight over it's really a fight over speech.

Ask BRO

Build me a revision plan that I will actually stick to

Ask it

BRO TakeJosh HalloranOct 13, 20265 min

The Constitution never mentions schools, so who decides?

Education is a state and local job. That's where parents can win the argument over who controls the money their taxes raise for kids.

Dude.com — 16 AI advisers who listen, talk and are here with you

PartnerDude.com

5 min read

The drag show laws turn on their definitions

Tennessee, Florida and Texas wrote different laws, and courts treated them differently. Here's what the text says, what's been decided, and where you come in.

Poll

How many days a week are you actually training?

GuideJosh HalloranOct 12, 20266 min

Who actually runs your public library, and how you get a say

Your library answers to a board, a budget and a written policy. Find out which of the three you can reach, and how to be heard.

GuideJosh HalloranSep 26, 20267 min

Your First Amendment Gets Tested at a Folding Table

Speech, religion and assembly rarely get defended at the Supreme Court. They get defended at the three-minute podium, the permit office and the zoning board.

Coconut.com — Tell us when. We find where the sun is.

PartnerCoconut.com

GuideMarcus ValeSep 23, 20266 min

How to Actually Win a School Board or City Council Race

Find your win number, build a voter universe, knock the doors. Local races are decided by a few hundred people, and most of them can be found.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

Five questions, honestly answered, and a plan for the next two weeks.

GuideMarcus ValeSep 23, 20266 min

Why the Founders Built a Government That Can't Move Fast

Congress is slow, the Senate is stubborn, and courts take years. That's not a malfunction. It's the machine working as designed.

GuideMarcus ValeSep 23, 20266 min

How to Watch Your Statehouse Like Somebody Who Gets Paid To

A state legislature can pass a law in eleven weeks while you're looking the other way. The calendar, the chair, and the two minutes that matter.

Ask BRO

What should I wear to this?

Ask it

GuideCal BrennanSep 23, 20266 min

Raise a Kid Who's Actually Read the Constitution

Pocket copies, courthouse visits and a household amendment process that'll teach your kids more about self-government than a year of worksheets.

GermProof.com — An invisible germ barrier on your skin for hours

PartnerGermProof.com

GuideAde FisherSep 23, 20266 min

How to Become a US Citizen and Pass the Civics Test

The five-year clock, the paperwork trap that sinks good applicants, and the 100 questions every American ought to be able to answer.

Poll

How often do you see your closest friends?

GuideAde FisherSep 23, 20266 min

What It Actually Takes to Get on Your Local Ballot

Most people who talk about running for school board never call the election office. That call takes eleven minutes and settles the whole thing.

GuideJosh HalloranSep 23, 20266 min

How to Argue Politics With Your Neighbor and Keep Him

You're going to share a fence line with this guy for fifteen years. Here's how to hold your ground without torching the relationship.

PartnerWhackAWoke.com

GuideMarcus ValeSep 23, 20266 min

How to Get Your Congressman to Actually Write Back

Most messages to Capitol Hill get tallied, not read. A few get worked. The difference is which door you knock on and what you put in your first sentence.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

Six questions. No email required, no sales pitch at the end.

6 min

Ten Federalist Papers Worth Reading and What Each Argues

5 min

Your State Legislature Runs More of Your Life Than Congress Does

Ask BRO

Pressure-test my business idea

Ask it

GuideMarcus ValeSep 23, 20265 min

Three Minutes at the Microphone and How to Use Them

Public comment isn't a suggestion box. It's the last unlocked door in local government, and most people walk past it.

Delicious.com — Nine thousand recipes and a plan for tonight

PartnerDelicious.com

6 min read

How to Read the Part of Your Ballot Nobody Explains

Judges, bond questions and the county races with zero coverage decide more of your life than the name at the top. Forty minutes at the kitchen table fixes that.

Poll

When did you last ask for a raise?

Older articles

Older Civics stories

Civics

Voters can recall a governor in 19 states, not a senator

The headline said the court ruled. Read what it actually held.

The zoning notice in your mailbox is a deadline, not a courtesy

A city can regulate your rally. It can't regulate your message.

Read your state budget in one evening

A blocked law isn't a dead law. Read the order to see why

From the Civics archive

Why We Have a Bill of Rights and What Each One Says

Reading the Declaration of Independence Line by Line

What each of the seven articles of the Constitution actually does

What the First Amendment Actually Protects, and What It Doesn't

What the Courts Have Actually Held on Religious Liberty

How a Case Reaches the Supreme Court and Gets Decided

Worth an hour of your evening

Quiz yourself, then your friends

The people who set your tax rate meet in public, and almost nobody comes

Who gets to define antisemitism, and why it matters in law

The Constitution never mentions schools, so who decides?

The drag show laws turn on their definitions

Who actually runs your public library, and how you get a say

Your First Amendment Gets Tested at a Folding Table

How to Actually Win a School Board or City Council Race

Why the Founders Built a Government That Can't Move Fast

How to Watch Your Statehouse Like Somebody Who Gets Paid To

Raise a Kid Who's Actually Read the Constitution

How to Become a US Citizen and Pass the Civics Test

What It Actually Takes to Get on Your Local Ballot

How to Argue Politics With Your Neighbor and Keep Him

How to Get Your Congressman to Actually Write Back

Ten Federalist Papers Worth Reading and What Each Argues

Your State Legislature Runs More of Your Life Than Congress Does

Three Minutes at the Microphone and How to Use Them

How to Read the Part of Your Ballot Nobody Explains