Civics Syllabus -- Readings & Bibliography

Recommended readings for Sessions 1 and 2

1.      The Declaration of Independence

2.      The Constitution of The United States

3.      The Federalist Papers

4.      The Essential Federalist and Anti-Federalist Papers

5.      The Five Thousand Year Leap

6.      A Patriot’s History of the United States

7.      A More Perfect Constitution

8.      Common Sense

On-line

1.      The Coming Constitutional Debate

Additional Suggested Readings for Session 3

1.      Original Intent

2.      Democracy in America

3.      A Conflict of Visions

4.      The Ascent of Money

5.      The Creature From Jekyll Island

6.      End the Fed

7.      New Deal or Raw Deal?

Additional Suggested Readings for Session 4

•  In Print

1.      The Declaration of Independence

2.      The Constitution of the United States

3.      How Should We Then Live?

4.      Original Intent

5.      A Patriot’s History of the United States

6.      Common Sense

7.      Culture of Corruption

8.      Liberty and Tyranny

9.      Money Mischief

10.  The Ascent of Money

11.  Rules for Radicals

12.  Rules for Conservative Radicals

13.  The Five Thousand Year Leap

14.  What Americans Really Want – Really

15.  Words That Work

16.  New Deal or Raw Deal?

17.  Modern Man in Search of a Soul

•  On-line

1.      Thomas Jefferson’s letter to the Danbury Baptist Congregation

2.      The Mythical “Wall of Separation” – The Heritage Foundation

3.      Everson v. Board of Education, 1947

4.      John F. Kennedy’s Houston Speech, 1960

5.      The Enduring Cost of John F. Kennedy’s Compromise – Colleen Carroll Campbell

6.      Church-State Relations – Phil Lawler

7.      The Vocation of Christians in American Public Life –Charles Chaput, Archbishop of Denver

Additional Suggested Readings for Session 5

Recommended readings

1.      National Suicide

2.      A Conflict of Visions

3.      Aftershock

4.      Liberty and Tyranny

5.      Money Mischief

6.      The Ascent of Money

7.      New Deal or Raw Deal

8.      Rules for Radicals

9.      Rules for Conservative Radicals

10.  The Survivors Club

11.  Stand Up Straight!

12.  What Americans Really Want – Really

13.  Words That Work

14.  The Coming Insurrection

15.  Modern Man in Search of a Soul

On-line

1.      The Coming Constitutional Debate

Additional Suggested Readings for Session 6

1.      Candidates’ Pledges

2.      The Declaration of Independence

3.      The Constitution of The United States  

4.      A Patriot’s History of the United States  

5.      A More Perfect Constitution  

6.      Common Sense  

7.      Democracy in America  

8.      End the Fed  

9.      How Should We Then Live?

10.  Liberty and Tyranny

11.  Original Intent  

12.  Return to Prosperity  

13.  Rules for Radicals  

14.  Rules for Conservative Radicals  

15.  The Ascent of Money  

16.  The Federalist Papers  

17.  The Five Thousand Year Leap 

All the On-line Letters, Speeches and Articles in the Bibliography, below

BIBLIOGRAPHY & ALL SUGGESTED READINGS, REFERENCES 

A Conflict of Visions   by Thomas Sowell

Aftershock   by David and Robert Wiedemer, Cindy Spitzer

A More Perfect Constitution   by Larry Sabato

A Patriot’s History of the United States   by Larry Schweikart & Michael Allen

Architects of Ruin   by Peter Schweizer

Bankrupting Joe the Taxpayer   by D. J. Golio

Can America Survive?   by Ben Stein & Phil DeMuth

Common Sense   by Thomas Paine

Culture of Corruption   by Michelle Malkin

Democracy in America   by Alexis de Tocqueville

End the Fed   by Ron Paul

48 Liberal Lies About American History   by Larry Schweikart

How Barack Obama is Bankrupting the U.S. Economy   by Stephen Moore

How Should We Then Live?   by Francis A. Schaeffer

How to Ruin the United States of America   by Ben Stein & Phil DeMuth

Liberty and Tyranny   by Mark Levin

Lies the Government Told You   by Judge Andrew Napolitano

Modern Man in Search of a Soul   by Carl Jung

Money Mischief   by Milton Friedman

National Suicide   by Martin L. Gross

New Deal or Raw Deal?   by Burton Folsom, Jr.

Original Intent   by David Barton

Permission To Think   by David Buckner

Radicals for Capitalism   by Brian Doherty

Return to Prosperity   by Arthur Laffer & Stephen Moore

Rules for Conservative Radicals   by Michael Patrick Leahy

Rules for Radicals   by Saul Alinsky

Stand Up Straight!   by Robert Creamer

The Ascent of Money   by Niall Ferguson

The Coming Insurrection   by The Invisible Committee

The Creature from Jeckyll Island   by G. Edward Griffin

The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution of The United States   

     published by the Heritage Foundation

The Essential Federalist and Anti-Federalist Papers   by David Wootton

The Federalist Papers   by Charles R. Kesler

The Five Thousand Year Leap   by W. Cleon Skousen

The Survivors Club   by Ben Sherwood

The Wealthy Barber   by David Chilton

What Americans Really Want – Really   by Frank Luntz

Words That Work   by Frank Luntz

On-line Articles, Speeches, Papers

Thomas Jefferson’s letter to the Danbury Baptist Congregation

The Mythical “Wall of Separation” – The Heritage Foundation

Everson v. Board of Education, 1947

John F. Kennedy’s Houston Speech, 1960

The Enduring Cost of John F. Kennedy’s Compromise – Colleen Carroll Campbell

Church-State Relations – Phil Lawler

The Vocation of Christians in American Public Life –Charles Chaput, Archbishop of Denver

The Coming Constitutional Debate – Judge Stephen Markman

Civics Syllabus -- Content

Syllabus, Citizenship Ministry Program

St. Peter the Apostle Parish

Libertytown, MD

OVERVIEW: This program is structured in 6 sessions, each approximately 90 minutes in length, and is in discussion and Q&A – not lecture -- format.  It is aimed principally (but not exclusively) at parishioners of or nearing voting age, and is intended to be both a refresher for those who understand their citizenship rights and responsibilities (and their importance and implications), and a primer/clarifier for those who want to learn more.   

This program is not about politics, but civics.  Its focus is not proselytizing, but informing and clarifying.  And its goal is that participants not only better understand their citizenship rights and responsibilities, but also exercise those rights and responsibilities to help guide their elected and appointed representatives in carrying out their public duties ethically, honestly, and morally, consistent with: our nation’s Judeo-Christian heritage and ethic; its historical goals and ideals; our Faith principles; and how we go forward in self-determining our national future.  

Each session will begin with a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, and end with a prayer and suggested readings, both for review and reflection on the just-completed session, and to help prepare for the next.  It’s entirely possible that every topic may not be discussed and explored to everyone’s unique satisfaction; at the same time, there are more than ample reading and reference resources cited and available to enable participants to do additional research on their own, both to met their information needs and to share with others.

At the conclusion of the program, participants should be better able to: 1) understand the relevance and importance of the issues of the day; 2) identify and articulate reasoned positions on these issues; 3) articulate and present their positions and expectations to political candidates at all levels; and 4) be prepared to evaluate not only the respective candidates’ responses and claims/promises, but also assess their subsequent performance.

Any more, every election cycle will be pivotal for America.  The country is at a crossroads, and we citizens have a duty to be clear on knowing what kind of country, what kind of government, what kind of future, we want – and then identify/select/assign/entrust the candidates we elect with the task of taking us there.  

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Content:  The individual sessions will discuss the major topics listed below.  Each session is structured to address – and stimulate thought and conversation on -- the respective topic’s background and history; its development and application(s); modifications/alterations from the original structure and intent; the import of such modifications/alterations; the role of Church and faith in the topic and our nation’s past, present and future; and likely or potential future developments relative to the topic.

SESSION 1: 

A.      Opening Prayer, Pledge of Allegiance

B.      Program Overview (from Cover Page, above)

C.      “Qwik-Quiz” – a one-page, 20 question personal quiz (below), for participants to  identify their individual knowledge level vis-à-vis such areas as our governing documents and their background, focus and intent; our method of governance; issues of the day; potential future trends, etc.  

D.     Answers and discussion

E.      General Q&A discussion

F.       Session wrap-up and prayer

SESSION 2:  Our Founding Documents

A.      Opening Prayer, Pledge of Allegiance

B.      The Founders and the Framers

C.      Background and Philosophy

D.     The Declaration of Independence

E.      The (current) Constitution of The United States

F.       Our (current) Form of Government

G.     The (current) Source of Our Liberties

H.     The Founding Documents’ Impact/Intent and Their Role Today

I.        General Q&A discussion

J.        Session wrap-up and prayer

SESSION 3:  The “Living Document(s)” Concept

A.      Opening Prayer, Pledge of Allegiance

B.      Update?  Amend?  Discard?  Replace?  Other?

C.      “…that all people are created equal…”

D.     Amendment XIV – Intent and Application

E.      Amendment XVI -- Intent and Application

F.       Checks and Balances – No Longer Necessary?

G.     Conflicting Visions – Constrained/Unconstrained

H.     General Q&A discussion

I.        Session wrap-up and prayer

SESSION 4:  God, Church, and the Faithful

A.       Opening Prayer, Pledge of Allegiance

B.       “In the beginning…”

C.      Today

D.     Tomorrow?

E.      Separation of Church and State

1)  Original Intent

2)  Current Applications

3)  Tomorrow – Re-separated?  Merged?  Eliminated?

      E.  What can you do, may you do, should you do?

      F.  General Q&A discussion

      G.  Session wrap-up and prayer

SESSION 5:  The Surfacing Struggle for America – World Views, Agendas, Objectives, Economics

A.      Opening Prayer, Pledge of Allegiance

B.      The Struggle Within the U.S.

C.      The Struggle External to the U.S.

D.     A New World Order?

E.      Old Labels: Democrats vs Republicans, Liberals vs Conservatives

F.       Newer Labels: Libertarians, “Greens,” Socialists, Communists, Progressives, Others

G.     Today’s Contestants:  Authoritarians vs Constitutionalists

H.     General Q&A discussion

I.        Session wrap-up and prayer

SESSION 6:  Where Do I Go From Here?

A.      Opening Prayer, Pledge of Allegiance

B.      Voter Registration

C.      Inform Yourself – ask, learn, decide

D.     Get Involved – join, partner, lead

E.      General Q&A discussion

F.       Wrap-up and prayer

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CITIZENSHIP “QWIK-QUIZ”

This Qwik-Quiz tests your (really) fundamental understanding of our Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, our rights and responsibilities as citizens, and competing political philosophies.  You will probably not get every answer correct -- most people don’t.  The point is that we all have much to learn or relearn – and maybe some things to un-learn -- if we are to be good stewards of the heritage that our Founders and Framers labored so hard to bequeath us.   

1)      The 1^st Amendment grants which rights?

2)      What’s in the 5^th Amendment?  What’s in Article 5?

3)      What mechanism did the Government use to establish the Constitution?

4)      How are our Representatives elected?  Our Senators?  Our Cabinet & Administrators?

5)      What happens if/when a State or country goes bankrupt?

6)      Is the U.S. a democracy?  A republic?  Something else?

7)      How can one become a citizen?

8)      Differentiate between the federal deficit and the federal debt. 

9)      What do the 9^th and 10^th Amendments mean?

10)   What are “pork” and “earmarking”?

11)   Is the Constitution a “living document”?  Is it amendable?  Is it etched in stone?

12)   May people (and houses) of faith participate in the political process?  If so, how?

13)   What are the branches of the federal government and their functions?

14)   Why is it a “federal” government, not “national”?

15)   Why were slaves counted as 3/5 of a person?

16)   Which current major political party was pro-slavery?  Which one favors illegal immigration?

17)   What is the Church’s position on illegal immigration?  On illegal immigrants?

18)   Can you recite the Preamble of the Constitution?  Of the Declaration of Independence?

19)   Differentiate among these labels: Democrat, Republican, Independent, Libertarian, Liberal, Conservative, Progressive, Constitutionalist.

20)   What 2 core concepts guided both the Founders and the Framers?

The above questions merely highlight a tiny portion of what being a responsible citizen – and an informed voter -- entails.  As we move forward, you may find that some of your previous perceptions may need revising; that’s good.  Ours is (still) a government not only of the people, but by the people and for the people.  

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Link here to Readings & Bibliography:          

http://wtp76pen-youcandothis.blogspot.com/2011/01/civics-syllabus-readings-bibliography.html