Pathetic Policy Discourse
There are a lot of examples of what happens when those making policy don’t know what they are talking about, but here’s one that just annoys the hell out of me every time it comes up. The New York...
View ArticleThe Body Politic
Tonight, I’ll chair a Spirit and Place Panel on “The Body Politic” at the Indiana Statehouse. I hope some of you can attend; for those who can’t, here are my introductory remarks. I’d like to introduce...
View ArticleWhat We Don’t Know DOES Hurt Us…
The other day, I was grading a research paper produced by a graduate student who shares my concerns over civic literacy. The paper included a comprehensive review of available research on the topic,...
View ArticleConstitutional Oblivion
I know I’m a broken record when it comes to the appallingly low level of civic literacy in this country, but bear with me for one more installment of “Is it really possible to be that ignorant?”...
View ArticleAnnouncement–and Invitation
Anyone who regularly reads this blog knows that I’m more or less obsessed by what Americans–ordinary citizens and elected officials alike–don’t know about our nation’s history, founding documents and...
View ArticleCivility, Civic Literacy and Public Service
There is a robust debate underway about what it will take to attract the best and brightest of our young people to public service. As someone who has taught public affairs for 15 years—and with several...
View ArticlePopping the Bubble?
I had a fascinating discussion yesterday with a scholar who studies the impact and use of digital media in teaching civic knowledge and skills. Despite the widespread concern about use of the Internet...
View ArticleRaising Cyber-Citizens
Some intriguing research on civic education is being conducted by Professor Joseph Kahne, the John and Martha Davidson Professor of Education at Mills College in California. Kahne is investigating the...
View ArticleIntriguing Factoid
Whenever I attend an academic conference, I learn a lot, although what I learn is not necessarily the subject-matter of the conference itself, or the papers that are presented. Often, it’s the...
View ArticleMissing Souter
I remember when the first President Bush nominated David Souter to the Supreme Court. I listened to the televised session when he appeared before Congress (I think it was CSPAN–it was certainly past my...
View ArticleBalance of Power
The Newtown parents have recently reminded us that ordinary citizens with a compelling story can move policy, even in Washington. They were able to do what even the President could not: prevent a...
View ArticleCivic Identity, Civic Deficit: The Unanswered Questions
With Heather McCabe, J.D./PhD. The current concern over civic education and what might be called our “civic deficit” is founded upon a generally accepted belief that civic knowledge is an...
View ArticleSinging an Old Familiar Song
Yesterday, I participated in the ACLU of Indiana’s much-lauded “First Wednesday” series. I was on a panel titled “The Constitution: Peruse It or Lose It.” The program was introduced by ACLU Executive...
View ArticleYou’re Fired!
In the wake of the Duck Dynasty dust-up, the Chik-Fil-A controversy and other events triggering “right to free speech” debates, we get this report from Huffington Post: In the new survey, 45 percent of...
View ArticleHouston, We Have a Problem…
In my periodic rants about the state of civic knowledge, I’ve frequently cited the results of a test periodically administered by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI) as evidence of the American...
View ArticlePlaying “What If”
The Chronicle of Higher Education (subscription required) recently published an essay written with my former Graduate Assistant. Hey–if you’re going to dream, might as well dream big….Anyway, here’s...
View ArticleIs Low Civic Literacy a Wicked Problem?
In 1973, Horst W. J. Rittel and Melvin M. Webber published an influential article on the nature of social problems. Titled “Dilemmas in a General Theory of Planning,” the article focused upon the...
View ArticleWhat To Do, What To Do…
I’ve told this story before, but it bears repeating. I teach my law and public policy classes through a constitutional “lens,” because I am convinced that students must understand America’s fundamental...
View ArticleConstitution Day
This year, I was asked to give a Constitution Day lecture at Xavier University. This is what I said. (Warning: this is long, and I’ve said a lot of it before…) _______________________________________...
View ArticleCommunicating In The Age Of The Bubble
This is the speech I gave yesterday to the Public Relations Club of Indianapolis. Democracies require ongoing discussions by participants who share a reality. Thanks to social media, conspiracy...
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