The hottest Civic Education Substack posts right now

There's a Mercatus summer internship focused on classical liberalism and the mainline political economy tradition, blending economics and philosophy.
The program treats literature as essential to liberal thought and will spend a lot of time reading and debating J.S. Mill, so applicants should be ready to discuss Mill's essays regularly.
Undergraduates, recent graduates, and early-stage grad students are encouraged to apply, and interns can propose their own literature projects across many authors and topics, with initiative welcomed.

Fascists usually win by scaring sensible people into choosing them as the "lesser evil," so moderates often enable brutal leaders rather than being converted to extremism.
Communist revolutions tended to succeed where democratic options were blocked, while democratic socialism in Western countries has repeatedly governed without ending democracy, so fears of the democratic left are often overstated.
In the modern information age, movements win by pumping out lies and weaponizing fear, so schools should teach what not to fear and society should hold large media actors accountable for deliberately spreading big, systematic falsehoods.

Children have long been used by political movements and authoritarian regimes as symbols and recruits, from Revolutionary France to Mao’s Red Guards.
Today a trend called 'totulism' sees schools, charities and politicians showcasing or recruiting children for causes like climate protests, immigration and welfare, breaking the old taboo against using kids in politics.
This is worrying and often manipulative because children can be coached or used as props rather than expressing independent views, which is ethically problematic and potentially harmful.

State-funded civics centers are being created to teach citizenship and foundational texts, but their purpose is unclear: are they meant to reform universities or to educate citizens for self-government?
Nonviolent, disciplined protest and reliance on courts are presented as more effective and constructive ways to protect rights and persuade the public, while violent direct action risks turning movements into public-order problems.
Many civics centers are bureaucratic and face trade-offs with other priorities; focused events like teach-ins could be valuable, but students are overextended and institutions need to consolidate and prioritize initiatives.

Deep knowledge combines lasting, rigorous ideas with true, detailed understanding instead of shallow, trendy consumption.
People reach deep knowledge in different ways — sustained reading and practice, formal academic training and mentorship, or interdisciplinary applied work — but all involve lots of reading, writing, and hands-on experience.
To build deep knowledge, pick subjects that feel solid and meaningful, find communities or mentors, and be willing to commit years of focused study and practical work rather than quick browsing.

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A bill must be approved by both the House and Senate before it can become law. This process ensures that both chambers agree on the same version of the bill.
The enrollment process is where the final version of the bill is prepared and verified after passing both chambers. This includes checking for any errors before it goes to the President.
Delays in presenting a bill to the President can happen for strategic reasons, like gathering support for an override if a veto is expected or timing a bill's signing for maximum impact.