Civics boosters misquote the Founders: "Washington was more specific about the role of civic instruction in the nation’s long-term viability: A primary object should be the education or our youth in the science of government..." What he really said was: 1/2 www.educationnext.org/250-reasons-...

Deja Vu: "The term 'civics' has come into much disrepute...and no wonder when one thinks of the dry-as-dust stuff that has so long masqueraded under that name...The pupil has been lucky [to] escape penal servitude for one awful winter, while he memorized the federal constitution." (Arthur Dunn 1907)

Here we go again. Readers Digest explains why we have an electoral college without class, without mentioning the Founders intent to preserve estates from the poor. Madison said the Senate should “represent the wealth of the nation” for crying out loud. www.rd.com/article/why-...

NBC News silent on the most significant finding in its own survey: that a whopping 69% of respondents "strongly agree" that in the US "wealthy people can often avoid consequences that ordinary people would face for the same actions." Instead spooning out civics propaganda. tinyurl.com/2zpepcb7

I haven’t posted about AI even though I’ve been actively trying to figure out the edges of its usefulness for qualitative research. I’ve built some powerful applications that involve searching large archives of text conceptually. Calling current LLMs ‘word predictors’ is wildly inaccurate.

Conservatives claim to believe in meritocracy and responsibility but when they fail their powerful buddies always bail them out. University of Iowa's struggling Center for Intellectual Freedom faces required expansion due to law www.yahoo.com/news/politic... via @@YahooNews

To conservatives trying to take over higher ed with a Trojan Horse of civics. Stop claiming the Founders supported your agenda. Civics as a concept was not widespread till the 1820s. The term ‘civics’ was not coined till 1885. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Nothing quite like race day with my champion girl.

Reading early 19c pamphlets debating whether Catholic immigrants should be afforded due process and ran across this verse no Christian nationalist ever quotes: LEV. 24:22. YE SHALL HAVE ONE MANNER OF LAW, AS WELL FOR THE STRANGER, AS FOR ONE OF YOUR OWN COUNTRY: FOR I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD.

We've arrived at the bread and circuses stage of imperial decline. But these geniuses have left out the bread part...

What began as a review of Wood's well-written and deeply researched book turned into a wider critique of the pervasive hagiography of 18c abolitionist studies. It has long confused antislavery and anti-racism and been blind to its pervasive white supremacy. networks.h-net.org/group/review...

"it is always the case that the weaker people seek equality and justice, while the stronger don't give these things a thought." -Aristotle

Expanding Congress will repair much of the damage the Court has done this year. My latest: www.counterpunch.org/2026/05/15/t...

I’d laugh if this wasn’t so spot on! www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/wer...

This needs to be considered by every uni jumping on the AI train.

All Pluto Press Books are 50% off in celebration of May Day (till May 14). This includes Patriots' Dilemma... www.plutobooks.com/product/the-...

Here is my analysis of the latest crop of MAGA laws designed to force teachers to teach 'patriotic history' or in the technical language of academia, 'crap'. (no paywall...) www.counterpunch.org/2026/04/19/h...

My latest roundup of batty MAGA laws censoring and mandating their version of “truth in history”: share.google/Xsgta2oS03iQ...

My latest essay in the Chronicle Review. www.chronicle.com/article/civi...

Usha Vance Catches Husband Measuring Her Skull Again

The sponsors of my debate last month are releasing short clips highlighting some key moments. Here is their latest edit: www.youtube.com/shorts/PhvNu...

“The latest ​round brings Starcloud's total funding to $200 million, with ​the…company having raised $34 million…from investors including Andreessen…and In-Q-Tel, the Central ​Intelligence Agency's venture capital firm.” Wait, the CIA is a venture capitalist? What? www.reuters.com/business/ret...

A clip from my debate last week where I discuss the inherent and disguised ideology of civics. www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uyq...

Thursdays' great civics debate ranged across political science, social theory, history, and constitutionalism. My opponent, Josh Dunn is a true scholar and a nice guy. But I quibble with Josh being declared the winner, as I pulled more undecideds to my view. www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpbQ...

Son of a pharma researcher and an engineer who went to private prep school and then Harvard and Yale wants to close public colleges to pay for a tax cut. Did I get that right? www.dispatch.com/story/news/p...

One day away from my big debate with Josh Dunn. If you haven't considered the case against civics education, you might want to tune in. Thurs. 6 pm PT. This debate will also be livestreamed and archived on YouTube. Here is the link to the livestream: www.youtube.com/live/4l0r2sX...

Article I, Section 8, Clause 11: [The Congress shall have Power . . . ] To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water; . . .

“The university has always been a politicized environment," said Timothy Messer-Kruse…a vocal critic of schools of civic thought. "But what this movement is doing is using the law to advance a political ideology, which is contrary to core conservative and American values…” tinyurl.com/dv26z3hx

Beyond the gleeful assault on church-state separation, the open racism and misogyny, is the disturbing celebration of those who were traitors to their oath and the Constitution, which is what "Paleo Confederate" is. This is normalizing treason to the republic. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

The other Ohio State nutty professor, exposed: Yale Law-educated Christopher Green tried to claim that I “assaulted him” after he blocked my attempt to board a public elevator. These are Ohio State’s apparent thought leaders.

If you are an educator considering adopting a legally compliant but uncompromising textbook for your civics course, dm me and I will send you a review copy. Also, for all course adoptions I'm making myself available via zoom for class Q&A.

When the mask comes off the "civil discourse" rhetoric. www.wosu.org/politics-gov...

A sure sign of spring is renewed attacks on CRT, DEI, and now in Kansas, "racial, ethnic or gender studies." In addition to the old white panic, this bill cracks down on "anti-racism" "social justice" and "cultural competence." What's next requiring cruelty? www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/...

NH GOP just dropped the most bonkers K-12 thought control bill yet. It is a greatest hits of all the worst ideas. The worst part is that at bills first hearing a GOP rep suggested amending it to apply to higher Ed too! Here is a sampler of its Orwellian ideas: 1/ gc.nh.gov/bill_status/...

The NR says civics is needed because "progressives who dominate our faculties" teach that the Constitution was "written by racists to protect their power." So the founders weren't racist and tossing the Articles of Conf. had nothing to do with class power? www.nationalreview.com/corner/its-t...

The Right failed in the marketplace of ideas—so now they are trying to discredit it: “universities also have a special role to play in the transmission of our intellectual inheritance…especially elements of that inheritance that grate against contemporary sensibilities.” cfau.aei.org/five-reasons...

They say to understand politics follow the money. This excellent article does that for the expanding 'civic institute' scam. Tracing the money trail leads back to a shadowy network of right-wing billionaires like the Koch family. prismreports.org/2026/01/27/c...

Why is the prevailing response to ICE occupation in U.S. cities for Congress to "abolish ICE" when there is a much simpler solution: Congress can declare amnesty and permanent residency to all persons currently living in the U.S. We created the idea of "illegal" aliens. We can also undefine it.

Anyone in the LA area on Mar. 19 is welcome to come out and hear civic education debated.

The civic center on my campus asked if I would bring my undergraduates to talk on Federalist #10. All the speakers are five state legislators. Hmmm.... wonder why. Oh, did the new legislative session just begin?

Don't condemn Americans for voting Trump into office. The line is that people are stupid and democracy doesn't work. But the USA wasn't meant to be a democracy but to balance elite interests (Senate, unelected Supremes, an electoral college). The problem isn't democracy because we don't have one.

Iowa GOP is about to ban the "study of subgroups of Americans" from required Intro to US History courses. This would, I assume include all ethnic studies, women's history, etc. So we have moved from anti-CRT to anti-anyone but white men in just 2 years. www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/...

So the NH lawmaker in charge of Ed policy and sponsor of last years law banning CRT because systemic racism is a myth is caught planning to racially segregate schools in a lawmaker group chat (with no push back). granitepostnews.com/2026/01/14/l...

🧵 The autoworker at the Dearborn Truck Plant is a proud member of a strong and fighting union—the UAW. He believes in freedom of speech, a principle we wholeheartedly embrace, and we stand with our membership in protecting their voice on the job.

“ the thing to do is to realize that we are an empire in decline, and we are writhing in this kind of irrationality, particularly in the international realm. And it will continue for another decade or two, until the power, American power, finally slips away.” www.democracynow.org/2026/1/13/al...

I had my 70 undergrads fill out a survey that among many things asked them to rate their politics and how many social media followers they had. Conservatism correlated strongly with higher numbers of followers. Not surprising but a reminder of the climate we live in.