More 'Civics Made Easy' for a late Constitution Day and International Day of Democracy

A happy late Constitution Day and International Day of Democracy! I'm celebrating both days with a sequel to PBS's 'Civics Made Easy' on political parties, Electoral College, and fundraising. I begin with Civics Made Easy on PBS asking Why Do So Many Americans Not Know How Their Government Works?

In this episode of Civics Made Easy, Ben Sheehan explores America’s civic knowledge gap and why so many adults and students struggle to understand how our government works. Through conversations with civics education experts and a look at post-WWII civic engagement, he highlights why government literacy matters—and shares practical steps anyone can take to become a more informed and engaged citizen.

The answer is that American schools are no longer teaching civics like they were between World War II and the 1970s, when I was in school. I remember taking U.S. History three times, once each in elementary, middle, and high school. I also took a class in American Government in high school. I was even required to take American Government when I was an education student at Eastern Michigan University in the late 1990s. The community college where I teach required American Government for most students until late last decade. As a science teacher, I may be glad there is so much emphasis on teaching STEM, but I think civics is now being neglected.

The next video in the playlist asks Who Has the Right to Vote in America?

In this episode of Civics Made Easy, Ben Sheehan uncovers the surprising – and often overlooked – true history of voting rights in America. From the founding era to Reconstruction to Civil Rights to today, this is the story that may not have been fully taught in school. Case in point: Americans don’t actually have a constitutional right to vote for president…

Whether you're a history nerd, a civic junkie, or just curious about how our democracy evolved, this deep dive will challenge what you thought you knew.

I knew that Americans don't directly vote for President. We vote for electors, who then vote for President. I outlined the process in Joe Biden is the apparent President-elect as Pennsylvania and Nevada called for him: "The real election is the Electoral College, which votes on December 14, 2020. That's followed by a joint session of the new Congress on January 6, 2021." I didn't know that my right to vote is likely to be found in the Michigan Constitution, not the U.S. Constitution. That means that I learned something new, making today a good day.

I close with How Elections REALLY Work.

In this episode of "Civics Made Easy," Ben Sheehan unravels the complexities of American elections, from the agricultural origins of Tuesday voting to the modern patchwork of state and county election systems. Ben breaks down who runs our elections, how they work, why Election Day is on a Tuesday in November and speaks with Commissioner Ben Hovland from the Election Assistance Commission to better understand the inner workings of our elections.

I covered why Election Day is a Tuesday in November eight years ago in 'Last Week Tonight' asks 'how is voting on Tuesday still a thing?' Rewatching that makes me glad my wife and I vote by mail. I also covered local administration of elections nine years ago in Vox explains how difficult rigging an election really is. None of this is new to me, but I have gained lots of new readers since then, so it's worth repeating. I hope you all learned something new.

While this is a wrap for today's entry, I'm not done with holidays. Stay tuned for Talk Like A Pirate Day. Arr!