Civics

To Shmoop a more perfect union.

So, you want to be an American.

What's that you say—you already are an American?

Well, give yourself a pat on the back and fist-bump your neighbor in celebration of your membership in one of the most diverse human families on Earth. (Then, tell your neighbor to back off your front lawn; after all, it's the American way.) You're a resident of a wonderful, big, complicated, growing, changing place, and that's cause for celebration.

But, uh...what exactly does it mean to be an American? This ninth grade civics course, aligned to Common Core Social Studies standards, will play the Mu-Shu to your Mulan and teach you a thing or two about who you are as a citizen of the U.S. First, you have a rich political heritage and a government that aims to make you happy and keep you safe—a surprisingly rare thing in the history of governments. As a citizen, you also have some responsibilities to your government and society to make sure things keep functioning smoothly. One of your most important responsibilities is to learn about how our political system works—and by taking this course, you're already one step closer.

You're welcome.

Our smorgasbord of thought-provoking readings and activities will let you

  • trace the roots of American democracy and the essential political principles of our founding documents.
  • examine the basic civil liberties included in the Constitution and how these have changed over time.
  • finally get a handle on the duties and functions of each branch of government, including the effect each branch has on changing law and public policy.
  • illustrate the election process and explain the significance of citizen participation in the political system.
  • analyze the relationship between citizens and the government, outlining the roles and responsibilities of each.
  • compare the political and economic systems of other countries to those of the U.S., and judge for yourself what we're doing right and what we can still improve on.
  • dig deep to look at some of the most challenging issues facing the country and world today (hello, globalization), and develop your own perspective on them.

You might not be old enough to vote (yet), but you're definitely the right age to be an informed American. Let's go.


Unit Breakdown


  1. Civics - Democracy's Roots and Branches

    Turns out the word "democracy" itself originated in Athens a couple thousand years before Madison penned "We the people" at the top of our new Constitution. This unit will trace the origins of some of the beliefs we still hold near and dear to our hearts, like that government has a responsibility to its citizens, and that free speech is so important we're even willing to let people say that they don't agree with free speech. We'll also take apart our founding documents to see what makes 'em tick. But don't worry—we'll put them back together when we're done.

  2. Civics - Bill of Rights, and Beyond!

    They say that if you love someone, you won't try to change them—but when it comes to the Constitution, maybe the opposite is true. This unit will take a look at some of the amendment biggies, and then ask some tricky questions about the nature of rights. Who's been barred from certain rights throughout our history, and who's still barred? Where do rights end and privileges begin? Shmoop for thought.

  3. Civics - Government Nuts and Bolts

    By Unit 3, you've got a handle on the ideas behind the government...but how does the thing actually work? What do the nearly three million federal employees (not counting the military) do all day? This unit will give you the lowdown on our hefty bureaucracy, explain the powers and limits of each branch of the government, and get cozy with some of the Supreme Court cases that have led to big changes in our system.

  4. Civics - Citizen Shmooper

    Some people say that government is the only thing keeping us from murdering each other, while others say it's the only thing keeping us from living in a harmonious paradise. This unit lets you take your own stand on this age-old question, as well as consider why the government needs you. What, did you think Uncle Sam was just flattering you?

  5. Civics - Elections and Public Policy

    We live in a representative democracy, which means that more often than not, when we vote, we're voting for a person, not an issue. However, we don't just get to elect our Uncle Pete to the presidency—even if he'd do a good job. Political parties give us a set of options to choose from, media tells us who's doing well and who's not, and interest groups spend gazillions on a candidate to try to win some favors. Knowledge is power, Shmooper, and that's why we're gonna teach you all about how elections work, and how regular Joes like you (just kidding—you are a very, very special Joe) can make an impact.

  6. Civics - It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

    Apparently not every country on the planet is as jazzed about democratic republics as we are, and even fewer have the same love affair with capitalism that we've had since we first heard Adam Smith say "invisible hand." This unit zooms out to look at how the rest of the world governs itself and regulates its economy, then zooms right back in to our own system to scrutinize some of the pickliest pickles of today: is our ultimate allegiance to the country, or to the world? And is the NSA Shmooping in at this very moment?

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