VOTER POWER
First Amendment
Myth: A majority of Americans believe that the United States was founded as a Christian nation.
Fact: The First Amendment of the Constitution explicitly forbids the establishment of any belief system as the country’s official religion.
There’s no question that most Americans identify as Christian, but when did we lose faith in a pluralistic society? Despite the varied religious heritages of Americans, many today now believe that the U.S. was designed to be a Christian nation and that “real Americans” and Christians are under siege. Many Christians feel that liberals and atheists are erasing their heritage, while Islam is threatening to upend the Constitution and our system of justice. Why do so many think these things?
Trump Administration Wants to Crack Down on Protests
The Trump administration has proposed a new rule that would severely limit the number of protests that can take place in Washington, D.C. According to Newsweek, the public would be banned from gathering along the north sidewalk of the White House and at the National Mall.
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Where Did Climate Change Go?
It’s not unusual for messaging to change when the White House changes hands, but the Trump administration seems to have taken it a step farther and buried or deleted any mention of climate change from government websites. This censorship is not only irresponsible, it’s un-American.
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Can Politicians Legally Threaten Companies Under the First Amendment?
Georgia Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle threatened Delta Air Lines with retaliation if the airline refused to restore its NRA discount. Ultimately, that’s what happened–a jet fuel tax break was removed from an economic stimulus bill. Is this legal under the First Amendment? Well…it’s complicated.
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In God We Trust?
“In God We Trust” didn’t become the United States’ official motto until 1956. However, this motto seems to violate the principle of separation of church and state, one of the founding pillars of the U.S. “Big government” and “faith and family” are being set up as opposites, but that’s a false dilemma.
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Is the CDC Word Ban a Violation of the First Amendment?
Last month, officials at the Center for Disease Control (CDC) were reportedly told not to use certain language. According to The Washington Post, the Trump administration prohibited CDC employees from using words and phrases like “evidence-based,” “science-based,”...
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Ben Sasse: “Not Helpful to Call the Press the Enemy”
In what appears to be a swipe at President Trump, Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE) defended the press in an online video that has since gone viral. “The only way the republic can work is if we come together, and we defend each other’s rights to say things that we differ...
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The Cult of Donald Trump
Civics Nation was founded to become a part of a new political narrative. The prevailing narrative in American politics has been helmed by Fox News for the past 22 years. Instead of a competing or compelling alternative narrative from the Left, there is only reaction...
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Judeo-Christian Values?
Myth: A majority of Americans believe that the United States was founded as a Christian nation. Fact: The First Amendment of the Constitution explicitly forbids the establishment of any religion. There’s no question that most Americans identify as Christian, but...
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