Dear Civic Spirit Participants, Below you will find three articles on the nature and responsibilities of citizenship in a democracy. As you read them, think carefully about how you would define the term “citizen”. What does it mean to live in a society that is designed to be governed by the people? How do you …
What’s the Debate? What is the basis of American national identity? Other nations throughout the world have answered this question in a variety of ways. Their citizens might be unified by common language, shared religion, perception of “blood” lineage, or some combination of these. When the former Yugoslavia broke up, Serbs and Croats who shared …
What’s the Debate? There are no two ideals more sacred to the American political tradition than liberty and equality. The Declaration of Independence asserts both: that “all men are created equal”; and that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, namely “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Patrick Henry famously exclaimed, …
What’s the Debate? Throughout our history, American society has held up two competing values for young people as they chart their future direction. Should they prioritize personal goals, seeking wealth and individual success, often called the “liberal ethos”? Or should they dedicate themselves to public service and the common good, as the republican worldview advocates? …
Hayidion: The Prizmah Journal