Online Courses in Civics Education
As part of our online civics education program, Allied Educational Foundation has co-sponsored a series of online courses with the FreedomWorks Foundation. The purpose of these courses is to provide an analysis of the history of our
Online Courses in Civics Education
As part of our online civics education program, Allied Educational Foundation has co-sponsored a series of online courses with the FreedomWorks Foundation. The purpose of these courses is to provide an analysis of the history of our democratic system, as well as the construction and application of the constitution with a focus on the Bill of Rights and the balance between state and federal powers. We regard this information as fundamental for understanding the basis of many conflicts between the states and the federal government, including health care and drug reform.
HIST101: Founding the American Republic
Instructor: Judge Andrew Napolitano
The Founding Fathers created the Constitution in order to protect individuals and limit the power of government. In this course Judge Napolitano examines how and why the Constitution was created, and also discusses how the protections of the Constitution have eroded over time, resulting in an expansive and more powerful federal government. Judge Andrew Napolitano is a Fox News Senior Judicial Analyst and is a graduate of Princeton University and the University of Notre Dame Law School. He is the youngest life-tenured Superior Court judge in the history of the State of New Jersey. Judge Napolitano lectures nationally on the U.S. Constitution, the rule of law, civil liberties in wartime, and human freedom. He has been published in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, and numerous other publications. His weekly newspaper column is seen by millions every week. Judge Napolitano is the author of seven books on the U.S. Constitution, two of which have been New York Times best sellers. His most recent book is Theodore and Woodrow: How Two American Presidents Destroyed Constitutional Freedom.
Judge Andrew Napolitano explains how America came to be. After oppressive laws from the British drove the original thirteen colonies to revolution, the Founding Fathers were determined to create a new nation based on the principles of limited government and individual liberty. After the war, the colonies were united under the Articles of Confederation, which ultimately led to the framing of the U.S. Constitution.
Judge Andrew Napolitano explains that, even among the Founding Fathers, there was some disagreement over where our rights come from. Do they come from government, or are they intrinsic to our humanity? The ten amendments in the Bill of Rights were crafted to clarify that our rights and freedoms are natural, and cannot be taken away by any government.
Judge Andrew Napolitano explains that the Commerce Clause in the U.S. Constitution was introduced in order to facilitate trade between the states. Unfortunately, Congress and the Courts have interpreted the clause as giving almost unlimited authority over commerce. This clause has been used to justify everything from New Deal era production quotas to the Affordable Care Act’s requirement that all Americans purchase health insurance.
Judge Andrew Napolitano explains how the progressive era was marked by a huge expansion of the federal government and its power to regulate the states and individual behavior. The Sixteenth Amendment to the Constitution, authorizing the federal income tax, gave the government increased control over our hard-earned money; and the Seventeenth Amendment, providing for popular election of senators, removed an important obstacle to federal control of the states.
Judge Andrew Napolitano explains that, despite the Tenth Amendment’s protection of federalism, the Supreme Court has ruled that Congress can use taxpayer money any way it likes. With this loophole, the federal government is able to incentivize states to do whatever it wants, by offering juicy funding grants, or threatening to withhold them. The codification of this kind of bribery has effectively put an end to federalism in the modern age.
ISSU102: Protecting Your Civil Liberties
Instructors: Reid Smith, Jeff Scully, and Whitney Neal
This course gives an overview of the basic civil liberties afforded to every American. You’ll learn how to protect your rights at home, at school, in your car, and when you are peacefully protesting. Once you have completed the course, you will be ready to educate others about civil liberties as well as to practice them. Because as Thomas Jefferson said, “the People are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty.”
Civil liberties are your constitutional rights to not be harassed, bullied, or spied on by your government. Today, these liberties are in more danger than ever, with the NSA, IRS, and other government agencies exceeding their constitutional authority. This lesson explains how civil disobedience and non-violent resistance have historically been effective tools for fighting to preserve liberty.
The ten amendments in the Bill of Rights guarantee that our government cannot abridge our most basic freedoms by abusing its power. Because of the Bill of Rights, we have the right to free speech, freedom of religion, the right to due process, protection from self-incrimination, and protection from cruel and unusual punishment. Today, the government is all too often inclined to ignore the Bill of Rights, but our founders understood the importance of defending the civil liberties of American ci