Civic holidays are days set aside to commemorate important events or values in our nation's history. They serve as reminders of our shared past and principles rather than just opportunities for celebration. Labor Day, celebrated on the first Monday in September, originated in the late 1800s when workers organized into unions to demand better working conditions, fair wages, and reasonable hours.

• Civic holidays include Independence Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and Constitution Day
• Labor Day became a national holiday in 1894 after workers organized for better conditions
• The labor movement fought for the eight-hour workday with the slogan "eight hours for work, eight hours for rest, and eight hours for what we will."
• Labor Day honors all types of workers who keep our country running
• The US celebrates Labor Day in September, while many other countries observe International Workers' Day on May 1st
• Civic holidays connect past struggles to present-day benefits we often take for granted

Teachers, a classroom activity sheet called "Design Your Own Civic Holiday" is available here.

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School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership

Center for American Civics

The Federalist Papers served as crucial persuasive documents during the Constitution's ratification debates, particularly for securing New York's pivotal approval, without which many feared the entire system would collapse. Dr. Beienberg explains how these essays engaged with sophisticated criticisms from writers like Brutus in respectful intellectual debate rather than dismissive rhetoric.

• Each state needed to ratify the Constitution for it to take effect independently
• Rhode Island and North Carolina briefly existed as independent countries while holding out
• New York's ratification was considered essential despite its being identified as a "small state"
• Brutus, a legally trained critic, eloquently voiced concerns shared by many Americans
• The Federalist Papers specifically addressed New York audiences, often referencing their state constitution
• Taking skeptics seriously proved more effective than Pennsylvania's dismissive approach
• Both Federalists and Constitution skeptics shared common ground on fundamental American values
• Brutus and Hamilton both acknowledged judicial review existed in the Constitution, disagreeing only on its merits

Join us on December 1st for our episode on Marbury v. Madison, in which we'll explore judicial review in greater depth.

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School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership

Center for American Civics

The Federalist Papers emerged as a strategic response to critics of the newly drafted Constitution. Alexander Hamilton organized James Madison and John Jay to write under the pseudonym "Publius" to advocate for ratification.

• Hamilton, Madison, and Jay published 85 essays defending the Constitution against critics who were already writing under Roman pseudonyms like Cato, Brutus, and Federal Farmer
• Hamilton demonstrated PR genius by claiming the positive title "Federalist" while opponents became stuck with the negative label "Anti-Federalist"
• The name "Publius" strategically referenced a Roman hero who helped establish the Roman Republic
• The Federalist Papers argued that a true federal republic required a strong central government alongside state governments
• Key themes included America's survival as a union, the need for separated powers, and the protection of republican liberty
• Despite later political differences between the authors, the Federalist Papers maintained such intellectual integrity that Jefferson and Madison included them in the University of Virginia's required curriculum
• Arizona State University houses an original 1788 edition of the Federalist Papers in its library collection

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School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership

Center for American Civics

Dr. Sean Beienberg returns to explore the origin and purpose of the Federalist Papers as persuasive political documents designed to convince New York citizens to ratify the U.S. Constitution. Written primarily by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, these influential essays functioned as op-eds responding to constitutional critics while explaining the document's benefits and protections.

• Originally written as persuasive pieces explicitly aimed at New York state ratification
• Authored by Alexander Hamilton and John Jay (New Yorkers), with James Madison (Virginia) joining to strengthen arguments
• Functioned as responses to critics like "Brutus" who expressed concerns about the proposed Constitution
• Defended the Constitution by agreeing with critics about what good government should look like while arguing that the Constitution achieved those goals
• Advocated for the compromise document rather than the authors' personal preferences
• Targeted New York due to its strategic geographic and economic importance
• Serve today as authoritative explanations of how the Constitution was understood initially

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School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership

Center for American Civics

Dr. Colleen Sheehan explains why James Madison deserves the title "Father of the Constitution" and explores how this quiet, scholarly founder shaped American democracy through his preparation, vision, and belief in self-government.

• Madison was uniquely prepared for the Constitutional Convention, having studied the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation
• The Virginia Plan, based on Madison's ideas, set the agenda for the Constitutional Convention
• Madison combined the roles of statesman and scholar, preferring books over fashion
• The founders faced the unprecedented challenge of creating a government where people could rule themselves
• Madison believed the Constitution's purpose was to provide a framework for self-governance based on justice
• Important Madison writings include Federalist 39, 49, 51, and his piece "Public Opinion"
• Unlike Washington or Jefferson, Madison has no monument, but the Library of Congress is a fitting tribute.

American Founders Book

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School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership

Center for American Civics

What makes the American system of government unique in world history? Dr. Justin Dyer, professor of government at the University of Texas at Austin and dean of the UT Austin School of Civic Leadership, returns to our podcast to unpack the founders' vision for limited government.

Dr. Dyer reveals how the founders created two distinct models of limited government operating simultaneously. At the state level, governments possessed broad authority over "health, safety, and morals," limited primarily through separation of powers and state bills of rights. The national government, however, was designed with the opposite presumption – possessing only those powers specifically enumerated in the Constitution, with all others reserved to the states.

This dual approach to limiting government power reflects the historical context of thirteen former colonies becoming a unified nation while maintaining their independence. Dr. Dyer expertly explains why the founders were particularly concerned with limiting legislative power through specific enumeration in Article I, Section 8, while granting more general authority to the executive and judicial branches. The conversation explores how they sought to balance limiting federal authority while ensuring it remained effective in crucial areas like foreign policy, defense, and interstate commerce.

Whether you're a student of history, politics, or constitutional law – or simply a curious citizen – this conversation provides essential insights into how America's governmental system was designed to protect liberty through carefully crafted limitations on power. Listen now to gain a deeper understanding of the constitutional framework that continues to shape our nation.

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School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership

Center for American Civics

Dr. Paul Carrese explores John Locke's profound influence on the Declaration of Independence and American founding principles. Locke's philosophy of natural rights - that all humans possess inherent, equal rights to life, liberty, and property - provided the intellectual foundation for revolution and continues to shape American politics 250 years later.

• Locke was an Enlightenment philosopher whose Second Treatise of Government (1692) became central to American revolutionary thinking
• The Declaration's famous assertion that "all men are created equal" with "unalienable rights" directly echoes Locke's natural rights philosophy
• Locke's social contract theory established that governments exist solely to protect natural rights
• Americans adapted Locke's ideas, blending them with religious principles and common law traditions
• Locke's philosophy of equal natural rights continued to influence American history through Lincoln's anti-slavery arguments, the 1848 Seneca Falls women's rights declaration, and Martin Luther King Jr.'s civil rights advocacy.

Other podcast episodes mentioned:

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School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership

Center for American Civics

America's political philosophy emerged from a complex interplay of Enlightenment thought, with both radical and moderate strands shaping our founding documents and constitutional system.

• Multiple influences shaped American political thought—biblical Christianity, English common law, classical philosophy, and the Enlightenment
• The Enlightenment had two main strands influencing America: radical (emphasizing new ideas) and moderate (blending modern thought with tradition)
• Three key Enlightenment influences were John Locke, Montesquieu, and the Scottish Enlightenment philosophers
• The Declaration of Independence balances radical Enlightenment ideas (natural rights) with moderate elements (references to divinity and sacred honor)
• The Constitution reflects Montesquieu's moderate Enlightenment philosophy through separation of powers and complex institutional design
• America's constitutional system deliberately combines republican elements with democratic ones to create sustainable liberty

Understanding America's founding requires studying both the radical and moderate philosophical traditions that shaped our political system.

Check Out the Civic Literacy Curriculum!

School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership

Center for American Civics