Civics? Well, it can take on a few meanings. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, civics is “the study of the way in which a local government works and of the rights and duties of the people who live in the city”.[i] According to the Collins Dictionary, it is the study of the rights and duties of the citizens of a society.[ii] And, finally, yourdictionary.com defines civics as the branch of political science that deals with civic affairs and the rights and duties of citizenship.[iii]
What these definitions have in common is the reference to our “rights and duties”. Our rights are established in the U.S. Constitution, our governing document, ratified by 1788,[iv] and amended by the Bill of Rights in 1791,[v] guaranteeing such rights as freedom of speech and religion, protection from unreasonable searches and seizures, and the right against self-incrimination or “taking the 5th”.
The National Archives describes the Constitution as “like a colossal merger, uniting groups of states with different interests, laws, and cultures … The Constitution united its citizens as members of a whole, vesting the power of the union in the people.[vi] There is a popular political saying that “all politics is local”, which is a phrase that is often associated with former Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Thomas P. “Tip” O’Neill, a Congressman from Massachusetts.[vii] And if all politics is local, then, a 2015 article written by Charles Pierce appearing in esquire.com suggests that all government is local too.[viii]
Why is this important?
Why do we need to know this?
As we exercise one of our rights and duties by voting, should we be mindful that what happens in our area of the country may affect other parts of the country as well?
As of this day, the state of Georgia is in the home stretch of choosing between incumbent Senator Raphael Warnock, a Democrat, and challenger, Hershel Walker, a Republican. While the election of one candidate over the other may not change the balance of power in the U.S. Senate this time, as the Democrat party will keep a majority no matter the outcome, it may have a tremendous impact on how the US Senate operates, and how proposed legislation is considered, not only for the people of Georgia but for all of us. And, there are many more examples, from immigration and border issues, to the rise in interest rates and gas prices, to a woman’s right to choose, to U.S. involvement with the war in Ukraine, though not necessarily all in that order.
So is all politics and government local? Yes, and we all have the obligation to be aware of our government and our rights and duties, not only as it impacts each of us individually, but our neighbors next door and across the country.
Be Informed
Be Engaged
Be Involved
[i] https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/civics
[ii] https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/civics
[iii] https://www.yourdictionary.com/civics
[iv] https://www.constitutionfacts.com/content/constitution/files/Constitution_DatesToRemember.pd
[v] https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/bill-of-rights-is-finally-ratified
[vi] https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution
[vii] https://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/all_politics_is_local/
[viii] https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/news/a36522/how-all-government-is-local-and-thats-how-it-dies/