American Civics Academy

From our co-founders:

“Learning about America’s constitutional structures, rights, and responsibilities and developing skills such as public speaking and debate are necessary but insufficient to the task at hand. We will not keep the republic with more of the same. The day is late, but we must work hard to displace the oppression thesis by making a compelling positive moral case for America, one rooted not in hagiography, but in the truth – warts and all.”

“This truth is best expressed by what we call “the cooperation thesis,” which is the idea that the rise of the West and America is largely the story of the rise of ever more effective cooperation made possible by an ever more efficient market system fueled by ever freer people. If we successfully deploy such a Cooperation Civics, we will explain to our fellows why they should love their country. We will meet Franklin’s challenge and keep the republic.”

Meeting Franklin’s Challenge the Only Way Possible | RealClearPolitics �A republic, if you can keep it,� Ben Franklin famously challenged when asked what kind of government the Constitutional Convention had designed. �We are...

From the creator of Cooperation Civics:

“America is long overdue for a great reawakening in civic education, one of similar scale, scope, and transformative power of our three great religious awakenings. Cultivating citizenship is not just another subject in school, it is the subject that our constitutional republic depends upon most.”

“Imagine how much better America will become if every American child is taught that high powered cooperation between free thinking citizens is the real story of America, and through socially beneficial cooperation groups in America like Jews were able to flourish in a way that helped everyone else flourish, too. Maybe then we might be able to put intellectually infantile anti-Americanism and antisemitism to bed for good.”

Opinion: How intellectual infantilism feeds antisemitism in America Why, in America of all places, is antisemitism on the rise?

From our co-founders:

“But America’s story is not one driven solely or even mostly by oppression because a society cannot raise the level of general prosperity by means of piracy and plunder. Theft builds nothing; it merely rearranges what is already there. It is parasitic, not productive. Only the gains that arise from cooperation – working together to produce a whole greater than the sum of its parts – can result in more goods and services for the same number of people in society. This is what produced the unprecedented levels of general prosperity into which we were blessed to be born. A system rigged to only allow the fulfillment of ambition through cooperative gains is the real story of America.”

America Was Built on Cooperation, Not Oppression | RealClearPolitics Offer a random person anywhere in the world a thousand dollars, a ticket to America, and a green card, but with the catch that the offer is only good for 24...

"In this episode, we delve into critical historical events and movements, with a particular focus on communism and its profoundly negative impacts. With his extensive background in political science and education, Murray provides an in-depth analysis of how authoritarian regimes rise to power, emphasizing the role of fear as a common driver."

"We explore the psychology behind these regimes, dissecting the mechanisms they use to maintain control and the devastating effects they have on societies. Dr. Bessette also shares insights into the importance of learning from history to avoid repeating the same mistakes, highlighting the significance of education and awareness in fostering resilient, democratic societies."

"Furthermore, we discuss why community-based solutions often lead to better outcomes than top-down changes imposed by a single authority. Dr. Bessette argues that grassroots involvement and collective action are essential for creating sustainable and effective solutions to societal challenges."

020: Lessons from History: Understanding the Rise of Authoritarian Regimes with Dr. Murray Bessette Welcome to today's episode of 'Dialogue over Division' with Dr. Murray Bessette. Dr. Bessette earned a Ph.D. in political science and an M.A. in American gov...

We are very excited to announce that we have contracted with Fiscal Sponsorship Allies, who will serve as the American Civics Academy's fiscal sponsor while our application for independent 501c3 status is pending with the IRS. Please consider making a tax deductible donation at the link below. Thank you!

Donate — American Civics Academy American Civics Academy is an educational nonprofit that produces Cooperation Civics curricular modules using the Big Civics approach. We also organize professional development opportunities for educators and provide civics education services to the public.

Access “The Rise of the Free-Thinking Mind” at https://www.americancivics.academy/cooperation-civics

Access “The Rise of Cities” at https://www.americancivics.academy/cooperation-civics

Access “Cooperation and Diversity” at https://www.americancivics.academy/cooperation-civics

Access “The Dawn of Exchange” at https://www.americancivics.academy/cooperation-civics

Using a Big Civics approach guided by the cooperation thesis, we make a moral case for our way of life by explaining why our free-market democracy is a highly evolved system of cooperation made robust by our constitutional republic. To learn more about the American Civics Academy, Cooperation Civics, and the Big Civics approach, visit us at www.americancivicsacademy.org.

Access “The Dawn of Cooperation” at https://www.americancivics.academy/cooperation-civics

Access the “Introduction” at https://www.americancivics.academy/cooperation-civics