Civics Resources

Must it really be all or nothing?

How might we legitimately distinguish between those who do and do not deserve to bear the name?

Exercising discretion in choosing what to say and how to say it inevitably requires adopting some particular perspective, but doesn't that just admit bias?

The harm caused by journalists shilling for brands threatens not only their credibility but the credibility of the news at large.

Does journalists' use of social media undermine the field's commitment to objectivity?

Do we have a democratic obligation to protect newspapers and local journalism from extinction?

Given the vital democratic role of the fourth estate, we need some way of making fact-based journalism widely available.

Before we make voting mandatory, we should get clear on what voting means and why it matters.

The voluntourism business is booming, but under what conditions are outsiders a genuine help and not an unwelcome burden?

Different governments' contact tracing strategies raise important questions about public health and personal privacy.

Many who resist shelter in place orders cast their decision as a triumph of personal liberty over government overreach. But what of their duty to others?

By what right can government officials prohibit worshipers from the physical and public practice of their faith?

What are our responsibilities at the ballot box? What does it mean for a vote to be insincere? Do we have an obligation to vote our conscience at the ballot box?

Do we have an obligation to abstain from child-bearing given the growing climate crisis?

Violating state sovereignty by intervening on environmental grounds is an under-discussed topic. As the world shrinks and our problems expand, what role will our modern conceptions of the nation-state play in our future?

Much has been written bemoaning the Electoral College, but the implications of mantras like "one person, one vote," or worries about political representation run much deeper. The NPVIC does nothing to address this.

Recent government raids on news organizations in Australia prompt discussion of the boundaries of categories like the public interest and national security threats.

Is a tool used as obstruction to legislation antithetical to the Senate's purpose, or perfectly attuned to it?

Recent accusations that Fox News is a propaganda machine might strike some as hyperbole, but there is a real danger in the dwindling line between the government and news organizations.

Government shutdowns are often a highly partisan issue. So how should we parse the most recent one?