The word "civics" comes from the Latin word for "citizen." Essentially, it is a branch of political science concerned with (as its first known usage held, in 1885), "the rights and responsibilities of a citizen." In the year 2025, our civic institutions is empowering — especially in 2025, when the framework of our political system is currently being tested in almost unprecedented ways. This course is composed of three parts:

• The first will look at the fundamentals of government: Why do we need a government in the first place? What sort of government do we have in the United States? What does the Constitution say? What sort of government did the founders envision and intend to create?

• The second will look at the journeys those fundamental principles have taken over time: How have they been put into practice? What has happened to the complicated relationship between local, state, and federal institutions since 1787?

• And the final part will challenge us to think about what the appropriate response is to our current political moment, and wherever things go from here. If we hope to do anything to meaningfully impact our collective future, it is imperative to have a solid grasp of what our rights, responsibilities, and opportunities are as citizens.