Webster's dictionary defines the word civics as "a social science dealing with the rights and duties of citizens". What are the relationships between the citizenry and government? How is that designation interpreted in other nations as well as our own? That definition may be simple, but the question about "what is civics?" is not. From a thousand foot view, to understand civics, you must first und
erstand what it means to be a citizen. The word "civics" comes from the Latin word civis which means "to lie down, settle; home; family; love; beloved" Now that definition may be a far cry from citizen, but back in roman times, if someone said, "civis romanus sum" it meant, "I am a Roman citizen", because civis referred to where a person settled, their home and if we take that further to a family unit, where they were loved and beloved. So at its core, to be a citizen means that you are connected to a certain place, a group and a people. But to be connected also implies relationship. You often here the terms "civility" or "to be civil to each other" or how about the "American Civil War"? That term seems to be an oxymoron as the American Civil War was anything but! But, what it does imply was a war between what were once civil parties. So again, the term "civil" implies a relationship between like groups of people. This like group of people, you would think would have common interest, goals, language and purpose. And it is with this foundation that in order to form a nation or a civilization, each person within that group would confirm to certain rights, responsibilities and duties. Again, a simple definition but the full meaning is much more complex. Think about relationships of just your family and friends. You deal with roles, responsibilities, expectations, economic status, communication differences, personal histories, personalities, faith and religious values and the list goes on. Take this to a macro level and look at this within a nation you will see the same relationships grouped together in terms of economics, religion and politics. These are the basic characteristics that make up a nation and form a culture and that is what American Civics attempts to look into from the American perspective; focusing on the core American Culture, American values, traditions, politics and economic principles that have allowed the United States to prosper a beacon to all nations of what it means to be a free people, with liberty and justice for all and the struggle Americans face every day to hold on to that sacred heritage. Each article you read, link and topic is geared towards educating all visitors about the American culture. In research and materials we provide on this site, we make every attempt to insure that the data provide is accurate and are based on fact, historical perspective and on the founding principles and writings of the founding fathers. I urge you to visit often and join in the discussions. I know you will find it interesting and enlightening. Enjoy, and welcome to AmericanCivics.org
