Civics Made Easy

Why do we pay taxes? Where does all of that money actually go? And is the U.S. government collecting and spending our money wisely? Ben Sheehan takes a cold, hard look at America's finances. What is the history of taxing and spending? Who gets to decide how much money we owe? Why are some spending items in the budget ‘required' while others are merely optional? And how bad is U.S. debt really? Be

You probably learned about the original Constitutional Convention (the one from 1787) in history class. But did you know America could potentially be having another? Ben Sheehan explains what led to the original Constitution Convention, and whether or not another is on the horizon. How would a new constitutional convention work? Who makes the rules? And what are the potential benefits and risks?

How do we change the U.S. Constitution? We've done it 27 times – is that too many or too few? Ben Sheehan explains what constitutional amendments are. What are some of the most famous and consequential ones? Are there any parts of the Constitution that CAN'T be amended? And are there any new amendments that a vast majority of Americans could agree on in these polarized times?

You're probably aware of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. Maybe you know some of the documents' famous quotes. But what do they actually establish? What's the historical relevance and why do they still matter today? After all, they were written well over 200 years ago. Sheehan explains how one led to the other, and what we might fail to appreciate about their words.