The People's Government

The People’s Government functions as a lesson in civics, or the benefits and responsibilities associated with citizenship. It is not a book designed to tell readers what to think about the society and politics around them - instead, it is designed to help them interpret and participate in the democratic experiment that is the United States of America. Its title comes from Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, where the sixteenth president famously pledged that “government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” Lincoln valued political participation and public service - it was a facet of his life from his earliest days. Following the example set by his life, The People’s Government challenges the reader to think about how he/she too can participate and serve.

Each chapter of The People’s Government is designed to help the reader individually connect with the week’s topic and engage in a deeper exploration of the material with fellow classmates. As students go through these exercises, they will see that the nation’s democracy depends on each citizen taking a responsible role in their government. This begins with a basic understanding of how our government was formed and how it functions. But it also includes a willingness to understand the values and concerns of your fellow citizens, even when they differ from their own. Indeed, it is this diversity of people and ideas that provided the catalyst for creating what the framers of the Constitution called “a more perfect union.” They understood that neither perfection nor unity were easily attained, and that remains true today.  But if the goals themselves are admittedly elusive, the quest for those goals is, and always has been, a critical part of the democratic process. It is a process that is based on the willingness of every citizen to engage with the documents that form the foundation of our government, and to respect the people, both past and present, for whom that government was created.