[CIVIC VALUES]

About Civic Values

Civic Values are the founding principles of American democracy, as articulated in the Declaration of Independence, the Preamble to the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. Whatever other values we may hold, these are the principles that shape the way in which we think about politics, government, and America itself.

One need only visit Independence Hall in Philadelphia, a few blocks from the Institute for the Study of Civic Values, to be reminded of the founding vision of America as free nation in which men and women of diverse origin would learn how work together for the common good.

If you cannot travel to Independence Hall in person, you at least can examine Independence National Park and the Liberty Bell from here, to gain an appreciation of what was intended more than two hundred years ago. You can even take a Virtual Tour of Historic Philadelphia.

As Americans now struggle to identify basic principles that we share, we would do well to remember that it was not "family values," or even principles like "opportunity, responsibility, and community," but these civic values that defined us as a people.

A newly naturalized American citizen, Ravi Venkateswaran, expressed it well at his naturalization ceremony at Independence Hall on July 7, 1995:

  • On Becoming An American, Ravi Venkateswaran

    Civic Values: Commentary

    The papers and lectures here by theorists associated with the Institute further explore the relationship between civic values and citizen action in America.

    Civic Values: Institute Projects

    The Institute is playing a leading role in developing programs that apply civic values to contemporary problems. We offer two online projects in this area.

    Building Community in the American Tradition is a discussion guide for use by neighborhood leaders and activists that applies principles of the Preamble to the Constitution to the problem of building community in America today. The Institute has established an email list, build-com to create a network of organizations throughout the country using this guide in their own communities. This is our contribution to the National Conversation on American Pluralism and Identity sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

    Our Civic Ideals and Modern Institutions Study Guide examines how we can work to fulfill America's historic ideals through existing institutions.

    Civic Values: Other Resources

    Civic Values: The Religious Perspective

    An important aspect of the current debate over American values concerns the proper role of religion. In fact, with the rise of the Christian Coalition, the proper relationship between organized religion and civic values has emerged as a major political issue.

    There is no question that religion has played an important role in shaping America's civic values, as these papers by Wilson Carey McWilliams and Ed Schwartz suggest:

  • The Alternative Tradition, Wilson Carey McWilliams
  • Religion and the American Democratic Tradition, Ed Schwartz

    Nonetheless, as the documents that follow suggest, while there remains a broad commitment to human dignity, equality, and justice among religious denominations in America, there is no single opinion on how to apply these principles to politics, even within Christianity itself.

    Civic Values: Politicians Speak Out

    Politicians of every persuasion are now eager to speak out on American values--and to offer their own perspectives on what they are.

    Civic Values and Human Rights

    The civic values that have shaped American democracy have had a profound influence on the development of human rights throughout the world. Note particularly the Universal Declaration of Human Rights established by the United Nations in 1945 The Human Rights Web Home Page provides the most comprehensive index of major human rights sites on the Web.

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