Table of Contents [Start Here]
A directory of all Civics for Adults posts
Welcome to the wayback machine for Civics for Adults. Start here if you’re new to this newsletter and want to get caught up, or if you want to find a post you think you read here before.
I’ve been writing this newsletter since January 2025 to educate American voters and non-voters about how the U.S. government works.
Think of this directory as the syllabus for the civics class you are auditing at your own pace.
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Table of Contents
= Link to a post or story by someone else
The rest are by Donna Blankinship
Politics and Government, in general
Could you pass the test to become a U.S. citizen?
Your citizen’s toolkit for taking political action
Voting is your American super power
Don’t let Trump scare you away from protesting
How to be a professional truth teller
Why some government cuts should scare you
Why NGOs have been tax exempt since America first taxes income
Why does it matter what people in other countries think of the U.S.
How immigration and crime are (not) connected
= Republicans were the progressives of the early 20th Century (Jim Schlueter)
= Extend Early Voting & Paper Ballots: An excerpt from "The Hidden History of the War on Voting" (Thom Hartmann)
= Understand how your local government works (Dr. Nancy Pearson)
= CitizINFO: Free resources for informed U.S. citizens (Brie McReynolds)
The Constitution
Constitutional Law for beginners
Separation of powers: tools of resistance
Five ways to become a U.S. citizen
What is the emoluments clause and why should you care?
The First Amendment
Stay safe: Legal rights for protesters
How to be a professional truth teller
Don’t look away from the press
Executive Branch
Presidents have been going to war without Congress since at least 1898
What the U.S. Education Department actually does
Power of the presidency: How it has grown
Social Security: Insurance program or “Ponzi scheme”?
Are NPR, PBS and Elmo in trouble?
Don’t let Trump scare you away from protesting
Birthright citizenship: Five ways to become a U.S. citizen
Why does it matter what people in other countries think of the U.S.
Executive orders: suggestions or laws?
“Fun” facts about Inauguration Day
Trump Tracker: Status report on his executive orders
= Why Social Security is in the worst crisis since its 1935 founding (Robert Reich)
= The evil at your door: The deportation action as regime change (Timothy Snyder)
Congress
Do Republicans hate poor children
Are NPR, PBS and Elmo in trouble?
What is a filibuster and why should I care?
The Judiciary
Separation of powers: tools of resistance
= Trump grows increasingly combative with the courts (NY Times)
The Economy
How worried should you be about the economy?
= Here’s what tariffs are and how they work (The Associated Press)
= Why Trump will lose his trade war (Paul Krugman)
= A financial crisis primer, Part 1 (Paul Krugman)
What others are saying about Civics for Adults
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Join the conversation
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About me
I’ve been covering the news as a writer and editor for decades. I’ve worked for a variety of media, including The Associated Press, The Seattle Times and Cascade PBS, nonprofit public media in Seattle. I’ve been intrigued by government and politics since I was a kid watching Richard Nixon’s impeachment trial on TV. I started this newsletter as my way to do something about my dismay seeing so few Americans vote in the past few elections.
My work elsewhere
Donna on TikTok: brief civics lessons while cooking
Donna at Crosscut/Cascade PBS: a nonprofit news site in Seattle
Donna’s column at the Washington State Standard
Donna’s column at The Seattle Times
Donna at The Associated Press (just a tiny sample from 16 years at the AP)
Constitutional Law for beginners
What would you be willing to pay to enhance your education about how the U.S. government works? The same as a cup of coffee at that nice cafe near your office or a beer at your favorite pub? Civics for Adults is a reader-supported publication. I only get paid if you decide to contribute. Please consider skipping one coffee (or beer) out this week and be…
Introducing Civics for Adults
I started this newsletter in January 2025 out of frustration over the lack of participation in the past three presidential elections. Everyone talks about the results being 50-50, but that simply isn’t true. About a third of all U.S. eligible voters chose Donald Trump for president in November 2024. Another third chose Kamala Harris and a third sat home…
Great resources.