Derek Monson
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Learning about America through primary sources: Plessy v. Ferguson
Plessy v. Ferguson was an 1896 U.S. Supreme Court decision saying that state racial segregation laws did not violate the Constitution. The Plessy decision underpinned the Jim Crow legal regime until it was overturned during the 1960s.
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Deaths of 2 WWII heroes should remind us of history’s lessons
Within the past week, we noted the deaths of two World War II heroes and marked the 80th anniversary of the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. Why take time to remember these events from bygone decades and centuries? Because they’re…
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Scholarly research should help quiet political controversy around vote by mail
Does vote by mail help one political party over another? How does it impact voter turnout? Is fraudulent voting a problem with vote by mail? Empirical research has evaluated each of these questions.
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New teacher guidelines would strengthen their standing
Lawmakers should be commended for bringing forward proposals to support the parent-teacher partnership through increased curriculum transparency.
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Solving our civic challenges: A Q&A with Andy Smarick
“Today’s political discourse is misleading us about our state of affairs, making us believe that things are far worse than in fact they are,” says Andy Smarick of the Manhattan Institute. He urges localism, among other things, to reestablish Americans’…
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Civic commitments are an intrinsic part of American national holidays
In our minds, we usually link Thanksgiving and other holidays with the things that are most important – gratitude, family, friends and tradition. But there’s more: Underlying each of our shared national holidays is a civic commitment.
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Learning about America through primary sources: The 13th-15th amendments to the U.S. Constitution
The 13th, 14th and 15th amendments were enacted during the post-Civil War period known as Reconstruction (1865-1877). Together, they were an attempt to establish and protect Black Americans’ constitutional and civil rights in the post-slavery period.
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Oversimplification of Virginia election results could hinder student learning
The reaction to Virginia’s recent gubernatorial election is an example of the tendency to oversimplify the interpretation of an election into a basic political narrative. Such oversimplification could hinder curriculum transparency.
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The politics of vote by mail
Partisan support or opposition to absentee voting over time has varied based on political circumstances. The politics of vote by mail in Utah has been different, but national partisan interests have begun influencing local politics in Utah.
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The security of vote by mail in Utah
Consideration of election security and integrity is always worthwhile. However, the evidence suggests that eliminating vote by mail for most voters is neither prudent nor necessary to secure elections in Utah.