Civics 101
We the People. Three branches. Your rights. The whole document, explained like you are a neighbor -- not a law student.
Schoolhouse Rock videos, myth busters, and real-world examples from Houston.
52 words. The mission statement for the entire country. Schoolhouse Rock made it unforgettable.
"The Preamble" -- Schoolhouse Rock, 1975. Source: ABC/Disney.
"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
Those are not just words. They are a promise. And every level of government -- including your Houston City Council -- operates under that promise.
Tap a branch to see what it does and who your people are in it.
No branch has all the power. Each one checks the others. That is the design.
"Three Ring Government" -- Schoolhouse Rock, 1979. Source: ABC/Disney.
The first 10 amendments. Ratified in 1791. Still the backbone of your daily freedoms. Tap any one.
Tap to reveal the truth.
Why we have a Constitution in the first place. The story of independence, the Articles of Confederation that failed, and the convention that wrote the document we still use today.
"The Shot Heard 'Round the World" -- Schoolhouse Rock, 1976. Source: ABC/Disney.
Call one elected official about one issue. You are petitioning the government for a redress of grievances. That is literally what the First Amendment protects.
Memorize two phrases: 'I do not consent to a search' and 'I am exercising my right to remain silent.' You may never need them. But knowing them changes everything.
Go to constitution.congress.gov. Pick one amendment you have never read. Read it. It is shorter than you think. Most are one paragraph.