American Institutions Workshop
Designed for teachers participating in our American Institutions workshops, this page provides access to the reader, companion podcast episodes, and Civic Literacy Curriculum resources that explore how the Constitution structures power in American government.
Through primary sources, Supreme Court decisions, and constitutional debates, participants will examine federalism, separation of powers, and judicial review.
American Institutions
American Institutions Workshop
American constitutional government depends on institutions that exercise political power while also placing meaningful limits on that power. This workshop invites educators to examine how those institutions were designed, how they have developed over time, and how constitutional principles are interpreted in practice.
Throughout the workshop, we will return to a central question:
How do we give government enough power to govern while preventing that power from threatening liberty?
The resources below bring together the foundational American Institutions materials, the Advanced American Institutions Reader, Civics in a Year, and the Civic Literacy Curriculum.
Federalism
Who should govern?
Federalism divides political authority between the national government and the states. The Constitution establishes this structure, but Americans have continually debated how that division should work in practice.
Read
Foundational American Institutions Materials
- Articles of Confederation
- United States Constitution
- Federalist and Anti-Federalist writings on federal power
- Foundational materials on federalism and the division of governmental power
Advanced American Institutions Reader
- South Dakota v. Dole (1987)
- Printz v. United States (1997)
- National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius (2012)
These cases provide a progression through questions of federal spending power, state sovereignty, federal commandeering, and coercion. The cases ask where the line falls between federal encouragement and federal control.
Listen
Civics in a Year
Federalism in Practice
Season 1, Episode 91
This episode provides an accessible introduction to how federalism operates beyond the constitutional text.
Explore the full Civics in a Year episode archive
Teach
Civic Literacy Curriculum
Q59: Reserved Powers of the States
Section 2: Systems of Government
These resources include background information, primary sources, discussion prompts, classroom activities, and materials that can be adapted for different grade levels.
Workshop Questions
- What powers belong to the federal government?
- What powers remain with the states?
- How does federalism protect liberty?
- When does federal encouragement become coercion?
Separation of Powers
How should political power be divided?
The Constitution divides governmental power among legislative, executive, and judicial institutions. The workshop examines both the original design and the continuing debate over how those institutions should interact.
Read
Foundational American Institutions Materials
- Article I
- Article II
- Article III
- Federalist writings on separation of powers
- Checks and balances
Advanced American Institutions Reader
- Theodore Roosevelt, “The Stewardship Theory of the President”
- W. H. Taft, “The Limitations of Presidential Power”
- Woodrow Wilson, “The President of the United States”
- J.W. Hampton v. United States
- American Power and Light Co. v. SEC
- Administrative Procedure Act and agency rulemaking materials
Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson offer competing understandings of executive leadership. The later materials extend the conversation to congressional delegation and the modern administrative state.
Listen
Civics in a Year
Separation of Powers: Montesquieu's Blueprint for American Democracy
Season 1, Episode 27
Checks and Balances: How Our Government Maintains Equilibrium
Season 1, Episode 67
Constitutional Safeguards: How the Founders Designed America's Power Structure
Season 1, Episode 65
Madison's Blueprint: Understanding Federalist 51 and Separation of Powers
Season 1, Episode 46
Teach
Civic Literacy Curriculum
Q15: Why Are There Three Branches of Government?
Q16–17: Branches of Government
Q41 & Q45: Presidential Powers and Federal Judges
Q43–44: Checks, Balances, and the Legislative Process
Section 2: Systems of Government
Workshop Questions
- Does effective government require energetic executive leadership?
- What limits presidential power?
- How should Congress and the president check one another?
- How much authority can Congress delegate?
- Can administrative expertise coexist with democratic accountability?
Congress
Why did the Framers distrust legislatures?
Congress is the legislative branch of the federal government, but the Constitution structures it in ways intended to balance representation, deliberation, federalism, and political accountability.
Read
- Article I of the United States Constitution
- Foundational readings on representation and legislative power
- Advanced materials addressing congressional delegation
Listen
Explore Congress episodes from Civics in a Year
Teach
Section 2: Systems of Government
The Civic Literacy Curriculum includes classroom activities on the structure of Congress, its powers, representation, and the relationship between the House and Senate.
Presidency
How much executive power is too much?
The presidency was designed to provide energetic executive leadership while remaining within a constitutional structure of separated powers. The meaning of that balance has changed over time.
Read
- Article II of the United States Constitution
- Theodore Roosevelt, “The Stewardship Theory of the President”
- W. H. Taft, “The Limitations of Presidential Power”
- Woodrow Wilson, “The President of the United States”
Listen
Explore Presidency episodes from Civics in a Year
The War Powers Act Explained
Season 1, Episode 236
Teach
Q41 & Q45: Presidential Powers and Appointments
Q42: Commander in Chief and Congress
Q46–48: The Executive Branch and Cabinet
Judiciary
Who should interpret the Constitution?
The judiciary is an essential part of the constitutional system because courts interpret law and determine whether government action is consistent with the Constitution. This raises enduring questions about judicial authority, constitutional interpretation, and democratic accountability.
Read
- Article III of the United States Constitution
- Foundational materials on judicial review
- Advanced constitutional cases addressing the boundaries of federal power and individual rights
Listen
How Judges Read the Constitution: Text, History, and Precedent
Explore Judiciary episodes from Civics in a Year
Teach
Q50–51: The Judicial Branch and Judicial Review
The curriculum includes an Adult Learner activity using Plessy v. Ferguson and a high school Judicial Review Simulation.
Freedom of Speech
Who decides the limits of constitutional freedom?
Freedom of speech is protected by the First Amendment, but the meaning of that protection has developed through continuing constitutional disputes involving offensive speech, compelled expression, incitement, public order, and viewpoint discrimination.
Read
Advanced American Institutions Reader
- Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire (1942)
- West Virginia v. Barnette (1943)
- Terminiello v. Chicago (1949)
- Brandenburg v. Ohio (1969)
- Cohen v. California (1971)
- Matal v. Tam (2017)
Read chronologically, these cases allow educators to trace the development of modern First Amendment doctrine. The sequence raises questions about the relationship between liberty and order and about whether government may suppress speech because it is offensive or unpopular.
Listen
Understanding the Freedom of Speech: What It Protects and What It Doesn't
Season 1, Episode 80
From Schenck to Social Media: How Free Speech Law Evolved
Season 1, Episode 108
Teach
Q6: The Bill of Rights and the First Amendment
Q65: Rights Protected for People Living in the United States
Section 2: Systems of Government
From Constitutional Design to Constitutional Practice
One goal of the American Institutions Workshop is to help educators connect foundational constitutional principles to the institutions students encounter today.
The workshop materials allow educators to move through three levels of inquiry:
- What does the Constitution establish?
- How have American institutions developed and been interpreted?
- How can students use these ideas to understand their own civic world?
The Civic Literacy Curriculum provides more than 500 lessons and related resources, including historical background, edited primary sources, exercises, worksheets, and discussion prompts. It is designed for educators and learners and is available as a free resource from the Center for American Civics.
Explore the Full Civic Literacy Curriculum
Take It Back to Your Classroom
The purpose of this workshop is not simply to deepen your own understanding of American institutions. It is to give you ideas, sources, questions, and strategies you can use with your students.
As you work through each topic, consider:
- What would students find surprising?
- What constitutional question could anchor a discussion?
- Which primary source would make a strong starting point?
- How could students compare competing interpretations?
- How can students move from knowing how an institution works to understanding why it matters?
The goal is not simply to teach students how American institutions work. It is to help them understand why those institutions were designed as they were, how they have changed, and why those choices matter for self-government.