Mike Farris:
We’re going to be talking about civics this week, and joining me is Dr. Stephen King, who’s a professor of government at Patrick Henry College. Stephen, I’m really excited to have you on the program this week.

Dr. Stephen King:
Thank you very much, Dr. Farris. I’m excited to be here.

Mike:
From ancient Greece to the French Revolution to the current push for globalization, the definition of what makes a good citizen has been a matter of constant debate. Can you define civics for us? And why is it important for homeschoolers to study civics?

Dr. King:
That is an excellent point, and my definition of civics would be this, Dr. Farris: I would call it a study of learning about and practicing government and law. And, particularly, we need to focus on the role of the citizen in government, law, and the political affairs.

Why is it important for homeschoolers to study civics? One, we need them to be informed. We cannot have an ignorant citizen. We need to have them aware of what is going on. There are many studies which show students at all ages are not informed about it. Second, this gives them a basis for knowledge—knowing about how to impact law, how to impact their institutions, how to impact their governments. And thirdly is wisdom. And that is the portion of these three points that is very important. That is to say, we have knowledge, we have information, let’s act upon it.

Mike:
Dr. King, thanks so much. I’m Mike Farris.