U.S. Government and Civics Resources from CFR Education

Widen your lens on U.S. government, history, and civic learning with this curated list of videos, simulations, articles, and timelines. 

• Understand why a country's form of government determines whether citizens' voices are magnified or minimized.
• Learn about the institutions and actors in the U.S. government who are responsible for shaping the country's international agenda through foreign policy.
• Unpack how specific U.S. policies have affected the lives of Americans and people all around the world. 
• Dive into major moments in U.S. history that have shaped the United States since its founding.

Forms of Government

• What Is Government?
  • In this video, understand what government is and to what extent your voice is heard by those in power.
• What Kinds of Governments Exist?
  • Explore the differences between democracies and autocracies, communism and capitalism, and right and left leaning ideologies.
• Laws, Norms, and Democratic Backsliding
  • Learn about the principles that underpin democracy and the countries in which they are under threat.
• ACTIVITY: Prisoner Swap
  • In this simulation, decide what actions the United States should take when an American citizen’s life is swept up in a geopolitical conflict.

U.S. Government and Foreign Policy

• Why Does U.S. Foreign Policy Matter?
  • In this video, learn how the United States has shaped the world with its military and economic might.
• What Roles Do Congress and the Executive Branch Play in U.S. Foreign Policy?
  • What does the Constitution say about foreign policy? Explore how two branches of government protect and advance U.S. interests at home and abroad.
• What Is the National Security Council?
  • Learn how the president’s advisors protect U.S. national security and help with foreign policy decision-making and coordination across the executive branch.
• How Do Forces Outside Government Influence Policymaking?
  • Learn how journalism, social media, public opinion, and lobbies are all part of American democracy and influence U.S. foreign policy.
• What Is the Relationship Between Domestic and Foreign Policy?
  • Understand how domestic policy affects foreign policy through the unequal distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.
• ACTIVITY: Should the United States Ban TikTok to Preserve National Security? 
  • In this simulation, debate whether the United States should impose a ban on TikTok to safeguard citizens’ data and the country’s security.

U.S. Policies Now and Then

• History of U.S. Immigration Policy
  • This video and article unpack how U.S. immigration policy can show what influences a country’s response to migrants, from the Chinese Inclusion Act of 1882 to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy in 2012.
• The Inflation Reduction Act
  • Learn what the United States' largest-ever climate change legislation does.
• The Marshall Plan
  • In this video, learn about the massive aid package the United States put together after World War II to help rebuild Europe.
• Why the Kyoto Protocol Failed and How U.S. Presidents Make Treaties Today
  • In this video, dive into two international climate agreements to explore how the Senate and the president have historically jockeyed for power in the treaty-making process.
• How a Single Phrase Defined the War on Terror
  • Understand how the open-ended scope of the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) has justified counterterrorism policy for two decades—and counting.
• ACTIVITY: Asylum Seekers at the U.S. Southern Border
  • In this simulation, debate how the United States should respond to a growing number of asylum seekers.

U.S. History

• What Is the Enlightenment and How Did It Transform Politics?
  • Explore how calls for liberty, equality, and individual rights sparked revolutions around the world.
• How Did the United States Become a Global Power
  • Learn how three wars transformed the United States’ standing in the world, transforming it into the country with the largest economy, hundreds of overseas military bases, and leadership positions in various international institutions.
• How Did the Cold War Stay Cold?
  • Learn how the United States and the Soviet Union avoided potentially catastrophic confrontation.
• A Brief History of U.S. Foreign Aid
  • In this timeline, learn how and why U.S. foreign aid has changed over time.
• U.S. Counterterrorism Since 1945
  • In this timeline, understand the evolution of U.S. counterterrorism policies that led to the war on terror.
• ACTIVITY: Response to 9/11
  • In this simulation, discuss how the U.S. president should respond to the deadliest foreign terrorist attack on U.S. soil.

Take a deeper dive into the modern history, politics, geopolitics, economics, and people and societies of the Americas to gain a broader understanding of the region surrounding the United States.