| Last week’s curation at RealClear’s American Civics portal begins with highlighting Casey Wheatland’s commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the Monroe Doctrine. Wheatland says that it should be understood as “expression of the moral principles and strategic thinking that animated foreign affairs for the first century of our national existence.” On the question of strategy, he argues that the Monroe Doctrine staked its claim on the idea that “a great power has an interest in keeping other great powers out of its immediate neighborhood.” Wheatland also notes that it is in keeping with the principles of restraint that were established by the American Founders. “Republican government requires restraint abroad," writes Wheatland. "One that goes abroad in search of monsters to destroy would soon find a new monster at home: imperial government.” Wheatland concludes by noting that though some argue that “the Monroe Doctrine is outdated in a globalized age,” its principles and wisdom are superior to the foreign policy that is generally practiced today. At the Acton Institute, Isaac Willour challenges those who are against the prevalent “anti-racist” doctrines to come up with a positive teaching on race. We need, he says, a “vision of race relations that is...philosophically robust.” In a new book, he notes that Andre Archie has charted such a path. Archie gets beyond race, arguing that “color-blindness is fully consistent with the virtues and values of the American experiment.” Agreeing with the general thrust of Archie’s book, Willour writes, “Post-racialism may not be intuitive, but it is worth fighting against our darkest instincts to achieve the true virtue contained therein.” “Fighting the hyper-racialism of modern thinkers like Kendi and Coates is a battle for the heart and soul of Western civilization, and as such it demands the energy and commitment of those meaningfully engaged in the work of liberty.” Essential Reading Christopher Flannery, Claremont Review of Books James Abram Garfield was inaugurated president of the United States on March 4, 1881, shot by a... In the News Inez Stepman, American Mind Olivia B. Waxman, Time Jamiel Lynch, CNN Aleks Phillips, Newsweek Isaac Willour, Acton Institute Carl M. Cannon, RealClearPolitics Lynn Schmidt, Fulcrum Sarah Lemire, Yahoo National Governors Association Andrew Koppelman, New Republic Yuval Levin, National Review Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune A.G. Gancarski, Florida Politics Richard Grant, Smithsonian Magazine Casey Wheatland, Federalist The Voting Booth Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by Alan Ostergren, an election law attorney in Iowa... NPR Civics 101 is a podcast refresher course on the basics of how the U.S. government works, including... Carl Cannon's Great American Stories We are just 10 days from the 2024 Iowa presidential caucuses and it's also Friday, the day of week when ... The careers of Robert Burns and Laura Ingalls Wilder show that creativity can come at any age. Burns was not ... It's Friday, Dec. 22, the day of the week when I share a quotation intended to be informative or uplifting. ... | 