The Best Way to “Love Our Constitution” is to Share It

According to Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America, a unique and essential aspect of early American society was the “spirit of association” espoused by the American people. The young French aristocrat came to the United States in 1831 and traveled throughout the burgeoning nation to determine why it excelled at democratic governance. He concluded that the bedrock of American democracy is the civil associations formed by ordinary citizens.

We agreed.

At the American Constitution Society (ACS), we believe in the power of empowering community engagement by facilitating conversations about key legal and public policy issues and recognizing the impact they have on everyone, not just those in the legal community. To share these critical issues with everyone, ACS created the Love Our Constitution Initiative.

This year's "Love Our Constitution" theme: Courts Matter

For the third year, ACS’s annual Love Our Constitution initiative will take place during the week of Valentine's Day, from February 10-16, 2019. Through this project, ACS members can share their love of the U.S. Constitution by leading community discussions on the federal judiciary during Valentine’s week.

In the last couple of years, we have seen the power of the judiciary to curb executive overreach. At the same time, we have also seen a lack of diversity, questionable qualifications and divisive ideologies among nominees for the federal courts put forth by the Trump administration. Now more than ever, informing and engaging the public is crucial to preserving our judicial institutions and promoting justice for all people.

Planning a presentation is easy: We supply the PowerPoint and other resources

In the last two years, our members hosted events involving more than 1,000 people across the country. They gathered in lecture halls, public libraries, conference rooms, classrooms, and people's homes to share their thoughts on constitutional principles and learn more about the critical roles of the courts and the judges.

We encourage you to engage with and share the principles of the Constitution with your community and host a Love Our Constitution presentation. Participation is easy and ACS has all the resources ready for you as follows:

• Sign up here and find our new curriculum and answers to frequently asked questions on our webpage.
• Check out our ready-to-use presentation materials and additional resources to make it easy for everyone to organize and advertise a discussion of any size.
• Use and share this Social Media Toolkit to promote Love Our Constitution to your network.

A free and just society depends on informed and active citizens

This inspiring article in The Guardian highlights the collective work of our members and volunteers in organizing and leading Love Our Constitution discussions.

In our current political environment, it is easy to realize that democratic norms and institutions are neither infallible nor inevitable. The survival of our political system and the rights it protects depends upon the everyday actions of citizens from all backgrounds to stay informed and advocate for their beliefs.

As Tocqueville noted nearly 200 years ago, the strength of our Constitution lies in our willingness to engage with it: to create, in each generation, the free and just society it makes possible.

If you have any questions about the Love Our Constitution initiative, please email LCEmails@acslaw.org.