{"id":2565,"date":"2026-06-23T16:37:59","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T16:37:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/americanmovershub.com\/?p=2565"},"modified":"2026-06-23T16:37:59","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T16:37:59","slug":"opinion-the-civic-virtue-of-everyday-citizens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/americanmovershub.com\/?p=2565","title":{"rendered":"Opinion: The civic virtue of everyday citizens"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Editor\u2019s note: <\/b>This is the fifth in a series of six pieces exploring the ideas behind America\u2019s founding. Each piece will accompany one of five master classes on the Declaration of Independence from Utah Valley University\u2019s Center for Constitutional Studies. The classes are free and open to the public. Read more about and access the classes <\/i>here<\/i>.<\/i><\/p>\n

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When we Americans think about civic education, we immediately think of public schools and universities. But for decades, our schools have only emphasized and funded non-civic subjects like language arts and STEM. Encouragingly, however, on our 250th anniversary, we are seeing a renaissance in civic education, both here in Utah and throughout our country. <\/p>\n

In 2021, the Utah Legislature created the Civic Thought and Leadership Initiative (CTLI) to \u201cfacilitate nonpartisan political discussion\u201d and \u201cprovide civic education and research.\u201d In 2025, the Legislature created a new yearlong mandatory high school course, Constitutional Government and Citizenship, to provide civics teachers with more time and a focus on what matters most. <\/p>\n

This year, in partnership with America250 Utah, CTLI has created a master class and other resources to help everyday Utahns understand the Declaration of Independence. This renewed interest from policymakers and thought leaders in civic education is heartening. But these efforts will prove ephemeral if we miss the fundamental precursors to meaningful civic education: the formation of civic virtue in everyday citizens.<\/p>\n

The dedicated revolutionaries and constitutional framers we so rightly celebrate this year saw the proper formation of citizens as being not only importantfor the success of free government, but absolute and essential. Free<\/i> government, they argued, only works if citizens exercise self<\/i>-government. <\/p>\n

Not only do \u201cwe the people\u201d have to govern ourselves by voting, running for office and otherwise participating in the act of government, but we also have to be the kind of people who govern ourselves, placing limits on our appetites and desires for the good of all. In other words, it isn\u2019t enough to do<\/i> self-governing \u2014 we have to be<\/i> self-governing. <\/p>\n

In this way, civiceducation is better called citizen formation<\/i>, and while formal education plays a critical role in that formation, its role is secondary in the formation of good citizens. What matters most is that citizens develop what the Founders (and many thinkers before them) called civic virtues<\/i>.<\/p>\n

The word virtue<\/i> comes from the Latin word virtutem<\/i>, which can be translated as moral excellence<\/i>. For classical thinkers like the ancient Greeks and Romans, moral excellence was manifest in persons who developed specific habits of right action, called virtues<\/i>. These virtues include courage, prudence, justice and moderation. Later, Christian thinkers would add virtues such as humility, hope and charity to the list.<\/p>\n

To be virtuous, it is more than occasionally acting<\/i> virtuously; we must become<\/i> virtuous. As we consistently act as a courageous person would, we develop the virtue (or habit) of courage. The same goes for other virtues. <\/p>\n

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\u201cPublic virtue cannot exist in a nation without private (virtue), and public virtue is the only foundation of republics.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 \u00a0John Adams<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Through reason and experience, classical thinkers and our Founders argued, we can understand that moral excellence is the road to \u201cthe pursuit of happiness\u201d and that all our passions or desires should be governed by virtues. If we develop unvirtuous habits, we become slaves to our passions. Thus, freedom and happiness both require virtue. <\/p>\n

As Edmund Burke put it, \u201cMen of intemperate minds cannot be free. Their passions forge their fetters.\u201d Just, free and flourishing governments require citizens who govern themselves. As John Adams wrote to Mercy Otis Warren, \u201cPublic Virtue cannot exist in a Nation without private (virtue), and public Virtue is the only foundation of Republics.\u201d<\/p>\n

While schools and universities are important in cultivating knowledge about <\/i>civic virtue, they are not the principal places we practice <\/i>civic virtue. Rather, it is in homes, churches, Little Leagues and workplaces that we find role models and try to live virtuously and practice self-governance. It is where we learn that freedom is not the absence<\/i> of laws, but the presence<\/i> of good ones.<\/p>\n

So, what can we do in 2026 to develop civic virtues in ourselves and those we love?<\/p>\n

On Sunday, July 5, America250 Utah has asked every Utahn to invite their neighbors for a potluck meal. It can be a simple way to think of others above ourselves, build friendships and practice virtues. <\/p>\n

For extra credit, read the Declaration of Independence. This time, rather than just emphasizing the rights it declares, focus on the virtues it highlights, which include these 12: decency, respect, truthfulness, justice, prudence, dutifulness, patience, courage, humility, magnanimity, faith and honor.<\/p>\n

Finally, thank divine providence for the virtuous women and men who came before us and placed their lives, fortunes and sacred honor on the altar of our freedom.<\/p>\n

Read more 8 stories around the World Cup<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As Utah prepares to celebrate America250, the Founding Fathers provide lessons on the civic virtues we can develop in order to become good citizens.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2564,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2565","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinion"],"yoast_head":"\nOpinion: The civic virtue of everyday citizens - American Movers Hub<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/americanmovershub.com\/?p=2565\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Opinion: The civic virtue of everyday citizens - American Movers Hub\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As Utah prepares to celebrate America250, the Founding Fathers provide lessons on the civic virtues we can develop in order to become good citizens.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/americanmovershub.com\/?p=2565\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"American Movers Hub\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-23T16:37:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/americanmovershub.com\\\/?p=2565#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/americanmovershub.com\\\/?p=2565\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/americanmovershub.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/b68c8483906c0d2987f271455f0177af\"},\"headline\":\"Opinion: The civic virtue of everyday citizens\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-23T16:37:59+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/americanmovershub.com\\\/?p=2565\"},\"wordCount\":840,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/americanmovershub.com\\\/?p=2565#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/americanmovershub.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/887fe4590b9efdbcf2a9dd12b69359e6.avif\",\"articleSection\":[\"Opinion\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/americanmovershub.com\\\/?p=2565#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/americanmovershub.com\\\/?p=2565\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/americanmovershub.com\\\/?p=2565\",\"name\":\"Opinion: The civic virtue of everyday citizens - 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