Our mission

I teach civics and constitutional history because I believe informed citizens are the last line of defense for a self-governing republic. My courses aren't opinion pieces dressed up as education — they're built on primary sources: the Federalist Papers, the Constitution's own text, Supreme Court holdings, treaty documents, and firsthand historical accounts. If a claim is documented, I show you the document. If it's contested, I tell you so.
My approach is straightforward. We start with what the text actually says, then we trace where it came from, and then we look honestly at where things have drifted and why. Whether we're reading every amendment in plain English, mapping the rise and fall of America's political parties, or examining U.S. federal Indian policy through the court rulings that shaped it, the goal is always the same: leave you better equipped to think for yourself than when you arrived.
I teach across a wide range — constitutional structure, the Bill of Rights, the founding era, political systems, American history, Native sovereignty, and practical civic engagement. These subjects connect. The person who understands the 17th Amendment understands something about why the Senate behaves the way it does today. The person who can read a treaty understands something about federal power that no cable news segment will ever explain.
If you've ever felt like you were handed a version of American history or civics that was too thin, too slanted, or too short on evidence — these courses are for you. Come in with your questions. Challenge the material. That's exactly what it's built for.
— Dale Porter