Free Educational Topics in Chicago

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  • The Shifting Balance: Supreme Court Rulings and Their Impact on American Democracy

    Ed Spire, Co-lead, Restore our Democracy Project, NWSOFA-Indivisible

    The US Supreme Court is not just ensuring the laws are applied properly, and that they are constitutional, but the court is enacting policies they think are useful for our country - whether they are based on our constitution or not. MORE >

    Presidential Immunity and Accountability: One of the most consequential rulings was the Court's decision on presidential immunity. In a 6-3 judgment, the Court ruled that former President Donald Trump could be tried for actions taken as a candidate, but not for those taken while in office.

    Federal Regulatory Authority: In another significant ruling, the Court limited the regulatory authority of federal agencies. By overturning a precedent that had guided federal regulations for decades, the Court has made it easier for regulations to be challenged in court.

    Gun Control and the Second Amendment: The Supreme Court also made headlines with its decision to send several gun control cases back to lower courts for reconsideration. This move followed a major ruling that expanded Second Amendment rights, allowing for broader interpretations of gun ownership and use.

    Implications for American Democracy: These rulings collectively reflect a shift towards a more conservative interpretation of the law. The impact on American democracy is profound; will undoubtedly shape the future of American democracy for years to come.

    This presentation details the problems that SCOTUS is causing for our nation, and discusses what we can do about it.

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  • Rethinking the Colonizing of North America

    Mark McGarvie, J.D., Ph.D.,, Retired Professor of History and Law, College of William and Mary

    European colonialism recently has been presented, both popularly and scholastically, as an evil that decimated native populations, destroyed native cultures, precipitated extensive wars, and caused irreparable environmental harm. Avoiding judgment in favor of understanding, Professor McGarvie will develop the context for European discovery of the New World in the intellectual, technological, political, and cultural contexts of both the Native Americans and the European explorers in the 16th - 18th centuries. MORE >

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  • Congress Doesn’t Care What You Think

    Ed Spire, Co-lead, Restore our Democracy Project, NWSOFA-Indivisible

    this presentation addresses the problem of unlimited political money corrupting our democracy. We explain the problem clearly, and discuss the causes and possible solutions, including steps that we can take in our own communities to begin addressing this structural problem in our country. The presentation is non-partisan and brings issues to light which are of concern across the aisle. MORE >

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  • Increasing Political Polarization and what we can do about it

    Ed Spire, Co-lead, Restore our Democracy Project, NWSOFA-Indivisible

    Every decade, increasing gerrymandering has created more and more "safe seats", which have resulted in more and more extreme legislators on both sides of the aisle - creating a legislature where compromise is impossible, and very little legislative progress ensures. This presentation shows why this happens, and what we can do about it, using the recent example of the Alaska special election, utilizing a nonpartisan primary and a ranked choice voting general election, as an example of how to promote more moderate legislators and a more productive legislature. MORE >

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  • How to Create Resilient Equitable Communities in a COVID-19 World

    Kelwin Harris, Urban Planning, Race, Civic Engagement Speaker

    Our cities face serious threats; growth is uneven; neighborhoods are struggling; and streets are erupting in protest as COVID-19 has made existing inequalities worse. Now more than ever, we must address racial equity and provide strategies for prosperity for the good of everyone. Drawing from his experience as a community leader on the South Side of Chicago and as an urban planner, Kelwin Harris uses an equity lens to discuss multiple facets of systemic racism that persist and offers strategies and interventions for the road ahead. MORE >

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