Where to Start

“Every day you get older; now that’s a law.”

Butch Cassidy

Welcome to GOVERNINGWorks.

GOVERNINGWorks is a Commonplace Book—a personal and personalized rummaging in law, history, politics and opinion to understand self-government and encourage civic participation. GOVERNINGWorks will share how I understand—or don’t—timely events and their relation to the larger question of how government enacts the ideals on which it is founded.

I plan to post an article each Tuesday, with occasional posts in between. In addition to a weekly article, the GOVERNINGWorks site offers links to important and interesting resources that are available on the Internet. Whenever possible, GOVERNINGWorks connects to information that is free of charge and copyright restriction. Readers also may follow GOVERNINGWorks on Twitter.

This is a magpie’s survey: Current events are the shiny baubles. In this case, the magpie happens to have some (some!) capacity to type, an advanced degree in religious history and a Juris Doctor, and an interest in how government and ideas work. I hope sharing my interests and opinions and offering links to information I find useful will contribute to civic participation.

Political understanding is an essential part of citizenship and an inspiration to participate in a democracy. At its best, democracy depends on and reflects the participation of an active and informed citizenry in an open and responsive governing process.

I invite readers to enjoy and consider, hoping that readers feel informed and inspired to participate. And, I invite interested readers to submit relevant comments, references and suggestions.

For more, please visit the About page and the Archive and Category index on the Home page and at the end of each post.

Thank you and, again, Welcome.

Fabrizio di Piazza