Politics can be so confusing. What does it mean to be a Democrat? A Republican? A Libertarian? What does the Tea Party believe? What did the American Founders believe?
This is a topic we've been discussing lately at our house. I've been reading aloud the Uncle Eric Series
To delve more into the topic of government, another resource I'll be sharing with my kids are these three videos from Bill Whittle explaining what the Tea Party believes. While the videos specifically address the beliefs of Tea Party supporters, they do an excellent job of explaining some of the differences between liberal and conservative thought in general, especially as it relates to economic liberty. I think they'll make an excellent supplement to our Uncle Eric reading.
The first video is about small government and free enterprise; the second explains the problem with elitism; and the third is about wealth creation. The videos are each less than 10 minutes long, and they're paced very well. (If you're reading this post via email or in a reader, you may have to click through to watch the videos.)
Jaden has been interested in politics even before we started reading the Uncle Eric series, so he's also looking forward to seeing the documentary I Want Your Money. Hopefully we'll be able to see it soon while it's still in the theaters.
There are lots of resources out there to teach you children painless lessons on government.
First of all, I found your blog about two months ago and really enjoy it. I have gained an abundant amount of resources from you already, which I've bookmarked for our future homeschooling years. Thank you.
I found this post very interesting. I had never heard of the Uncle Eric books before. Are they written from a particular world view? It sounds as if they are fairly politically objective. Would you describe them that way? How well have your younger children understood them?
Thank you again,
Heather
@Heather, Richard Maybury, who is the author of the Uncle Eric series, writes from the political, legal, and economic viewpoint of America's founders. In his author's disclosure he states, "For reasons I do not understand, writers today are supposed to be objective. Few disclose the viewpoints or opinions they use to decide what information is important and what is not, or what shall be presented or omitted. I do not adhere to this standard and make no pretense of being objective. I am am biased in favor of liberty, free markets, and international neutrality and proud of it…I call my viewpoint Juris Naturalism meaning the belief in a natural law that is higher than any government's law."
So as for what worldview? I'd say he's definitely Judeo-Christian, yet he doesn't discuss his personal religion beyond stating that there is a God who determines what Natural Law is.
My youngest child is 8 years old, and she's definitely understood a lot, although not nearly as much as my 13-year-old. Maybury is very good at discussion one main point in each chapter (which is a 'letter' to his nephew Chris) and summarizes it at the end of each chapter as well as at the end of each book.
The first book, which is called Personal, Career, and Financial Security, covers a lot of foundational principles about how people think and develop models of understanding. It's not really political at all, but forms the foundation for many of the later books.
Hope that answers your questions. Obviously we've REALLY enjoyed these books, and I think they are forming a very important part of our homeschool.
Thanks for sharing this info! I had in mind to check out the "…Penny Candy" book from the library again–hadn't even thought about looking for others by the same author! Glad to know there is a series.