Teacher Resources

The Center for the Study of Federalism (CSF) is a nonpartisan research institution dedicated to enhancing scholarship and public understanding of federalism in the U.S. and around the world. Their library features a wide array of books and articles that delve into various questions related to federalism. Additionally, CSF publishes a digest that analyzes contemporary issues through the lens of federalism.

The Online Library of Liberty (OLL) offers a wide selection of primary source documents, essays, and scholarly articles. It provides access to important texts that explore the ideas of liberty, individual rights, and the foundations of democracy. This comprehensive library is an indispensable tool for teaching history, political science, and philosophy. 

Federalism is the final volume in Teaching American History’s core document series American government, which includes topics such as Separation Powers, Congress, The American Presidency, Political Parties, The Judiciary, and The Supreme Court. This volume features forty-five documents that offer a historical perspective on federal-state relations, exploring the principles of federalism and its importance in maintaining a free and effective government. It's available online for free.

Annenberg Classroom's free resources include over 65 videos on constitutional concepts and Supreme Court cases as well as games, lesson plans, timelines, downloadable books, a glossary, and a Constitution guide.

The National Constitution Center brings innovative teaching tools to your classroom. Our unique approach to constitutional education emphasizes historic storytelling, constitutional rather than political questions, and the habits of civil dialogue and reflection.

iCivics champions equitable, non-partisan civic education so that the practice of democracy is learned by each new generation. We work to inspire life-long civic engagement by providing high-quality and engaging civics resources to teachers and students across our nation.

The Center for Civic Education partners with a network of 50 state civics, government, and law programs sponsored by state bar associations and foundations, colleges and universities, and other civic and law non-profit organizations to promote teaching and learning about the Constitution and Bill of Rights. These state programs conduct local teacher professional development, hold conferences and organize local and state simulated congressional hearings for elementary and secondary students.

The Center for the Study of Federalism (CSF) offers three $2,500 awards for middle and high school unit plans that enhance understanding of American federalism and its political implications. Students should develop the skills and knowledge to independently research and analyze federalism's relevance in areas such as public opinion, political parties, election strategies, state roles in policy-making, and judicial review. 

Publius: The Journal of Federalism is the world's premier journal focused on federalism, essential for scholars seeking the latest research and trends in this field. It publishes international work on federal systems, intergovernmental relations, and comparative federalism. The journal welcomes diverse submissions and encourages young scholars to contribute. Named after the authors of The Federalist, Publius aims to enhance knowledge about federalism and its implications in today's world.

The State Democracy Research Initiative seeks to advance research and dialogue on state-level democracy, government institutions, and public law across the nation. By focusing on the states, which traditionally receive less attention than the federal government in legal circles, the Initiative serves as a much-needed resource for academics, courts, policymakers, advocates, and the public.

NCSL produces a monthly podcast on ideas affecting states. Learn about the people, policies and politics of America's state legislatures with NCSL's three podcasts: "Our American States," "Across the Aisle" and the special limited series "Building Democracy."

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The Educating for American Democracy initiative involved a diverse collaboration among over 300 academics, historians, political scientists, K–12 educators, district and state administrators, civics providers, students, and others from across the country.

The Center on Representative Government is a non-partisan, educational institution that has developed an extensive array of free civics education resources and activities to improve the public’s understanding of the role of representative government, to strengthen civic engagement, and to teach the skills that are essential to sustaining our form of representative democracy.