• 1939: Newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst advocated a day to celebrate U.S. Citizenship.

• 1940: Congress created I Am an American Day to be celebrated on the third Sunday in May.

• 1952: President Truman moved the holiday to the date of the signing of the U.S. Constitution, September 17th, and changed the name to Citizenship Day.

• 1955: The Daughters of the American Revolution began lobbying in 1955, through Senator William F. Knowland of California, for a memorial week dedicated to the U.S. Constitution.

• 1956: President Eisenhower proclaimed the first Constitution Week, from September 17th to September 23rd.

• December 2004: Senator Robert Byrd attached a provision to the Consolidated Appropriations, 2005 (Pub. L. 108-447). This provision changed the name of Citizenship Day to Constitution Day and mandated that all school districts receiving federal funding must instruct students on the U.S. Constitution on September 17th, or the following week if September 17th falls on a weekend or holiday.

 

October 19th 2009
Mandatory Voting? Automatic Registration? How Un-American!
Huffington Post

President of Air America Media, Mark Green, explains why Instant Runoff Voting, Automatic Registration and Mandatory Voting are not only important but could lead to a more democratic society.

September 30th 2009
Can a 17-year-old register to vote? It depends
Ventura County Star

"Most Californians register to vote not because a political cause has touched their heart, but rather because they checked a box on a form at the Department of Motor Vehicles when they received or renewed their driver�s license."

September 27th 2009
Giving teens a civic voice
The Fayetteville Observer

In January, North Carolina will become the third state to implement FairVote-endorsed youth preregistration.

September 8th 2009
Give voters final say on vacancies
Politico

The two legislators proposing a constitutional amendment mandating elections to fill Senate vacancies make their case in the pages of Politico.