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Investigation

How much freedom would people surrender if frightened enough?

Governments rarely announce that freedom has ended. Citizens hand over a little authority during an emergency because the danger is real — and then the emergency passes and the powers do not.

Civics · History

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The rule you never noticed

  • Why does a driver stop at an empty intersection at two in the morning, with nobody watching?
  • Why can you not simply walk onto a highway on foot?
  • Why does nobody carry goods out of a store without paying, even when no one is at the door?
  • Somebody wrote each of those rules. Who, when, and what happens when enough people stop agreeing?

Also read

From Civics Under Pressure

Questions to think about

Keep arguing

  • Which everyday rule around you would be hardest to remove, and who benefits from keeping it?
  • Name a power you would grant during a genuine emergency. Now write the sentence that takes it back.
  • Who audits a decision that is classified?