The Forgotten Realm – Roman Roads Press

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The Forgotten Realm – Civics for American Christians

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Hold the activism. Hold the platitudes. We know something is wrong with our government. As American Christians, we have a rich political inheritance and a strong desire to act. Yet our action is stunted by reactionary politics and a lack of understanding of the systems which govern us.

It is time for a practical manual on American government written specifically for Christians. In The Forgotten Realm, Elizabeth Landis explains these often ignored structures of government that the average citizen interacts with every day. Starting with the city and working outward to the county, special districts, state, and nation, Landis inverts the way many Americans think about politics and their role as citizens. She demonstrates that there is much we can do to engage with the civil realm and heal our nation. By looking at these structures and learning them well, American Christians will not only become more informed citizens but also more engaged citizens, able to bring the gospel of Christ into an often unreached space.

By faithfully pursuing civics, American Christians can ensure that The Forgotten Realm does not stay forgotten for long.

Table of Contents with List of Figures

List of Figures
vii
Preface
xiii
Introduction
1
Chapter 1: The Realm of Civil Government & Dual Citizenship
15

Figure 1.1 Governance Structure
19
Figure 1.2 Governance Structure in the United States
22

Chapter 2: Layers of Law—The Cornerstone Chapter
49

Figure 2.1 Three Branches of Government
57
Figure 2.2 Federal Laws
68
Figure 2.3 State & Federal Judicial Systems
73
Figure 2.4 Federal Regulations
76
Figure 2.5 State Session Laws
82
Figure 2.6 State Codes of Law
83
Figure 2.7 State Regulations
84
Figure 2.8 Governance Structure in the United States in Terms of Law
87

Chapter 3: City Government
93

Figure 3.1 Governance Structure in the United States
92
Figure 3.2 Accountability (Who is Accountable to Whom)
115
Figure 3.3 Commission System
120
Figure 3.4a Council-Manager System I
122
Figure 3.4b Council-Manager System II
123
Figure 3.5 Mayor-Council System
125
Figure 3.6 (Open) Town Meeting
127
Figure 3.7 Representative Town Meeting
129
Figure 3.8 Review of the Systems of City Governance
130
Figure 3.9 The Types of People You Will Meet in the Civil Realm
136

Chapter 4: County-Equivalent Government
151

Figure 4.1 Governance Structure in the United States
150
Figure 4.2 Commission System
164
Figure 4.3 Council-Administrator System
166
Figure 4.4 Council-Elected Executive System
168
Figure 4.5 Consolidated City-Council System
170
Figure 4.6 Comparison: Systems of City & County Governance
171
Figure 4.7 State Judicial System
181

Chapter 5: Special Districts, Independent Cities, Townships & Regional Governments
193

Figure 5.1 Governance Structure in the United States
192
Figure 5.2 All Districts & Special Districts
197

Chapter 6: State Government
211

Figure 6.1 Governance Structure in the United States
210
Figure 6.2 How a Bill Becomes a Law: Phase 1
235
Figure 6.3 How a Bill Becomes a Law: Phase 2
239
Figure 6.4 How a Bill Becomes a Law: Phase 3
240
Figure 6.5 How a Bill Becomes a Law: Phase 4
241
Figure 6.6 How a Bill Becomes a Law: Phase 5
242
Figure 6.7 How a Bill Becomes a Law: Phase 6
243
Figure 6.8 State Judicial System
261
Figure 6.9 State Systems
265

Chapter 7: National Government
275

Figure 7.1 Governance Structure in the United States
274
Figure 7.2 Apportionment of the U.S. House of Representatives (based on the 2020 Census)
290
Figure 7.3 U.S. Electoral College
296
Figure 7.4 Federal Judicial System
306
Figure 7.5 U.S. Regional Courts of Appeal
308
Figure 7.6 National System
311

Chapter 8: Voting, Elections & Parties
317

Figure 8.1 State Election Offices: What is Yours Called?
332
Figure 8.2 Reasons for Not Voting: Presidential Elections, 2004–2020 (in percent)
346

Chapter 9: Christian Diplomacy
353
Conclusion
379

Figure C.1 Governance Structure in the United States
385

Appendix A: The Declaration of Independence
389
Appendix B: The United States Constitution & Bill of Rights
395
Appendix C: Thomas Jefferson’s Letter to the Danbury Baptists
427
Appendix D: Establishment & Enablement of State Agencies
431
Appendix E: Civic Parenting
435
Appendix F: All Sorts of Districts
441
Glossary
451
Bibliography
483

About the Author

Elizabeth Landis graduated from The Ohio State University with a master’s degree in French. She and her husband Greg have five children whom they have homeschooled K-12. In 2016, a local issue pulled her into the civil realm, and she has been uncovering the forgotten realm ever since. She currently works as assistant to the president at New Saint Andrews College where she founded the college’s civics club in 2020.