Learn Government and Economics on Your Schedule
Principles Not Propaganda
Options to meet your situation:
Curriculum Solutions
American government, economics, or combo bundles available. Browse all our product options by subject.
Curriculum Samples
Browse sample chapters and online course sample lessons available for review before you decide.
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Full self-paced government and economics course bundles encourage independent learning
ON YOUR SCHEDULE
Designed to be flexible for different homeschool situations.
- Choose your start date, then get 12 months to complete each semester-long course.
- Course utilizes our excellent hardback textbooks
- Teachers can use daily “big question” and one-page chapter summaries for discussion and checking comprehension
- Course associates short videos with lesson topics to highlight relevance to life situations
- Thorough teacher’s guide includes optional print versions of quizzes and tests and an assortment of additional tools
- 12-month access to course designed to be completed in one semester allows for flexibility
The Principles You Choose as Your Foundations Matter
America is not perfect. It never has been. Nor could it ever be. On page 6 of Basic Economics, Clarence Carson discusses the natural law principles he used as a basis for his textbooks. He frames the “doctrine of limits,” which is the basis for the necessity of limiting government:
These principles . . . have a much sounder and longer established basis. They are principles rooted in the Greco-Roman and the Judeo-Christian traditions—that is, in Western Civilization. In this framework, economics is not an autonomous study or discipline. Rather, it is subordinate to moral and philosophical truths that do not simply exist to promote some version of economics. Government is not supposed to be omnipotent or omni-competent to direct all human affairs.
One principle, among many others, looms out of that long experience. It is what may well be called the doctrine of limits. It is that humans are limited and fallible creatures, that all their organizations, institutions, and structures are affected by these limitations; that the power and sway of anything must be limited by design; that government, above all, must be severely limited.
Our curriculum is designed to instill an appreciation of natural law principles, which endure whether we acknowledge them or not. Yes, it unapologetically examines and acknowledges Judeo-Christian contributions to our government’s design. It also acknowledges the influences and contributions of so many others, and the compromises necessary for forming our government.
Understanding natural law leads to an appreciation for the natural rights of every person—respect for their individual liberty even as we claim our own. It also is the basis for supporting limited government, and free markets. These values have been the basis for flourishing for large numbers of people in nations where the rule of law guards these rights.
Browse by Subject
Browse all product options by subject. Government and economics are laid out to complete each in a semester. However, there is plenty of optional material to expand either to a full year if desired. The links below will take you to a list of products and bundle options that wll save you money.
Government
Browse through the Boundary Stone toolbox for studying government.
Economics
Browse through the Boundary Stone toolbox for studying economics.
Combo Options
Browse through the Boundary Stone toolbox for studying both government and economics.
What are people saying about Boundary Stone?
On our feedback survey at the end of the couses, 95% say they would recommend the course to others. When asked why, here are some answers:
- Great content and straight to the point
- It’s amazing
- It is very informative and sheds a lot of light as to why America is in the situation it is in.
- The courses are very thorough and honest. Very little opinion is used; most of the textbook is based on facts.
- Because it is a well laid out course with clear and concise videos and quizzes that give you a detailed understanding of economics from a Christian perspective
- It approaches economics in a sensible and straightforward manner that is easy to understand.
- I have enjoyed learning through the videos. They are very engaging and informative.
- It’s a good course that teaches in a way that many other courses do not
- I think this course is really great for people who have a hard time understanding the complexities of economics with the way it breaks everything down in a variety of ways. There is a good mix of videos, reading, and review over everything you’ve learned in each chapter.
- It’s a simple, straightforward economics course that teaches things from a refreshing Christian viewpoint.
- I would recommend it due to its focus on the nature of economics, not the numbers.
- I certainly would recommend this course. It gives a very thorough and engaging view of the basics in economics.
Testimonials
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I wish every American could read this book
This was a very educating book to read, and I definitely feel informed about the woes of socialism. It is easy to notice the example of socialist ideas attacking the family, norms, and individuality in the United States today.
Because I wasn’t very knowledgeable about this topic prior to this, I was unaware about what similarities I have now realized the US has with socialism. I wish every American could read this book.
I loved that the authors touched on how we have a soul and a mind and body. Socialism seems to want to control every aspect of people until they are solely reliant on the government for life. This is no way for humanity to flourish, let alone be creative or unique.
It is interesting that the people who follow this idea are also the ones supporting individualism and creativity, when the very idea prohibits it. That makes you think how much is really understood about it in general. I think the evolutionary way can be more damaging, in some cases, because this way changes the opinions of the people along with it. I would say it maybe closely resembles brainwashing? Whereas revolutionary outright puts fear into the people, so they know its bad from the start. Revolutionary socialism isn’t usually welcomed, while evolutionary seems to be, especially today.
Excellent Resources
As our children approached the high school age, we were wondering what resources to use for the subjects of Civics and Economics. Upon the recommendation of some close friends, we decided on Basic American Government and Basic Economics. We were not disappointed. Not only did we teach all three of our children using these books, but we opened up the class to the homeschool community in our area. This year we are starting our third time through this course which has been very well received. I appreciate the starting point of the authors which is the truths taught in the Christian Scripture. With that foundation – the foundation of eternal truths – the authors (Clarence Carson & Paul Cleveland) do an excellent job of tying the topics together as a cohesive whole, showing the results of both good and bad ideas. I am very excited to use the 4th edition of Basic Economics for the first time this year. The formatting and layout look amazing. I am guessing that the chapter review will be helpful for the students preparing for the weekly quizzes (and the teacher in preparing the quizzes). I know that was helpful when I taught through Carson’s six volume American History course.
Speaking of history, the history class last year was a great success. I wasn’t sure how it would go as this was the first time I had taught using those books. The homeschool students absolutely loved the course. The author did a superb job a referencing the Constitution throughout the books, of showing the underlying ideas that affected the course of our nation, and the foundational principles of the United States, which are rooted in the Christian worldview. For years, I have been disappointed in the lack of quality history from a Christian perspective past the Civil War era. When I learned about Carson’s history, I jumped on the idea of using that since I had been impressed with the other books I had used. I was not disappointed with this decision. I have since been promoting the history books (along with the other Boundary Stone books) to our homeschool friends.
Lastly, I would like to say that I appreciate the work of the Clevelands in keeping these books published and updated for future generations. As a homeschool dad and supporter of the homeschool community in California, I love these resources. They are a treasure that would be a shame to lose. Keep up the good work!
Basic Economics 4th Edition - A rare find!
I am really looking forward to using your curriculum! I have a friend who will also be purchasing. We homeschool our high school daughters together and have a number of different economic curriculums and books between us, but each seemed to lack something. Your new book appears to accomplish what we hope to cover without having to piece together from multiple sources. Thank you!
You Determine The Amount of Parental Involvement with the Online Course
Boundary Stone is not a school and we cannot award credit in your state. Honeschooling parents are responsible for the grades they record on transcripts. The quizzes and tests probably make up the bulk of the grading needed. But you might want to include credit for the optional research project (which you would need to grade), and, perhaps, some credit for the homework assignments of the study guide questions. You know your student best, and can best determine the correct balance for motivation and recognition.
In the Orientation lesson, we provide a spreadsheet that has some default settings, but is flexible so you can adjust for your preferences. The daily study guide assignments combined with the online portion, could be overkill for some students. Parents should monitor the first week or so and help determine what they will require and what is optional. Different students will learn best from different portions.
An independent student, who is able to use the study guide suggested answers effectively to determine if they understand the reading would require very little parental oversight. The quiz and test scores would be emailed to the parent so they could be recorded and calculated with little effort. Grades can also be downloaded at any point from the parent’s account.
Many parents want to be involved more. There are many options to adpt to your preferences. Parents can have their own access to the online course and follow along reading the textbook. The teacher’s guide includes a “big question” for each day that can make a good discussion point to determine if the student is on the right track. Or you could be more involved in checking the study guide questions. The economics textbook includes a one-page chapter summary that could also be used.
Boundary Stone Latest Articles
The Moral Bankruptcy of Modern Economic Thought
Is there a moral problem with the way economics courses are taught today? Though largely unknown or misunderstood, the moral philosophy of utilitarianism undergirds almost all economics courses today. Why is this a problem? Where did it come from, and how do we recognize it?
Basic American Government Semester Plan Adjustments
Boundary Stone’s Basic American Government Teacher’s Guide lays out assignments for an 18-week semester. If you need fewer days of assigned work, how would you approach adjusting that schedule? Here are some tips from a former co-op teacher who used this textbook.
The Lawlessness of Too Many Laws
The excessive number of legal restrictions enacted by our Congress and an assortment of federal agencies has resulted in a general disregard of those rules.
