What Our Kids Don’t Know About Democracy Can Hurt Them
Aubrey Moore, a home-schooled sophomore from Renton, Washington, won the 2024 American Legion’s “Constitutional Speech Contest.” “Throughout American history all kinds of opinions, thoughts, and beliefs have been voiced,” she said, and “whether or not you approve or hate what I say, you must support my right to say it.” Since 1938, the Legion has sponsored this competition for high school students to deepen their knowledge about the Constitution.
There are not enough Aubrey Moores. Civic knowledge is not getting the attention needed to sustain a healthy democracy. Our children’s future is at risk.
At the middle school level, the 2022 report of the National Assessment of Educational Progress found just 22 percent of eighth- graders performed at or above the “proficient” level on its civics test. School attention to civics has taken a back seat to the “basics.” By one estimate the federal government provides $50 per student per year on STEM education but only 5 cents on civics. Since education is a state and local responsibility attention to civics varies widely across the country. According to research by political scientist Lindsey Cormack, only nine states and D.C. have a full year course on civics. According to the 2023 Harvard University Youth Poll, only 56 percent of high school students agreed that school helped them understand the importance of voting and only 43 percent agreed it taught them how to register to vote. Not surprisingly, a survey of 18-24 year-olds found that forty-percent could answer only one of four civics questions correctly and voter turnout of 18-22 year-olds is the lowest of all age groups.
The weakness of school civic learning is not getting fixed as they become adults. The Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania surveys a random sample of Americans to test their knowledge of government. In 2024 only seven percent could name all five rights guaranteed by the First Amendment. A third couldn’t name all three branches of government (15 percent couldn’t name any). Surveys also show that nearly two-thirds of Americans couldn’t pass the civics, government and American history test required of immigrants seeking citizenship.
Trust in the political system also suffers. The 2023 survey of 18-24 year-olds by the Institute for Citizens and Scholars found 52 percent reported no or very little trust in government institutions and 57 percent are dissatisfied with how the political system functions.
Despite this troubling picture, there are positive signs. The same survey found 68 percent believe their vote matters and 70 percent are proud to be American. Eighty percent who score high on civic knowledge plan to engage in civic activity (compared to only 40 percent who score low).
Educational opportunities must improve. At the elementary and secondary school levels, state and local school systems must increase attention to civic knowledge and participation. One innovative tool is iCivics, founded by former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. The collection of online games and activities provides students (and children at home) opportunities to learn about the Constitution and all levels and aspects of government.
The Civic Learning and Democracy Engagement (CLDE) Coalition is working to spearhead change in institutions of higher education. Its 2024 report, Every Student, Every Degree, offers a model for integrating civic learning and engagement into every subject, including career-focused courses.
The CLDE’s report also strengthens the case for this. It summarizes a 2022 synthesis of research compiled for the American Association of Colleges and Universities which found college students who engage in civic learning activities that involve both knowing and doing are more likely to increase their grades and graduate, become more civic minded and interested in civic participation after graduation, improve their interpersonal, critical thinking and problem-solving skills and are more likely to explore post-college careers that involve public service.
One example of innovative programming comes from James Madison University, named after the “father of the Constitution.” Its Center for Civic Engagement offers a range of student opportunities including, for example, a Civics Leadership Minor including coursework and an internship to work on problems in democracy as well as a Better Conversations Program that begins even before students matriculate and teaches skills for having civil conversations across differences, learning from other perspectives and how to compromise.
Yet, civic knowledge and the importance of civic participation must begin at home. As Cormack notes in her helpful book How to Raise a Citizen: “What’s missing is that parents and families don’t see this work as a parental responsibility, and instead think that schools will be able to teach kids all they need to know about how our government works.” When parents talk about how government works, the importance of voting, take their children to watch them vote or participate in community meetings they provide knowledge and demonstrate the practices and values essential for the next generation to meet to the demands of citizenship.
“If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be,” Thomas Jefferson said. Right now, there is too much ignorance about democracy and its demands.
Photo Credit: Norman Rockwell
(If you do not currently subscribe to thinkanew.org and wish to receive future posts, send an email with the word SUBSCRIBE to responsibleleadr@gmail.com)
