Restoring Civics Education, Civic Engagement and Civil Discourse
By Michael S. Johnson
“Knowledge about the ideas embodied in the Constitution and the ways in which it shapes our lives is not passed down from generation to generation through the gene pool; it must be learned anew by each generation.”
–The late Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, founder of iCivics
Emily Brubaker, a middle student from Alaska, thin-framed in her dark suit and wire-rimed glasses, strode onto a stage in the nation’s capital. She had to wait for the microphone to be lowered for her to reach. She was there to make her case for legislation mandating insurance coverage for people with a serious medical condition that does harm to both eyes and teeth.
Emily was confident and convincing, and combined with other demonstrated skills, she emerged the victor in the first annual National Civics Bee Championship held in Washington, hosted by the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
Close behind in second place was Michael O’Mara from Iowa, and in third, Keith Lee, representing New Mexico, both 14. They were among the finalists competing for the honor. While they didn’t get the attention of the elections a week prior, the students were tested in a competition that metaphorically was similarly consequential, not just for the students but for a nation of citizens young and old lacking the civics education needed to fulfill their role as future leaders and responsible citizens.
The challenge of the competition conducted over the past year in 40 states was to tackle an issue in the community akin to national concerns and demonstrate how civic engagement could produce a solution. Emily was on stage among 26 others, including Charlotte, a Tennessee student who presented the case for removing wooden dividers on park benches installed to prevent the homeless from sleeping on them. Her work led her to identify problems of homelessness in her community that mirrored those on a national scale, such as improved mental care.
The bottom line: The students had to demonstrate a knowledge of civics and governance necessary to achieve their goals and act on them. The finalists also competed in a 20-question, Jeopardy-style quiz. A couple of the questions:
Which of the following powers is most clearly outside of Congress’ power as delegated by the Constitution?
A. Declaring War after the nation is attacked; B. Passing a tax increase to reduce the nation’s deficit; C. Regulating commerce that stays within a single state; or D. passing a law to further regulate the Post Office.
Which of the following Founding Principles sits at the heart of the Preamble of the Declaration of Independence?
A. Natural rights; B. Checks and balances; C. Bicameral legislature; or D. Rule of law.
(Did you come up with the right answers? You’ll find them at the end)
According to the Foundation, The National Civics Bee “was launched to address a multi-generational decrease in civics knowledge among Americans. More than one-third of U.S. adults cannot name the three branches of government, and 79% of eighth graders score below proficient in civics.”
The Chamber findings were highlighted in a report by another civics education advocate, iCivics. “A 2024 study by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (Foundation) found that more than 70% of Americans failed a basic U.S. civic literacy quiz; one in three respondents did not know that there exist three branches of government, much less what those branches are and what they do. The latest Constitution Day civics survey from the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center found that a mere 5% of the U.S. adults surveyed could name all five First Amendment rights, and 20% could not name any. The 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as the Nation’s Report Card, showed that for the first time, the civics scores of U.S. eighth graders had declined.”
That’s just the tip of the iceberg. A large percentage of Americans do not know which branch of government makes the laws. Others believe the rulings of the Supreme Court must be approved by Congress. My favorite: 10 percent of college students interviewed several years ago thought Judge Judy was on the Supreme Court.
Just under 40 percent of Americans acknowledge that they do not have sufficient information to make informed decisions at the ballot box.
Civics education is, in its basic form, the instruction in and exercise of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. It has been taught since the earliest days of the Republic, and American leaders then and after continued to advocate for its urgency as an integral component of the responsibility of citizenship.
Here are just a few:
“Promote then, as an object of primary importance, institutions for the general diffusion of knowledge.” in order to secure an enlightened public. --George Washington
“I think by far the most important bill in our whole code is that for the diffusion of knowledge among the people. no other sure foundation can be devised for the preservation of freedom, and happiness.” -- Thomas Jefferson
“Knowle[d]ge will forever govern ignorance: and a people who mean to be their own Governours, must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.” -- James Madison
The philosophy of the schoolhouse in one generation will be the philosophy of the government in the next. -- Abraham Lincoln
“Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard for democracy, therefore, is education. -- Franklin Roosevelt.
Who’s to blame for its decline?
Public and private schools: They seem to have grown timid about the teaching of civics and history since the “woke” movement evolved into indiscriminate campaigns to rewrite American history, purge a wide range of public figures from its pages, and issue ‘mea culpas’ for the wrongs of the past by those who never committed them.
States: Too many have neglected or downgraded civics education at all levels, from grade school through college. Thirteen states do not even require civics education to graduate. Thirty-one states require just one semester of civics and history in high school, and only six require a full year.
Congress: It has allocated only $30 million for civics and history education programs compared to more than $3 billion for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs.
The media: Social, traditional print, broadcast, infotainment, and entertainment are guilty culprits. Only 31 percent of Americans even trust the media. Social media, in particular, has become a hotbed of misinformation, unchecked conspiracy theories, and anonymous vitriol that acts as a flame thrower on political discourse.
You and I: We don’t demand a quality and mandatory civics education for our children and young adults. We too often fail to set an example for younger generations in the way we conduct--or fail to conduct--civic affairs, especially at the local level, resolve issues civilly and inclusively, and maintain a basic level of knowledge about current affairs and civic activity in our own communities. Civic education does not end at the school door.
The President and CEO of the Chamber, Susanne P. Clark, put a fine point on the value of education, engagement, and civility in our civic life:
“America needs people who disagree. America needs people who will debate to get to a better solution. Solving problems is not a zero-sum game, or one answer is right and somebody is completely wrong. It’s more like a puzzle where everybody has to bring their piece so that we can get to a whole picture. These are teammates. These are partners. These are our neighbors.”
The need for a renaissance in the civic education of the citizenry is vital to our future and the national interests if the latest survey results are warning bells. If our recent history of electoral partisan politics does not make the case for it, then we are surely isolated from reason and reality in how a Republic sustains itself.
As co-author Jerry Climer and I wrote in Fixing Congress: Restoring Power to the People, education is our shield against tyranny. It will require collective pressure to restore civic education in elementary, secondary, and higher education and ensure that civics education does not end with the award of a diploma.”
It is incumbent on all of us to fill in the gaps in our knowledge of how we are led and how we ourselves can lead. Youngsters like Emily are showing the way. Students reading “Fixing Congress” will learn about the roles of staff in a congressional office, the dynamics of dealing with the media, the power and limitations of Congress, and the political realities of getting elected.
Answers: Question 1: (C); Question 2: (A).