Investing in Civic Education for the Health of Our Democracy

The Corporation’s Democracy program makes the case for long-term investment in civic education as imperative to the civic and civil health of the nation

By Andrew Geraghty and Geri MannionApril 26, 2021

Citizenship

From the Spring 2021 Carnegie Reporter

The civic health of the United States has been in decline for decades. Early on, symptoms of this illness were relatively modest. Polls showed that only one-third of Americans could name all three branches of government (one-third can’t name any of them). Almost one-third believe that a U.S. Supreme Court ruling can be appealed, and only 4 out of 10 Americans would be able to pass the U.S. citizenship test.

But civic health comprises much more than a rote understanding of U.S. history and how our government operates. A country’s civic health can also be measured by the ability of its citizens to identify and distinguish reliable news sources from disinformation and conspiracy theories, to understand opposing points of view (and to be able to debate them peacefully), and to have faith in the government institutions that are the hallmark of any true democracy. Measured by these standards — and the intense polarization of the last four years culminating in a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 — the civic health of the United States is in critical condition.

We believe that the leading cause of this decline, observed and studied by political scientists and others for decades, is the near absence of civic learning in the K–12 education system. In 2003, the Corporation, in partnership with the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, published The Civic Mission of Schools, a report highlighting the need for increased civic learning in the U.S. school system. According to the report, growing numbers of Americans have disengaged from traditional civic and political institutions, including religious congregations, community-based organizations, and other volunteer-driven groups. Historically, these associations have provided citizens with a crucial personal connection to current and local events, ensuring that they remain engaged and active in their communities. A continued decline in engagement has been especially profound among young people, who are now less likely to vote than older Americans and are more likely to express distrust in government institutions — and indeed in the democratic system itself.

We must teach the next generation to understand the full value of our democratic institutions — so that they will listen to one another, work to find common ground, and thereby strengthen our democracy.

The Civic Mission of Schools and the follow-up report published in 2011, Guardian of Democracy, both offer specific recommendations for correcting course, including the development of stronger standards and assessments for civic education; the expansion and improvement of teacher training opportunities; and programs that provide students with opportunities to perform community service and apply the lessons of their civic education. But a lack of resources remains a major obstacle for anyone working to increase Americans’ civic knowledge. As the public’s interest in civics has declined, so too has the support of the funding community.

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We are a deeply polarized country — reflected not just among our elected representatives, but also family members, neighbors, coworkers, and students in communities throughout the country. This did not happen overnight, nor is there a quick fix. A return to civil discourse and civic understanding will require a generational shift. More than ever, we need to address this tremendous threat to our democracy. We need sustained, long-term investments in our K–12 education system — and we need incentives to connect it to college attainment while expanding national community service. Civic education is imperative to the civic and civil health of the nation. We must teach the next generation to understand the full value of our democratic institutions — so that they will listen to one another, work to find common ground, and thereby strengthen our democracy.

TOP: A civics class in an American school in 1955. (Credit: Three Lions/Getty Images)