The Report : Civics Education

Civics Education (download pdf version)

"Chapters in every community, committees to study and present in simple terms the laws under consideration, including court decisions, examine the candidacy and fitness of all aspirants for public office to make sure they would advocate and protect the fundamental principles of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights; Overcomes party politics, special interests, and educates voter; would serve to train people for civil service, and train youth; Love of country, the common good, and patriotic devotion to our Constitution and flag, is my ideal of a good citizen."
- George Washington on active citizenship.

Research indicates that the primary causes for the decline in civic engagement are twofold: First, most Americans-particularly young people-lack essential citizenship skills to properly engage in civic life.¹ Second, many Americans show a significant decline in their level of trust and confidence in governmental institutions, with a specific distrust for politicians and politics.² Clearly, a presidential election such as the nation endured in 2000, with its myriad problems and the high-profile, bitterly partisan battle that ensued did little to restore confidence in America's political institutions.

To this point, we have discussed the institutions that make up the presidential selection process. Without question, these issues must be addressed adequately if public perception of the electoral process and elected officials is to improve. While correcting these monumental problems would be a welcome improvement, to address only procedural issues would ignore a larger flaw that threatens to erode civic life beyond repair.

Consider for a moment that the Election 2000 dilemma was symptomatic of a larger problem looming just beneath the surface. Yes, inadequate machinery and institutional weaknesses must bear a considerable portion of the blame for a presidential election-turned-circus. Few would disagree that human error also played a significant role in the embarrassing amateur efforts to hand-count ballots. But the more troubling aspects of Election 2000 were the errors on the part of the voters. The number of voters who went to the polls with little knowledge of how the voting systems worked is astonishing. Furthermore, too many of these voters lacked the basic skills in civics education to call upon the appropriate officials for assistance when the voting process either failed, or they encountered something they did not understand.

If procedural flaws were the ailment of a single election, America's neglect of civics education may become the epidemic that plagues the long-term health of our republic.

How did America reach this point? Simply stated, we have abandoned our commitment to comprehensive civics education in America. As such, the presidential election of 2000 was the first major warning sign of that neglect. The most encouraging aspect of Election 2000 is the fact that it was, indeed, just a warning. Fortunately, our ailing civic health has not yet deteriorated to a critical stage. Like an all-too-stubborn patient, if we will heed the warnings of 2000, we may avoid a more chronic situation later.

An Assessment of Civics Education in America's Schools

According to statistics gathered by the Center for Civic Education, more than 50 percent of all states have statutes explicitly addressing civics education.³ While all but one state has implemented K-12 content standards in at least one subject area, only three states have created separate state standards devoted solely to civics education. Furthermore the Center found that:

• Only about half of the states require that civics education be addressed in the public-school curriculum.
• Twenty-three states have an explicit section covering civics topics within their social studies standards, while eighteen states have civics topics interspersed throughout their social studies standards.
• Twenty-nine states require students to take a government or civics course in high school.
• While some civics topics are tested statewide in thirty-one states, only three of these states have tests dedicated to civics. Another ten states and the District of Columbia expect to begin testing in the near future.
• Only twenty-one states report that teachers of civics are required to complete additional in-service training during their careers in order to maintain their certification to teach.

To turn this problem around, every state must teach civics education through and offer a comprehensive curriculum in grades K-12. It is never too early to learn the responsibilities of citizenship.

We must also acknowledge that the role of schools goes beyond education. Like all other community organizations, schools must move beyond simply doing what is mandated. Schools serve as a powerful role model and motivational organization within communities. When a school promotes civic engagement as a priority for the good of the community, rather than just a responsibility of the job, the message has a trickle-down effect upon the entire community.

Like other positions of authority, teachers serve as a role model within the community. Statistics show that more than half of all the nation's school-age children live in a household where no one votes. As such, more often than not, teachers serve as the primary motivator for young people to learn the important responsibilities of citizenship. Couple this with the fact that a teacher's classroom lessons are the delivery point for civics-education resources and we begin to realize the importance of the teacher's role in guarding against the freefall of civic engagement in America.

But ongoing citizen involvement and true civic engagement cannot be learned in one lesson. Young people will not be motivated to participate in the democratic process by simply receiving one lesson a year. A teacher can be highly motivated, but if he or she lacks the necessary resources to keep young people engaged in the subject matter throughout the school year, interest will fade and students will not learn the spectrum of responsibilities that accompany citizenship.

According to the Center for Civic Education, every state mandates a system of public instruction, and nearly a quarter do so with an acknowledgement within their organic law that quality public instruction results in a more informed and capable citizenry, which is vital to the preservation of a free and democratic government. While many state policymakers and educators agree on the importance of civics education in the schools, in reality, state policies and school practices often fail to provide students with a quality civics education curriculum.⁴

Within the education community, schools are deficient in content-specific standards; fail to provide civics resources differentiated in content, process, and product; and must deal with less-than-enthusiastic support in the public policy and public sector for teaching and prioritizing civics education and engagement.

Standards Movement Neglects Civics Education

In recent years, the trend within state governments has been toward the adoption of specific state standards of learning to measure student achievement in specific subjects, particularly English, math, science, and history. However, while most states' standards include some civics topics, these standards rarely address civics education in a comprehensive manner. Fewer still provide actual resources, course units, and lesson plans to teachers to facilitate the teaching of civics.

Treating the Condition: A Multifaceted Approach

As we have shown in the first three sections of this report, the problems concerning the institutional issues facing our system cannot be addressed with a single solution. So too the problems related to civics education cannot be addressed with a single solution. While the bulk of our efforts must be toward the education of America's youth, no segment of American society can be left out in a national program to renew civics education and civic engagement in America. As such, the brunt of our resources and efforts must be targeted at schools and other educational institutions.

Most institutions engaged in addressing the problem of civics education and civic engagement do not agree on a common definition of the terms, let alone the problem. Legitimate questions arise as to what constitutes civic engagement and how it should be measured. What does it mean to be an involved and active member of one's community? Is it an accurate measure of civic engagement to look only at voter turnout and participation in the electoral process, or is the concept of civic engagement more accurately measured through a matrix that incorporates other variables measuring such concepts as community volunteerism, corporate development, building and fostering family infrastructure, etc. If we can agree that active and engaged citizenship requires participation, the debate arises over how participation is defined.

Unfortunately, so much effort is being spent to arrive at a comprehensive and all-inclusive definition of civic engagement that little is actually being done to develop resources to address specific segments of the problem. Furthermore, there is little or no uniformity to the approaches currently being offered.

The fact of the matter is that when we look at the problems associated with the lack of civic engagement, there is no single solution that will address every need. The problem is multifaceted, and in some way it has impacted every American. As such, the solution must be addressed not just by schools and governmental institutions, but also by the corporate community, religious institutions, the media, and volunteer organizations, as well as by federal, state, and local elected officials.

Federal and State Elected Officials

There is, perhaps, no group of individuals who have any greater power to influence civic life than those persons elected to hold federal and state offices. Persons elected to office not only serve as important role models, but they also have the ability to influence and promote public policies, as well as the resources to enhance civic participation in America.

The establishment of greater civic engagement as a priority in American life does not necessarily require enormous financial resources. While funding is important, there are also other steps that elected officials should take to help curtail this decline:

• Offer, encourage, and publicize volunteer opportunities within their campaign, as well as the public offices that they hold.
• Host public town-hall meetings, establish citizen boards and commissions, and visit local communities.
• Facilitate opportunities for people to gather to discuss politics and government.
• During the campaign season, offer opportunities for the public to attend debates, submit debate questions via the Internet, and, when possible, create opportunities for youth participation (introductions, debate questioners, campaign volunteers) at campaign events.

Federal and state elected officials should advance public policies that promote civic engagement by all Americans. To that end, we also encourage legislative measures to begin to rebuild public confidence in government and advance opportunities for enhanced civic engagement, including:

• Federal and/or state legislation lowering the age for young people to volunteer to assist at the polls on Election Day. Permitting adult-supervised young people to serve as poll workers will encourage youth involvement in the electoral process, offer learning opportunities about the importance of civic engagement, and increase the number of trained assistants available to voters at the polls.
• Incentive programs for states to adopt quality civics-education standards focusing on citizenship to better prepare the nation's youth for a lifetime as active and informed citizens.

Local Government

Because of the bureaucratic structure of the educational hierarchy in America, local government officials see for themselves little or no role in the process of encouraging civic engagement and civics education. This is due in part because they view the problem as one to be addressed solely by the schools. Since, in most localities, local officials lack any significant jurisdiction over matters of mandated curriculum standards, many recuse themselves of responsibility over the matter entirely.

But it is a narrow view of the problem to approach civics education as a matter left solely to the school system. To do so ignores a disengaged adult population that is all too content to skip the next election, the next town hall meeting, the next city council meeting, or the next county board of supervisors meeting. Like all other elected and/or appointed government officials, local government officials should make civics education and civic-engagement a priority by creating and encouraging opportunities for enhanced citizen involvement at the local level.

Media

• Devote significant blocks during primetime to broadcast ballot returns in all elections, not just presidential election years.
• Publicize and broadcast civic-engagement opportunities within local communities.
• Spotlight individuals and organizations working to promote civics education and renew civic engagement.
• Allocate additional space to letters to the editor, guest editorials, and news stories highlighting civic engagement opportunities; community and volunteer spotlight segments on the evening news.
• Recognize educators that are promoting civics education and civic engagement.

Business

• Allow employees to work half days without penalty if they volunteer at the polls.
• Encourage civic engagement among the workforce.
• Support community organizations that promote civic engagement through volunteer efforts and, where possible, financial contributions.
• Allow employees to participate in civic activities without penalty.

Volunteer Organizations

Statistics have shown that young Americans are volunteering at higher rates than at any point in our history. The National Association of Secretaries of State found in its New Millennium Project that, "while youth today are actually more involved in volunteering than their peers were a decade ago, these volunteer activities are heavily focused on social services and one-on-one interaction within their community." The study notes that "youth have primarily an individualistic frame of mind."⁵

It is welcome news to see such a strong commitment among young people toward lending a helping hand to those in need. Indeed, a similar national commitment has been reflected in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of 2001. Americans of all ages volunteered, donated blood, and made financial contributions. For the first time in nearly a generation, Americans showed a renewed commitment to community.

Many speculated that this outpouring of community assistance would translate into more active participation in other facets of civic life. Unfortunately, one need look no further than the voter-participation levels of the November 2001 elections to realize that America's commendable "Good Samaritan" instincts and the spirit of community interest that swept the country in the months immediately following the September tragedies show little sign of translating into more broad-based civic engagement.⁶

To assist in combating the problem, we recommend that volunteer organizations take several steps to introduce volunteers to the larger community of which the organization is a part, and how the organization is affected by other civic institutions including government and politics. In short, encourage civic engagement and promote civics education by linking volunteerism with other facets of civic life in America.

• Encourage volunteers to understand the issues affecting the organization and to participate in the electoral process to promote these issues.
• Provide volunteers with information on the organization's funding sources, particularly if the organization is supported in whole, or in part, by public funds.
• Create opportunities for volunteers to participate in lobbying activities and other public meetings with the political community.
• Engage volunteers in any opportunities to discuss the organization with elected officials and other community leaders and organizations.
• Encourage volunteers to contact their elected officials to discuss the goals of the organization and support for funding.
• Cross-reference similar community and governmental organizations in literature to provide volunteers with a better understanding of how the organization fits in to the larger community.

Religious institutions

Regardless of the debate over church/state relations, religious institutions are community organizations that can assist greatly in connecting people with their community. Religious organizations are also one of the few societal institutions where quality inter-generational exchanges may occur. They have a fundamental, historical role in encouraging community interaction and are a key element in renewing civic interest.

On the Horizon

"The torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans."
-John F. Kennedy

The responsibility for addressing our national neglect of civics education falls on all members of our society. Nevertheless, the only way to genuinely effect long-term change is through schools and educators. Students from kindergarten through grade 12 need to be provided with the necessary learning experiences to enable them to become informed and active citizens. Regrettably, as the statistics show, the nation's school system is not meeting that challenge adequately.

In a 1998 study of young people ages fifteen to twenty-four, the National Association of Secretaries of State disclosed some alarming statistics concerning the nation's youngest citizens. In their study they found:

• The number of young people who vote continues to drop. Since receiving the right to vote in 1972, the number of eighteen-year-olds who actually participate in the electoral process continues to decline.
• Young people have a poor understanding of what it means to be a citizen and have only vague ideas about the public responsibilities that accompany citizenship.
• Young people suffer an information and skill deficit about politics and the process of voting. Their lack of understanding of citizenship prevents many from becoming more involved in the political process.
• 55 percent of young people agree with the statement that schools do not provide enough information to be able to participate in the electoral process.⁷

The U.S. Department of Education disclosed similar findings when it released the results of its evaluation of civics education in America in 1999. The assessments found that one-third of America's high school seniors do not understand the basic fundamentals of American government. The Department's study also found:

• Only 25 percent have better than a rudimentary understanding of the American governmental system; and
• Less than 10 percent of respondents were able to supply two reasons why it is important for citizens to be involved in the democratic process.⁸

Following a national study of civics education in America's public-school system, the National Center for Civic Education concurred with the Department of Education findings, stating that "students often do not have the civic knowledge, are not trained in higher-order civic intellectual skills, and the civic dispositions necessary to connect civics facts and concepts to the responsibilities of citizenship."⁹

Capping these findings is the fact that only 28 percent of eighteen to twenty-four year olds voted in the 2000 presidential election.¹⁰

It has been said of youth that they have "only one conviction; that the only answer they can make is distrust. They have no ardor except for the tentative safety of the quiet suburb, an orthodoxy of indifference. They have only an overriding fear of commitment and a will to be let alone."¹¹ While many have made similar statements about today's youth, this statement was made more than forty years ago.

The popular stereotypes of young people today are not much different than they were in 1959. Ironically, this was an era that many adults might be tempted to look back on as "the good old days" with the misguided notion that somehow young people were more engaged in recent decades than they are today.

But it would be patently unfair and inaccurate to suggest that the fault for these statistics lies with America's young people. To the contrary, civic engagement and civic responsibility (particularly the act of voting) are learned social behaviors. The extent to which young people fail to engage in civic activities is a direct reflection on values and priorities of the society of which they are a part.

Simply stated, America's young people are not learning the responsibilities of citizenship because they are not being taught the responsibilities of citizenship. Furthermore, the attitudes of today's youth toward citizenship and the accompanying obligations are the product of an era of civic neglect in America.

Youth Leadership Initiative

For these reasons the Center for Governmental Studies created the Youth Leadership Initiative as its signature program in 1998. The Youth Leadership Initiative is a national citizenship education and engagement program designed to involve students in the American electoral and policymaking process, and to foster greater community awareness and participation.

The program seeks to fill a void by developing classroom resources and social-studies course units that are specifically linked to each state's unique academic curriculum standards. Technology is the signature component of the Youth Leadership and the primary tool that enables the Youth Leadership Initiative to link schools and students with their counterparts in every region of a state and throughout the nation.

The goal for the program is to serve as an important tool in rekindling citizen interest and participation in our democratic process. To achieve this goal, the Youth Leadership Initiative couples academic excellence and cutting-edge technology with an all year-every year civic and community participation curriculum. Using high-tech resources, the Youth Leadership Initiative also hosts community and online candidate forums, issue discussions, public town-hall meetings, and symposia to connect and engage young people.

As America begins a new century, every citizen committed to strengthening democratic principles, from our highest elected officials, civic and community organizations, and throughout our education system must renew our commitment to the responsibilities of citizenship, dedicated at every level to ensuring that we and our posterity are transformed into active and engaged citizens. To do anything less jeopardizes the foundations of our free and prosperous society.

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Notes

1. U.S. Department of Education, NAEP 1998 Civics Report Card, Washington, D.C., 1999, p. 8. For more information see
http://nces.ed.gov/naep3/pdf/main1998/2000460.pdf.

2. "Expect More to Say: A Study of American Public Attitudes on the Role of the Public in Government Decisions," published by the Center on Policy Attitudes, evaluates (among other topics) public confidence in their government. When asked "how much do you think you can trust the government in Washington to do what is right?" only 19 percent answered "just about always," 80 percent "only some of the time," and 7 percent "none of the time." For more information, see http://www.policyattitudes.org/pres.html.

3. Center for Civic Education, The Civic Education of American Youth, Washington, D.C., 1999, pp. 13-16. For more information, see
http://www.civiced.org/ceay_civedpolicyreport.pdf.

4. Ibid.

5. National Association of Secretaries of State, New Millennium Project, Washington, D.C., 1999, pp. 1-3. For more information see http://www.nass.org.

6. In Virginia, one of two states directly impacted by the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the voting-age population was estimated at 5.3 million in the last census. According to statistics released by the Virginia State Board of Elections, only about 35 percent of the voting-age population--those eighteen and older-voted in the 2001 statewide election. For more information, see
http://sbe.vipnet.org/nov2001/elec_loc_turnout.html.

7. New Millennium Project.

8. NAEP 1998 Civics Report Card.

9. The Civic Education of American Youth.

10. Youth Vote 2000 press release, "Nonpartisan Voter Mobilization Efforts Increased Youth Turnout In 2000, Yale Study Finds; Pew Study Used Youth Vote 2000 to Test GOTV Efforts," June 13, 2001. For more information, see http://www.youthvote.org/events/release.cfm?release_id=16.

11. "Our Quiet Young," Christian Century 76, July 11, 1959, p. 664. Quoted in Soule, "Will They Engage? Political Knowledge, Participation, and Attitudes of Generations X and Y," 2001.

(c) 2001, University of Virginia Center for Governmental Studies.