Robust civics classes back in education & money/grifting opportunities out of our politics would go far toward the development of a more perfect Union.
Agree 100%. I was fortunate to grow up during a time period where American History, Civics and Social Studies classes were part of the core curriculum in junior high and high school. To this day, I'm thankful for those classes and scratch my head when/why it was decided that they were no longer necessary.
There's been a concerted effort to revive a more inclusive and robust education in US civics. Here's a link to a set of recommendations known as "The Roadmap" that was funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities:
What ever happened to good old fashioned curiosity? I'm talking about discussing things with your teacher, after school study groups, taking it upon yourself to read books to get a wider view of something being taught in class and walking your behind to the public library for self education?
I had to leave home at age 10 for reasons that I'd prefer not to share. That meant I left traditional school in grade 5. I'm what most people would call a self-educated idiot. I 'inherited' six stepchildren when I left and it was my responsibility to raise them. I had no clue what I was doing, but I did know that libraries are free and they were going to have as good of an education as I could provide them, and so was I.
I spent every minute at the library absorbing all the knowledge I could and teaching those children all I could. Every single one of them went on to be very successful, with a couple of them choosing careers in the Military.
I have a GED, yes. Please keep in mind that though I was book smart, my street smarts were sorely lacking so I didn't know that acing the SAT and ASVAB tests was anything unusual. I graduated the University with a 4.0 in Criminal Justice and joined the Navy to give back to my country for the free education it had given me.
I've said for a long time that anyone who wants to serve in any of the 3 branches of Government should have to pass the U.S. Citizenship Test (as well as a psychological exam), also known as the Civics Test. After the disaster of having a reality show idiot as presidency I happily extend that to POTUS.
Was it having television available in the homes way back when that took away the ambition or drive to learn more? Game consoles? Smart phones? Both parents working so much?
I don't pretend to have the answer. Perhaps it is something in each individual person that drives them, or an individual that they want to emulate.
I agree with Adam. Civics, which was named either history or social studies when my children went to school is essential and should be taught from third grade forward until you leave University.
Perhaps it might instill some pride of country into the youth of today.
Another great statement, Adam. Teaching civics to our public school students is also essential in the face of CCP's comprehensive indoctrination programs. The CCP's educational system is meticulously structured to reinforce state ideologies, ensuring that students are molded into loyal supporters of the regime from a young age. They're taught a version of history and politics that aligns with the government's narratives, often at the expense of a more diverse and holistic understanding of global affairs. Aside from your excellent points, if we do not emphasize robust civics education, we risk having a generation that is ill-equipped to differentiate between democratic values and the propaganda efforts of authoritarian regimes. They will face gung ho Chinese youth who are extremely nationalistic based on the distorted "civics" eduction that they received. By empowering students with understanding about their own history and political system (with the provisos you mentioned), they become better equipped to interpret information, make informed decisions, and engage actively in their future civic lives. While I'm biased, hopefully that will include Country First!
A new means of civic education would be needed to hold the attention of today's students. As a start we should not permit use of smart phones for beginning grades.
I have to be honest. My daughter graduated High School in 2012. She told me all kinds of stories about her classmates and their 'smart phones' and refused to have one herself. She said it was disrespectful to the entire education system and especially to the teachers who didn't get paid enough. The policy at her school was you got caught with one, you lost it for different periods of time depending on how many number of offenses you were on, the most being a week. She saw a parent come into the classroom once and assault a teacher who took a student's phone for 3 days. I have to agree with my daughter. Why is there a need for them in schools? Mass shootings - they have silent alarms just as in banks. If they absolutely MUST have them in class, then a row of chargers or another storage device for the children to put them in upon entering the classroom can be provided. But having them at their desks? No. I've seen adults so addicted to using their phones they have walked into moving traffic. Why should we expect our children to have any more control and ignore their phones just because they are in a classroom?
You have been reading my mind! We had Civics classes in 7th or 8th grade. It was a whole year, not just to pass the IL Constitution test. I wholeheartedly agree with you that if we had a good basis in civics we would have more participation in government, voting, & community involvement. I don't know how we will save this democracy without a knowledgeable citizenry. People I talk to now who are adults, intelligent, and educated, are surprised when I say that I am afraid for this country. Many of them ask "What election?"
Reintroducing Civics classes would probably be a nightmare given the discord today, but any attempt, however small, would be worth it.
I started teaching (K-8) in 1994. History (state and national) were part of the curriculum. The advent of No Child Left Behind pretty much pushed out history and science at the elementary level, leaving a focus on math and English. Testing jumped from grades 3,5,8,and 11 to every year.
Not only did that force school districts to spend a fortune on the increased tests, but those tests also displaced teaching for a week or more. The tests were also used punitively against the district, school and teachers. I was at a Title I school, where half our students couldn’t recognize letters or numbers and a fourth spoke only Spanish when they started kindergarten. So they started way behind students in middle class neighborhoods. We had excellent teachers, but without any support from home catching them up takes years.
As school librarian, I was tasked with teaching the Constitution to all the students in the school for Constitution Day. I got 30 minutes for each class. For K-1 I showed a Peanuts video about writing the Constitution. In 3-4 we discussed the three branches and their functions. For 4-5 I read each of the amendments forming the Bill of Rights and we discussed them. The third got the biggest reaction, and I had to explain about how the British occupied private homes during the occupation of several cities during the Revolution. So in six years of elementary school, they got 3 hours of civics education. I tried.
I had a pretty decent government and civics education. We also were tested on the Constitution, Bill Of Rights, and the three branches of government, what they did and their relationship to each other. I don't have kids and I was shocked when I found out how little government and civics classes were taught or even taught at all.
I remember going to DC in 1964, took a tour and we were in the gallery in the Senate Chambers and luckily they were in session. I was 19 at the time and just so excited. I saw Ted Kennedy, Sam Ervin and Barry Goldwater on the floor. I was so impressed. I was still wearing my "rose colored glasses" or have things really changed as much as I think they have? My government classes, I think, allowed me to appreciate where I was and the importance of what went on there. My classes also made me even more interested in our government's history, world history, how we got into the wars, and our connections to the world we live it. People need that knowledge, again IMHO.
We MUST fund PUBLIC schools. Open the inner city schools that have been closed. Public education levels the playing field for everyone and these core civics classes must be in the curriculum. We have seen the results of low education.
I'm not sure we could return to a more civil society by restoring some of the civics and citizenship focus in public schools - especially given how the far right is dismantling public education in so many places like my state of Texas. But, I definitely agree with your assessment that we have lost much by excluding these lessons for so long.
Social studies/civics, whatever you want to call it was my favorite class in school and I got my BA in political science. I agree that civics should be a central part of basic education, but I think it should be taught in a way that invites students to develop their own opinions about our government. I don't think I was fed an overly idealized version of our government, but the constitution was still treated as something infallible and/or a priori good.
I hardly had any professors who you could easily tell which way they leaned politically. Hell, I'm pretty sure many of professors were conservative, especially in anything related to international relations. But I learned more about government and politics and that gave me the information I needed to develop my own opinions. I think the Senate is an affront to democracy and more often than not has prevented anything of substance getting done in this country. I think it's ridiculous that states are allowed to have wildly different voting laws. My opinions were not transmitted directly from another person, they are the result of my own reasoning.
I also think some degree of practical knowledge of how politics work should be mandatory. I'm not talking ideology, but just explaining how political parties work in this country and "how the sausage is made." Topics that could easily be applied to both parties.
But in the end it doesn't matter. The average American is quite ignorant of how government works in practice. It's not their fault. I know I'm a weirdo who is into this stuff, but I think any sense of agency is beaten out of the average person. Every four years (lol midterms), they vote and little of substance factually changes in their day to day lives. Any political "analysis" you see on mainstream TV is so shallow that if it were a pool, you wouldn't be able to drown a rat in it. I think in the end, the people with political and economic power like it that way. Maybe not you personally, as opposed as I am to most of your policy preferences, I respect you more than most of the GOP who seem to be in a contest of who can be most reactionary and cruel.
The system is now rigged toward chaos so the status quo remains to the benefit of those monetarily feeding the beast. Yes the point most definitely still is to keep the status quo and double down. It’s about power and money. Even the culture wars and indoctrination of lawyers to take over the courts has been a conscious design. Thank you Leonard Leo. This originalist dogma is an intentional re-eduction scheme. As Adam said with so many having so little knowledge of the documents and even less of the Age of Enlightenment they are intent on rewriting history. It’s happening right here in Florida. And it’s mandatory civics. The teachers were appalled by what they are now required to teach. We have lost so many teachers the state has a major shortage.
Knowledge is Power and the only way to fulfill the dream of our nations founders.
I vividly recall 4th grade civics. Once i learned it, I never forgot it because it was information important to understanding how my world worked and how other countries were different. Separation of powers. Checks and balances. Three branches of government. Now even at least one US senator is ignorant of this (I won‘t call him out but his initials are Tommy Tuberville).
Certainly I didn‘t get a deep dive into politics and the constitution until I was a junior in college. But without this foundation I would have had a much harder time before and after that understanding what I was reading about current events and why the government was doing what it did.
I would think any parent wanting their child to be able to understand the world they live in and to navigate it successfully would want more childhood education about how our country works, not less. Those promoting ignorance can only be motivated by fear that their view might be challenged. And only through rigorous and honest public discourse can we make thoughtful well reasoned decisions about our future. It‘s important to remember this the next time someone tries to argue that history is unnecessary or uncomfortable or that a current events topic offensive. Without the ability to ponder, analyze, and ultimately come to a conclusion about any issue we are at risk of implementing thoughtless and harmful policies.
Certainly a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Give kids a chance to do the deep dive on topics that interest or intrigue them. Ask them thoughtful questions. Require that they give thoughtful responses not „right“ ones, and not those that parrot somebody else unless they can explain why they agree with or adopt that position.
As the great John Mellenkamp said: „If you don‘t stand for something, you‘ll fall for anything“.
I so agree with this! And I recall John Cornyn and Chris Coons reintroduced a bipartisan bill to invest
$! billion to expand civic and history education across K-12 and at higher education institutions. It was called the "Civics Secures Democracy Act". It was reintroduced by Senators King and Lankford this past September. Perhaps one action this group could take would be to find out where the Bill is now and call to urge our Senators to get on board and pass it.
As this old boomer has argued for 30 years, we have raised multiple generations (anyone younger than 50) without a grounding in civic responsibility, rights and the sources of that liberty. I know younger folk love to bash us ok boomers but I don’t need Wiki to tell me what the Constitution means and days or what the Founding generation said about our nation’s principles -
Can we sub one useless 40 minute course for civics? Sure we can if we want to
Civics should be absolutely mandatory in our education! How can you even know who you are if you don't understand the history of your country, it's hard fought battles for freedom, and the documents which serve as the basis for the lives we have the freedom to live? And how do you learn that with freedom comes incredible responsibilities to help, serve and protect other people and their rights? I will go farther. Since we have no military draft, in order for young people to begin to understand and have pride in their country and the responsibilities of freedom, we should have a minimum of a one year mandatory service corps where students after high school go out and work on civic projects that benefit others. I will never forget when I was a foreign exchange student in Holland with the encouragement of the Dutch family I was living with, I went on the Vier Dagse walk/hike, around the city of Nymegen. People from all over the world, including military units, participated and spent time talking to each other as they walked or marched 25 km each day. What really struck me was an all female unit of Israeli Army women dressed in full combat uniform marching with their rifles. I thought, "wow here is a country that believes women are equal to men and are not only allowed, but encouraged to fight to defend their country." It took the US quite a long time to get there, and it appears to me we may still not be fully there.
It was covered thoroughly when I was a kid in school. Catholic school in the 50's and 60's made sure to cover these topics. My kids it was covered in less detail, and my grandson barely seems to have covered it.
Robust civics classes back in education & money/grifting opportunities out of our politics would go far toward the development of a more perfect Union.
Agree 100%. I was fortunate to grow up during a time period where American History, Civics and Social Studies classes were part of the core curriculum in junior high and high school. To this day, I'm thankful for those classes and scratch my head when/why it was decided that they were no longer necessary.
There's been a concerted effort to revive a more inclusive and robust education in US civics. Here's a link to a set of recommendations known as "The Roadmap" that was funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities:
https://www.educatingforamericandemocracy.org/
What ever happened to good old fashioned curiosity? I'm talking about discussing things with your teacher, after school study groups, taking it upon yourself to read books to get a wider view of something being taught in class and walking your behind to the public library for self education?
I had to leave home at age 10 for reasons that I'd prefer not to share. That meant I left traditional school in grade 5. I'm what most people would call a self-educated idiot. I 'inherited' six stepchildren when I left and it was my responsibility to raise them. I had no clue what I was doing, but I did know that libraries are free and they were going to have as good of an education as I could provide them, and so was I.
I spent every minute at the library absorbing all the knowledge I could and teaching those children all I could. Every single one of them went on to be very successful, with a couple of them choosing careers in the Military.
I have a GED, yes. Please keep in mind that though I was book smart, my street smarts were sorely lacking so I didn't know that acing the SAT and ASVAB tests was anything unusual. I graduated the University with a 4.0 in Criminal Justice and joined the Navy to give back to my country for the free education it had given me.
I've said for a long time that anyone who wants to serve in any of the 3 branches of Government should have to pass the U.S. Citizenship Test (as well as a psychological exam), also known as the Civics Test. After the disaster of having a reality show idiot as presidency I happily extend that to POTUS.
https://www.immigrationdirect.com/immigration-articles/us-citizenship-test-questions-and-answers/
Was it having television available in the homes way back when that took away the ambition or drive to learn more? Game consoles? Smart phones? Both parents working so much?
I don't pretend to have the answer. Perhaps it is something in each individual person that drives them, or an individual that they want to emulate.
I agree with Adam. Civics, which was named either history or social studies when my children went to school is essential and should be taught from third grade forward until you leave University.
Perhaps it might instill some pride of country into the youth of today.
Another great statement, Adam. Teaching civics to our public school students is also essential in the face of CCP's comprehensive indoctrination programs. The CCP's educational system is meticulously structured to reinforce state ideologies, ensuring that students are molded into loyal supporters of the regime from a young age. They're taught a version of history and politics that aligns with the government's narratives, often at the expense of a more diverse and holistic understanding of global affairs. Aside from your excellent points, if we do not emphasize robust civics education, we risk having a generation that is ill-equipped to differentiate between democratic values and the propaganda efforts of authoritarian regimes. They will face gung ho Chinese youth who are extremely nationalistic based on the distorted "civics" eduction that they received. By empowering students with understanding about their own history and political system (with the provisos you mentioned), they become better equipped to interpret information, make informed decisions, and engage actively in their future civic lives. While I'm biased, hopefully that will include Country First!
A new means of civic education would be needed to hold the attention of today's students. As a start we should not permit use of smart phones for beginning grades.
I have to be honest. My daughter graduated High School in 2012. She told me all kinds of stories about her classmates and their 'smart phones' and refused to have one herself. She said it was disrespectful to the entire education system and especially to the teachers who didn't get paid enough. The policy at her school was you got caught with one, you lost it for different periods of time depending on how many number of offenses you were on, the most being a week. She saw a parent come into the classroom once and assault a teacher who took a student's phone for 3 days. I have to agree with my daughter. Why is there a need for them in schools? Mass shootings - they have silent alarms just as in banks. If they absolutely MUST have them in class, then a row of chargers or another storage device for the children to put them in upon entering the classroom can be provided. But having them at their desks? No. I've seen adults so addicted to using their phones they have walked into moving traffic. Why should we expect our children to have any more control and ignore their phones just because they are in a classroom?
You have been reading my mind! We had Civics classes in 7th or 8th grade. It was a whole year, not just to pass the IL Constitution test. I wholeheartedly agree with you that if we had a good basis in civics we would have more participation in government, voting, & community involvement. I don't know how we will save this democracy without a knowledgeable citizenry. People I talk to now who are adults, intelligent, and educated, are surprised when I say that I am afraid for this country. Many of them ask "What election?"
Reintroducing Civics classes would probably be a nightmare given the discord today, but any attempt, however small, would be worth it.
I started teaching (K-8) in 1994. History (state and national) were part of the curriculum. The advent of No Child Left Behind pretty much pushed out history and science at the elementary level, leaving a focus on math and English. Testing jumped from grades 3,5,8,and 11 to every year.
Not only did that force school districts to spend a fortune on the increased tests, but those tests also displaced teaching for a week or more. The tests were also used punitively against the district, school and teachers. I was at a Title I school, where half our students couldn’t recognize letters or numbers and a fourth spoke only Spanish when they started kindergarten. So they started way behind students in middle class neighborhoods. We had excellent teachers, but without any support from home catching them up takes years.
As school librarian, I was tasked with teaching the Constitution to all the students in the school for Constitution Day. I got 30 minutes for each class. For K-1 I showed a Peanuts video about writing the Constitution. In 3-4 we discussed the three branches and their functions. For 4-5 I read each of the amendments forming the Bill of Rights and we discussed them. The third got the biggest reaction, and I had to explain about how the British occupied private homes during the occupation of several cities during the Revolution. So in six years of elementary school, they got 3 hours of civics education. I tried.
I had a pretty decent government and civics education. We also were tested on the Constitution, Bill Of Rights, and the three branches of government, what they did and their relationship to each other. I don't have kids and I was shocked when I found out how little government and civics classes were taught or even taught at all.
I remember going to DC in 1964, took a tour and we were in the gallery in the Senate Chambers and luckily they were in session. I was 19 at the time and just so excited. I saw Ted Kennedy, Sam Ervin and Barry Goldwater on the floor. I was so impressed. I was still wearing my "rose colored glasses" or have things really changed as much as I think they have? My government classes, I think, allowed me to appreciate where I was and the importance of what went on there. My classes also made me even more interested in our government's history, world history, how we got into the wars, and our connections to the world we live it. People need that knowledge, again IMHO.
We MUST fund PUBLIC schools. Open the inner city schools that have been closed. Public education levels the playing field for everyone and these core civics classes must be in the curriculum. We have seen the results of low education.
I'm not sure we could return to a more civil society by restoring some of the civics and citizenship focus in public schools - especially given how the far right is dismantling public education in so many places like my state of Texas. But, I definitely agree with your assessment that we have lost much by excluding these lessons for so long.
Social studies/civics, whatever you want to call it was my favorite class in school and I got my BA in political science. I agree that civics should be a central part of basic education, but I think it should be taught in a way that invites students to develop their own opinions about our government. I don't think I was fed an overly idealized version of our government, but the constitution was still treated as something infallible and/or a priori good.
I hardly had any professors who you could easily tell which way they leaned politically. Hell, I'm pretty sure many of professors were conservative, especially in anything related to international relations. But I learned more about government and politics and that gave me the information I needed to develop my own opinions. I think the Senate is an affront to democracy and more often than not has prevented anything of substance getting done in this country. I think it's ridiculous that states are allowed to have wildly different voting laws. My opinions were not transmitted directly from another person, they are the result of my own reasoning.
I also think some degree of practical knowledge of how politics work should be mandatory. I'm not talking ideology, but just explaining how political parties work in this country and "how the sausage is made." Topics that could easily be applied to both parties.
But in the end it doesn't matter. The average American is quite ignorant of how government works in practice. It's not their fault. I know I'm a weirdo who is into this stuff, but I think any sense of agency is beaten out of the average person. Every four years (lol midterms), they vote and little of substance factually changes in their day to day lives. Any political "analysis" you see on mainstream TV is so shallow that if it were a pool, you wouldn't be able to drown a rat in it. I think in the end, the people with political and economic power like it that way. Maybe not you personally, as opposed as I am to most of your policy preferences, I respect you more than most of the GOP who seem to be in a contest of who can be most reactionary and cruel.
The system is now rigged toward chaos so the status quo remains to the benefit of those monetarily feeding the beast. Yes the point most definitely still is to keep the status quo and double down. It’s about power and money. Even the culture wars and indoctrination of lawyers to take over the courts has been a conscious design. Thank you Leonard Leo. This originalist dogma is an intentional re-eduction scheme. As Adam said with so many having so little knowledge of the documents and even less of the Age of Enlightenment they are intent on rewriting history. It’s happening right here in Florida. And it’s mandatory civics. The teachers were appalled by what they are now required to teach. We have lost so many teachers the state has a major shortage.
Knowledge is Power and the only way to fulfill the dream of our nations founders.
I vividly recall 4th grade civics. Once i learned it, I never forgot it because it was information important to understanding how my world worked and how other countries were different. Separation of powers. Checks and balances. Three branches of government. Now even at least one US senator is ignorant of this (I won‘t call him out but his initials are Tommy Tuberville).
Certainly I didn‘t get a deep dive into politics and the constitution until I was a junior in college. But without this foundation I would have had a much harder time before and after that understanding what I was reading about current events and why the government was doing what it did.
I would think any parent wanting their child to be able to understand the world they live in and to navigate it successfully would want more childhood education about how our country works, not less. Those promoting ignorance can only be motivated by fear that their view might be challenged. And only through rigorous and honest public discourse can we make thoughtful well reasoned decisions about our future. It‘s important to remember this the next time someone tries to argue that history is unnecessary or uncomfortable or that a current events topic offensive. Without the ability to ponder, analyze, and ultimately come to a conclusion about any issue we are at risk of implementing thoughtless and harmful policies.
Certainly a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Give kids a chance to do the deep dive on topics that interest or intrigue them. Ask them thoughtful questions. Require that they give thoughtful responses not „right“ ones, and not those that parrot somebody else unless they can explain why they agree with or adopt that position.
As the great John Mellenkamp said: „If you don‘t stand for something, you‘ll fall for anything“.
I so agree with this! And I recall John Cornyn and Chris Coons reintroduced a bipartisan bill to invest
$! billion to expand civic and history education across K-12 and at higher education institutions. It was called the "Civics Secures Democracy Act". It was reintroduced by Senators King and Lankford this past September. Perhaps one action this group could take would be to find out where the Bill is now and call to urge our Senators to get on board and pass it.
As this old boomer has argued for 30 years, we have raised multiple generations (anyone younger than 50) without a grounding in civic responsibility, rights and the sources of that liberty. I know younger folk love to bash us ok boomers but I don’t need Wiki to tell me what the Constitution means and days or what the Founding generation said about our nation’s principles -
Can we sub one useless 40 minute course for civics? Sure we can if we want to
Civics should be absolutely mandatory in our education! How can you even know who you are if you don't understand the history of your country, it's hard fought battles for freedom, and the documents which serve as the basis for the lives we have the freedom to live? And how do you learn that with freedom comes incredible responsibilities to help, serve and protect other people and their rights? I will go farther. Since we have no military draft, in order for young people to begin to understand and have pride in their country and the responsibilities of freedom, we should have a minimum of a one year mandatory service corps where students after high school go out and work on civic projects that benefit others. I will never forget when I was a foreign exchange student in Holland with the encouragement of the Dutch family I was living with, I went on the Vier Dagse walk/hike, around the city of Nymegen. People from all over the world, including military units, participated and spent time talking to each other as they walked or marched 25 km each day. What really struck me was an all female unit of Israeli Army women dressed in full combat uniform marching with their rifles. I thought, "wow here is a country that believes women are equal to men and are not only allowed, but encouraged to fight to defend their country." It took the US quite a long time to get there, and it appears to me we may still not be fully there.
It was covered thoroughly when I was a kid in school. Catholic school in the 50's and 60's made sure to cover these topics. My kids it was covered in less detail, and my grandson barely seems to have covered it.