Civics Ceasefire

An educated and informed citizenry is the backbone of American democracy. Yet an epidemic of civic ignorance threatens to compromise its integrity.

Many states require only a single semester of high school civics, if any at all. Only 22% of 8th graders are proficient in civics, and nearly a third of college-age Americans think democracy itself is no longer viable.

A significant part of the problem is that culture warriors and politicians are heavily divided on what should be taught in this key subject. Should civics focus on how government works or how to change things, information, or action?

The good news, most parents across the political spectrum agree that education about our nation's founding principles is vital, even when historical figures in their work may not align with modern values.

This near consensus is a summons to pause the culture wars and return to civics fundamentals.

That doesn't mean a national curriculum. It means a decentralized approach, ideally catalyzed by state leaders, that allows for varieties in curricula and teaching styles while equipping all students with a basic understanding of what it means to be American.

Thirteen states already require high schoolers to pass a version of the US Citizenship test before graduating. Eight more have their own civics test that students must pass.

Whether a citizenship-based test, a new curriculum, or something else, the first steps forward are the most important to put cultural and political conflict aside, build upward from parental consensus, and return to civic fundamentals, to reinstill faith and pride in what it means to be an American.