When and Why Did America Stop Teaching Civics?
The research is clear: study after study shows that we Americans don't know civics. This is especially the case for younger Americans, who data reveal to be less informed about civics than their older counterparts. Obviously there is a need for more and better civic education in schools, a proposition that consistently receives strong bipartisan support. Yet American public schools are not as a rule prioritizing civic education. Why is this so?
KEY FINDINGS
- The time devoted to civic education in American public schools began to significantly decline in the 1960s.
- Civic education has not for many decades been prioritized by federal or state government; time devoted to civics has also declined due to unintended consequences of other educational focuses (see, e.g., STEM and No Child Left Behind).
- The time spent in schools on civics declines when civic education itself is seen as controversial.
- Educators in K-12 schools feel unprepared to teach civics.
- Younger Americans are less knowledgeable about civics than previous American generations.
In The News:
Liam Julian | Director of public policy
Liam Julian is director of public policy for the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute for American Democracy. He was previously managing editor of Policy Review magazine in Washington, D.C. His writing and commentary on public policy topics has appeared in a variety of publications such as The Washington Post, The Atlantic, City Journal, and National Review and on programs such as NPR’s Morning Edition and All Things Considered. Mr. Julian also spent time at the College Board, where he oversaw development of Advanced Placement curricula, including the redesign of the AP U.S. Government and Politics course. He worked for several years at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, and from 2006 to 2013 he was a Hoover Institution research fellow at Stanford University.
For more information about this policy brief, contact him at ljulian@oconnorinstitute.org
