Michael Blauw and Kate Ullman
Right now, there are children being born in America who will live to see the 22nd century. What kind of nation will they inherit? Under what form of government will they live?
In a recent Pew study, 51% of Americans said they are dissatisfied with how democracy is working and 46% said they are open to other forms of government, including rule by an individual leader. Less than one third of Millennials consider it essential to live in a democracy.
This crisis of faith in America’s system of government isn’t a coincidence. It coincides with decades of disinvestment and the deprioritization of civic learning and engagement in schools. While other important subjects like STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) receive over $50 in federal dollars per student per year, less than 50 cents per student is devoted to civics education.
That unequal level of support for civic learning stands in stark opposition to what most Americans want. Over 70% of likely voters in America think civics education needs to be emphasized more in schools, signaling that they are accurately aware of its importance.
According to a 2022 Annenberg study 25% of Americans cannot name one branch of government or any of the rights protected by the First Amendment. Only 22% of 8th grade students scored “proficient” in civics on the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). In the 2022 election cycle, turnout among voters under age 30 was less than 25%. This lack of knowledge and engagement has real impacts for every community, where the local government relies on citizens running for office. The Wisconsin Policy Forum found that 78% of county board races in the state were uncontested in 2018.
We believe that the waning commitment to democracy, the lack of basic civic knowledge, and civic disengagement can all be addressed by enhancing our commitment to civic education in schools.
Wisconsin is one of just a handful of states that don’t require a high school civics class for graduation, and more than a quarter of students never take a dedicated civics or government class. This is why the Wisconsin Civic Learning Coalition (WCLC) is bringing together stakeholders from across the state to strengthen nonpartisan civics and government education in schools.
The WCLC aims to support schools and teachers in preparing students to be committed and effective participants in civic life. Civic organizations, educators, and community members from across the political spectrum have joined our coalition. This fall, we’ll be writing a series that focuses on making the case for civic education, and explores what we can do together to build a strong foundation for a thriving democracy. The civic mission of schools has never been more important than it is now. Go to https://civicswi.org/ to learn more and join the coalition.
Michael Blauw and Kate Ullman are former high school social studies teachers, and co-founders of the Wisconsin Civic Learning Coalition. Michael is the Director of Civic Learning at the Center for Civic Education. Kate is the Executive Director of the Legislative Semester.
