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Dr. Mike Robinson: Is democracy as we know it in America at risk because of what appears to be a lack of understanding of civics, elections, and governance?
Dr. Laurie L. Rice: Democracy tends to work best when its citizens are active and informed. When we, the people, fail to understand the basics of our political system, are ignorant of much of the content of our Constitution, and pay little attention to government's workings, it creates an opportunity for those in power to abuse it.
Thomas Jefferson, who set high ideals for our nation in the Declaration of Independence, while failing to measure up to them himself, warned in a letter in 1816 that "If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be. The functionaries of every government have propensities to command at will the liberty and property of their constituents. There is no safe deposit for these but with the people themselves; nor can they be safe with them without information. Where the press is free, and every man able to read, all is safe." In that same letter, he advocated for the importance of education, from the primary level through the university level, to help guard against both fanaticism and indifferentism. Today, we face some of these same threats, and a good grounding in civic education would help counter them.
Dr. Mike Robinson: Should there be an emphasis on civic education?
Dr. Laurie L. Rice: Yes. Research shows meaningful civic education courses -- those that include not just information but participation in civic opportunities -- not only increase the civic knowledge of those who take them, they can build skills in how to have civil debate and dialogue and increase the likelihood of voting and engaging in other political activities. Some of these gains have been found to persist years after taking the course.
President Ronald Reagan warned us, "...democracy is not a fragile flower; still, it needs cultivating," and President Barack Obama reminded us, "America is no fragile thing. But the gains of our long journey to freedom are not assured." Civic education is an important factor in cultivating democracy and protecting our "long journey to freedom." Civic education is an important part of political socialization. It helps build support for the values of our democracy from one generation to the next. And while these values can and should adapt, change, and grow over time, there is some evidence that our core democratic values, including support for the democratic bargain, are at risk. In addition to the recent troubling events in our nation, there are surveys that suggest that over the last decade or so, support for democracy has waned among some Americans and that support for authoritarian values and authoritarian actions by the government has increased. We should find this troubling as a society and take this occasion to reemphasize the importance of civic education.
Dr. Mike Robinson: What aspect of the election and governance systems do you believe all Americans need to understand and why it operates the way it has for centuries?
Dr. Laurie L. Rice: Citizens need to know why their vote and their voice matters. This includes learning the importance of voting, how elections work all the way from presidential elections to the local level, the hallmarks of a free and fair election, why the democratic bargain requires that we accept the results of a free and fair election, how our voice can still matter even if our preferred candidate loses an election and the other ways beyond voting that citizens can make a meaningful difference in their government and the policies it passes. We need to know the rights and liberties we possess that are enshrined in the Constitution, and we need to know at least the basic parameters of our system of government. What are the rules of the game? What is the role of Congress, the president, and the courts? What are the roles and responsibilities of government at the national, state, and local levels? What are the roles and responsibilities of citizens?
Dr. Mike Robinson: Do we need an education czar or a national Civic Education curriculum?
Dr. Laurie L. Rice: I don't think we need an education czar, but it would help the Department of Education launch a national conversation about civic education. There is currently a patchwork of practices with respect to civic education across the states. Some states require a class in civics, while others do not. Some students learn about civics in the eighth or ninth grade while others learn about civics in their senior year of high school, at the time many of them are reaching voting age. It would be helpful to have a national standard requiring civic education. However, the curriculum for any such class should be a cooperative process between the national level and the states. I say this because we need to make sure students learn not just about how our government works at the national level. In a federal system such as our own, it is important for students to also know about how government works at the state level, and to receive some exposure to local government as well.
Dr. Mike Robinson: Do you think if Americans had a better understanding of our election and governance systems, we could have avoided the chaos in U. S. Capitol?
Dr. Laurie L. Rice: A better understanding of our election and governance systems would have helped, but this alone is not the answer. There was a lot of misinformation spread about the integrity of our electoral process. There was also a misguided belief that somehow the outcome of the election could be changed by Congress or the Vice President on January 6. A better understanding of how our system works might have helped guard against the latter but would not have fully prevented the former. Education, more generally though, can also help prevent people from being manipulated with misinformation through promoting critical thinking skills.
Dr. Mike Robinson: Is it possible to hold political leaders accountable if there is a lack of understanding of American Civics?
Dr. Laurie L. Rice: Possible, yes, but more complicated. It is hard to hold political leaders accountable if we don't know what they're doing and don't understand what they're supposed to do. If we leave it to others to hold political leaders accountable, there is always a danger that they will fail to do so, too.
Bio
Dr. Laurie L. Rice is Professor of Political Science and coordinator of the civic education project at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Among her published research, she has co-authored Web 2.0 and the Political Mobilization of College Students, co-edited American Political Parties Under Pressure: Strategic Adaptations for a Changing Electorate, and contributed to Technology and Civic Engagement in the College Classroom: Engaging the Unengaged.
Dr. Laurie L. Rice: Democracy tends to work best when its citizens are active and informed. When we, the people, fail to understand the basics of our political system, are ignorant of much of the content of our Constitution, and pay little attention to government's workings, it creates an opportunity for those in power to abuse it.
Thomas Jefferson, who set high ideals for our nation in the Declaration of Independence, while failing to measure up to them himself, warned in a letter in 1816 that "If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be. The functionaries of every government have propensities to command at will the liberty and property of their constituents. There is no safe deposit for these but with the people themselves; nor can they be safe with them without information. Where the press is free, and every man able to read, all is safe." In that same letter, he advocated for the importance of education, from the primary level through the university level, to help guard against both fanaticism and indifferentism. Today, we face some of these same threats, and a good grounding in civic education would help counter them.
Dr. Mike Robinson: Should there be an emphasis on civic education?
Dr. Laurie L. Rice: Yes. Research shows meaningful civic education courses -- those that include not just information but participation in civic opportunities -- not only increase the civic knowledge of those who take them, they can build skills in how to have civil debate and dialogue and increase the likelihood of voting and engaging in other political activities. Some of these gains have been found to persist years after taking the course.
President Ronald Reagan warned us, "...democracy is not a fragile flower; still, it needs cultivating," and President Barack Obama reminded us, "America is no fragile thing. But the gains of our long journey to freedom are not assured." Civic education is an important factor in cultivating democracy and protecting our "long journey to freedom." Civic education is an important part of political socialization. It helps build support for the values of our democracy from one generation to the next. And while these values can and should adapt, change, and grow over time, there is some evidence that our core democratic values, including support for the democratic bargain, are at risk. In addition to the recent troubling events in our nation, there are surveys that suggest that over the last decade or so, support for democracy has waned among some Americans and that support for authoritarian values and authoritarian actions by the government has increased. We should find this troubling as a society and take this occasion to reemphasize the importance of civic education.
Dr. Mike Robinson: What aspect of the election and governance systems do you believe all Americans need to understand and why it operates the way it has for centuries?
Dr. Laurie L. Rice: Citizens need to know why their vote and their voice matters. This includes learning the importance of voting, how elections work all the way from presidential elections to the local level, the hallmarks of a free and fair election, why the democratic bargain requires that we accept the results of a free and fair election, how our voice can still matter even if our preferred candidate loses an election and the other ways beyond voting that citizens can make a meaningful difference in their government and the policies it passes. We need to know the rights and liberties we possess that are enshrined in the Constitution, and we need to know at least the basic parameters of our system of government. What are the rules of the game? What is the role of Congress, the president, and the courts? What are the roles and responsibilities of government at the national, state, and local levels? What are the roles and responsibilities of citizens?
Dr. Mike Robinson: Do we need an education czar or a national Civic Education curriculum?
Dr. Laurie L. Rice: I don't think we need an education czar, but it would help the Department of Education launch a national conversation about civic education. There is currently a patchwork of practices with respect to civic education across the states. Some states require a class in civics, while others do not. Some students learn about civics in the eighth or ninth grade while others learn about civics in their senior year of high school, at the time many of them are reaching voting age. It would be helpful to have a national standard requiring civic education. However, the curriculum for any such class should be a cooperative process between the national level and the states. I say this because we need to make sure students learn not just about how our government works at the national level. In a federal system such as our own, it is important for students to also know about how government works at the state level, and to receive some exposure to local government as well.
Dr. Mike Robinson: Do you think if Americans had a better understanding of our election and governance systems, we could have avoided the chaos in U. S. Capitol?
Dr. Laurie L. Rice: A better understanding of our election and governance systems would have helped, but this alone is not the answer. There was a lot of misinformation spread about the integrity of our electoral process. There was also a misguided belief that somehow the outcome of the election could be changed by Congress or the Vice President on January 6. A better understanding of how our system works might have helped guard against the latter but would not have fully prevented the former. Education, more generally though, can also help prevent people from being manipulated with misinformation through promoting critical thinking skills.
Dr. Mike Robinson: Is it possible to hold political leaders accountable if there is a lack of understanding of American Civics?
Dr. Laurie L. Rice: Possible, yes, but more complicated. It is hard to hold political leaders accountable if we don't know what they're doing and don't understand what they're supposed to do. If we leave it to others to hold political leaders accountable, there is always a danger that they will fail to do so, too.
Bio
Dr. Laurie L. Rice is Professor of Political Science and coordinator of the civic education project at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Among her published research, she has co-authored Web 2.0 and the Political Mobilization of College Students, co-edited American Political Parties Under Pressure: Strategic Adaptations for a Changing Electorate, and contributed to Technology and Civic Engagement in the College Classroom: Engaging the Unengaged.