In Our View: Support Civics Education

Here is a suggestion for one way to help make America great: Increase and improve the teaching of civics in schools.

That is what a group of social studies teachers in the state have proposed, announcing that they will urge the 2017 Legislature to support an initiative boosting instruction of exactly how government works in this country. Margaret Fisher, a law professor at Seattle University, is leading the effort, and The Seattle Times quoted her as saying that an emphasis on STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) education has rendered civics lessons as an afterthought.

As an aside, when it comes to civics lessons, Fisher is worthy of attention. She was the 2013 recipient of the Sandra Day O’Connor Award for the Advancement of Civics Education by the National Center for State Courts, recognizing her accomplishments in the field of civics education related to the justice system.

But Fisher is not the only one to note that civics lessons are lacking in this country. A survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania this year found that only one-quarter of Americans can name all three branches of government. Even more distressing, nearly one-third of respondents could not name any of the three branches. “Those unfamiliar with our three branches of government can’t understand the importance of checks and balances and an independent judiciary,” said Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg center. “Lack of basic civics knowledge is worrisome and an argument for an increased focus on civics education in the schools.”

For the record, the three branches at both the federal and the state level are the executive, the legislative, and the judicial. The Founding Fathers designed the United States’ system that way in order to prevent the nation from devolving into an oligarchy in which one branch of government has unfettered power. But we’re guessing that you knew that if you are reading this in a newspaper and, therefore, are well-informed.

Meanwhile, the shortcomings with civics education vary widely from district to district within the state. Carinna Tarvin, a social studies teacher, told The Seattle Times: “Social studies in this state is all over the place. Districts all do different things. Last year, I had to teach civics, and we didn’t even have textbooks. I was just kind of winging it.” (As another aside we should mention that, contrary to common belief, students in most school districts do, indeed, recite the Pledge of Allegiance.)

It is difficult to separate the lack of civics lessons from growing consternation over a lack of voter participation. Officials throughout the country often lament decreasing voter turnout, and it is logical to tie this disinterest with a lack of understanding about how government actually works. The stronger the connection that voters feel with the system, the more likely they are to be informed and become engaged and turn in a ballot on Election Day. The United States Election Project at the University of Florida estimated that only 59 percent of eligible voters bothered to register and take part in the recent presidential election.

Fisher’s organization plans to ask next year’s state Legislature for $250,000, which would be used to provide teachers with improved civics training and expand education in middle and elementary schools. That seems like a small price to pay for a project that could strengthen our democracy and, in the process, help make America great.