Americans are "alarmingly uninformed" when it comes to civics, according to a recent study by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, which gave Americans, including college graduates and elected officials, a failing grade on United States history and economics.
Julian Bond, NAACP chairman and School of Public Affairs professor, said there are fundamental aspects of American government and political history that Americans should know. The three branches of government, the electoral system, the growth of parties and the expansion of the electorate are essential, Bond said.
Approximately half of American adults knew the U.S. Congress has the power to declare war, while 40 percent thought the president has the power, according to USA Today. Twenty percent of Americans think the Electoral College trains politicians aspiring for higher offices or was intended to oversee presidential debates. Forty-three percent accurately said the U.S. Constitution established it, USA Today reported.
Kimberly Cowell-Meyers, an SPA assistant professor, said the statistics must be taken in context. She said that while Congress has the power to declare war, it has only declared war five times in history and the Electoral College has differed from the popular vote only three times.
"What you may be identifying is a feature of democracy in which, though all are enfranchised legally, only some are full participants in the democratic process, meaning only some have the political knowledge to participate actively," Cowell-Meyers said.
She said knowledge is power and that the concerns presented by the study should not be taken lightly. Still, she said that different questions might be more important than those based on facts.
"Perhaps more pertinent questions would center on whether citizens know how to get in touch with their congressional representatives, how to register to vote or who to contact if they think their rights have been violated," Cowell-Meyers said.
The lack of civic knowledge is the result of hostility toward the government and toward the failures of the education system. To fill the void, U.S. history curricula must be expanded in lower grades and in high school, Bond said.
Courtney Forbes, a freshman in SPA, said it is unfair to blame the public's ignorance on teachers.
"It's the fault of the people," she said. "They should educate themselves if they forgot what was taught in their high school government classes."
Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons, a freshman in the School of International Service, said that the American public should know basic American government and history.
"Democracy is only as good as its voters," Graves-Fitzsimmons said. "If voters are not aware of what they're voting for, then they can't make an informed choice."
A democracy's complete dependence on the people and, consequently, its influence on the people, is the basis of Bond's argument that knowledge of civics is essential.
"Government affects us all," Bond said. "I would think every thinking person ... would need to know as much about it as he or she can."
You can reach this writer at news@theeagleonline.com.
