A call to justice: the importance of civic education.

• Author: Lewis, R. Fred

Before attempting to engage in a discussion of the importance of civic education, it is necessary to understand just what the concept encompasses. The word civic originates from the Latin word civis, meaning citizen. (1) At the heart of civic education, is the concept that we must understand what it means to be a citizen. One definition explains that "civics refers to education in the obligations and the rights of the citizen." (2) Another defines civics as "the branch of political science that deals with civic affairs and the rights and duties of citizens." (3) Yet another states that civics is "the study of local government and of the rights and duties of citizenship." (4) What all of these definitions share is the concept that while citizenship may afford us access to many rights and freedoms, it also demands of us that we fulfill certain duties and obligations. The importance of civic education is that without a populace informed about their civic duties, the rights and freedoms promised by our constitutional structure may not be realized. A brief look at the current state of civic education among the general population demonstrates that there is indeed cause for alarm.

Students today are being overwhelmed with the widely popular concept of reality television. Our students know more about "contestants" and "reality players" than the fabric of our real society. They can describe in detail the reality television programs, and contestants; they have voted for the "idols" crowned. However, these same students are woefully ignorant about our constitutional democracy. It has been reported that just over half of all Americans can correctly identify the three branches of government. (5) More than one in five believes that the three branches of government are the Republican, Democrat, and Independent branches. (6) Fewer than half of all Americans can correctly identify the meaning of the separation of powers. (7) An equally small percentage of Americans can identify the role of the judiciary in the federal government. (8) Only one in 1,000 Americans can correctly identify the five freedoms protected by the First Amendment, but 221 of every 1,000 Americans can correctly identify all five members of the Simpson's cartoon family. (9) The reality is that our young people and future generations must understand that it is our constitutional framework and the freedom and liberty it provides which constitute the glue that holds this society together. If we are unable to make today's youth as enthusiastic, educated, and concerned about and involved with our constitutional democracy as they currently are about reality television "idols," the promise of our constitutional framework and the protection of individual rights and freedoms created by that framework may be in jeopardy.

Our constitutional framework did not emerge by accident but was, instead, the product of the experiences, careful analysis, and thoughtful consideration of great legal scholars and philosophers who blended multiple concepts to create the foundation of our nation. The framers devised a structure with the sole purpose of fulfilling the promises of the freedom and liberty for each citizen. The Constitution is a blueprint for connecting our large and diverse society into peaceful coexistence. It protects the small from the large and the large from the masses and mobs. This is a reality that we must in some way impart to today's youth, the next generation which will be charged with ensuring these values remain vital.

Our Constitution inevitably reflected the political climate that informed the...