Florida's grade in democracy 101.

• Author: Bookman, Alan B.
• Position: President's page

We all should be concerned that a recent survey indicates that 46 percent of Florida adult residents cannot define the term "separation of powers." Among those least likely to identify the meaning of separation of powers were those aged 18 to 34.

As I write this column, I am looking at the draft report of a Harris Interactive[R] research project which The Florida Bar commissioned to gain insight into how well Floridians comprehend civic issues. The survey focused on questions related to branches of government, separation of powers, checks and balances, and an independent judiciary.

The results of this survey reach the same conclusion as one conducted by the American Bar Association in August of 2005 in which 48 percent of Americans incorrectly identified the meaning of separation of powers. I agree with ABA President Michael S. Greco: Americans need a refresher course in civics.

By the time you read this March column, The Florida Bar will have begun a campaign to advocate for more public awareness and education in civics. Our statewide Speakers Bureau and Citizens Forum will be going out into our communities with presentations on civics, and local volunteer bar associations will be asked to participate in supporting these educational activities.

A report of the National Education Association notes, "There is now strong evidence that we have allowed the crucial processes and learning indispensable to productive citizenship to become marginalized." I agree.

Although civic education has historically been a primary mission of American public education, this commitment began to fade several decades ago. Why this decline happened probably has many reasons ranging from an emphasis on standardized testing to teachers' reluctance to discuss issues considered "political." No matter the reason, I am concerned when nearly one in five Florida residents believes the three branches of government are "local, state, and federal," per the Bar's poll, which also found some adults confessing that they think an independent judiciary means "judges are not Republicans or Democrats."

Equally disturbing is a statistic from the Second Annual Congressional Conference on Civic Education that in the 2004 presidential election, less than 20 percent of eligible 18- to 25-year-olds voted.

Because we would like to see all...