Southern Utah
| Publication year | 2024 |
| Citation | Vol. 37 No. 1 Pg. 34 |
| Pages | 34 |
The Lawyer's Role in Promoting Civics
January 2024
by Stephen P. Dent
A few weeks ago, I ran into a Utah Tech University student at a Maverick gas station. He had taken my business law class the previous fall. We exchanged pleasantries, and I got a quick update on his academic pursuits. I then asked, "Hey, what are the three branches of government?" "Legislative, executive, judicial," he replied with a smile. I smiled back, comforted that he had retained something from my class. He even said it in the constitutionally correct order.
What happened to civics?
Fewer than half of Americans can name all three branches of government. A quarter can't name any branch. In this highly politicized, deeply divisive era, what gives? Why do so many people have so many strong opinions about a government they know so little about?
Much has been written about the decline of civic education and its causes. Many argue that the education system has failed to effectively teach civics and that it overly emphasizes rote memorization over critical thinking. Others point to the focus on STEM and the declining popularity of, and funding for, civic-centered curriculum. In our understandable and important quest for career readiness, we often leave civics by the wayside.
Experts posit that decline in civic education has led to lack of civic knowledge among citizens, decreased ability and preparation to participate in the civic process, and increased political polarization. It's clear that we live in a time of boiling political passion and tepid civic knowledge.
Why should lawyers care about civics?
As lawyers, we are experts in civics. We spent three years studying how our government is structured, how it makes laws, and how courts apply those laws. After graduation, we remain immersed in the law in our endless variety of legal practices.
Further, we as lawyers have committed to defending the rule of law. Few professions require its members to take a solemn oath to "support, obey, and defend" the Constitution.
In Democracy in America, Alexis de Tocqueville observed that lawyers gained "special information" from their studies and act as "arbiters between the citizens." He further observed: "When one visits Americans and when one studies their laws, one sees that the authority they have given to lawyers and the influence that they have allowed them to have in the government form...
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