From Preschool Elections to College Civic Illiteracy
While reading the headlines in October, I learned that two dogs were the candidates in an election, and I was intrigued.
Truth be told, a preschool in the Washington, D.C., suburbs was teaching an important component of democracy using characters from the popular kids’ cartoon series PAW Patrol.
It gave me hope that teachers think children might actually be interested in U.S. civics at an early age. And, it might help explain why their mommies and daddies have been arguing at the dinner table about a guy named Trump and a lady named Harris.
From a field of seven original pups, this election came down to two formidable candidates: Chase, a German shepherd who wears a police uniform and serves as a police dog, and Skye, a possible mixed breed, who pilots a helicopter and serves as an air rescue pup. It’s also worth mentioning that Skye did well in the polls among girls ages 3 to 4.
I’m somewhat embarrassed to admit I know so much about PAW Patrol, but that’s because my daughters are big fans of the show. Nevertheless, educating children about how our country is supposed to function is incumbent upon parents and educators, and if they have to use some animated dogs to encourage them to learn, I’m all for it.
It’ll be a while before these kids can legally vote in a real election, and they’re too young to understand the three branches of government or how a bill becomes a law. Their teachers should be commended for figuring out a fun way to help the kids solve problems with classmates, deal with disappointment without seeking vengeance and appreciate the unique needs of others. This entire exercise is to teach kids that their thoughts have value, as do their classmates’ opinions.
This preschool is like many others that are discovering a need to start teaching students civics early in their education. Their goal is to nurture good citizens, which is desperately needed these days when we consider the civic ignorance among students graduating from colleges in the U.S
.
A survey of college students conducted earlier this year by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) exposes the lack of basic knowledge pertaining to how the United States governs itself. The survey reported the following disappointing statistics:
- 60% of students couldn’t correctly identify the term lengths for members of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
- Only 27% knew Kamala Harris is the president of the U.S. Senate; 28% thought it was Joe Biden.
- Only 35% knew that Mike Johnson is the speaker of the House of Representatives.
- Despite two recent presidential impeachment trials, only 32% knew an impeachment trial takes place before the U.S. Senate; 30% thought it was the Supreme Court.
In an earlier survey conducted by ACTA, the questions were more specific to our elections. Even though 97% of college graduates agreed it’s important to understand the U.S. election process, the survey found that:
- 22% of college graduates couldn’t correctly identify when Election Day is held.
- 31% couldn’t correctly define the Electoral College.
- 33% were unaware that membership in the Republican or Democratic parties isn’t a requirement to run for president.
- 50% were unable to name Franklin Roosevelt as the last president to win more than two elections to the presidency.
Teaching civics in schools helps students learn the value of civic practices such as voting, jury duty and working to improve society. However, with stats like these, it’s pretty clear college students need to spend more time learning about our country’s 250-year history and its core values and principles.
Let’s face it, if these students don’t know where they came from, how can they know where they’re going? With no map to guide them, how can they protect the institutions that are unique to our democracy like our electoral process? After all, it’s kind of hard to defend something you don’t comprehend.
According to Michael B. Poliakoff, PhD, president of ACTA, colleges seldom require their students to enroll in a course about U.S. history or how our government works.
“Civic ignorance — dangerous as it is — is not unique to the present day,” Poliakoff says in a 2016 ACTA press release. “However, institutions of higher education once emphasized civic character and leadership as a core part of instruction. The lackluster results we find among today’s graduates is indeed shocking.”
As we all know, our democracy is currently being tested, and this trend of civic illiteracy among college students couldn’t come at a worse time. Is this scenario forecasting a perfect storm that will destroy our political institutions?
Considering the United States was founded so long ago, it’s shameful that so many of its citizens have no clue how it functions.
“The framers were emphatic that an informed citizenry is a crucial precondition for the republic’s survival in the United States,” Poliakoff says in the release. “Colleges and universities should take note: Unless we take greater care in educating students, the deficit in civic literacy will weaken the next generation’s ability to engage in the democratic process and political discourse.”
I don’t think we can change the adults, but there might be hope for the kids. If we stop taking our democracy for granted and begin teaching civics sooner rather than later, maybe we can prepare our children for a better future.
By the way, just for those inquiring minds, a 3-year-old girl named Janet from Virginia cast the last vote, securing a victory for Skye. Her competitor, Chase, wasn’t happy that he lost, but he conceded the election gracefully and went on to thank all the volunteers who helped his campaign.
Most importantly, nobody tried to overturn the election, nobody stormed PAW Patrol headquarters and nobody got hurt. Maybe these kids can teach the grown-ups something about civics?
As usual, let me know what you’re thinking at al@pvamag.com.
