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Civics Education in the US

Lafayette

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From the Center for American Progress: The State of Civics Education

Excerpt:
Civic knowledge and public engagement is at an all-time low. A 2016 survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center found that only 26 percent of Americans can name all three branches of government, which was a significant decline from previous years.1 Not surprisingly, public trust in government is at only 18 percent and voter participation has reached its lowest point since 1996. Without an understanding of the structure of government; rights and responsibilities; and methods of public engagement, civic literacy and voter apathy will continue to plague American democracy. Educators and schools have a unique opportunity and responsibility to ensure that young people become engaged and knowledgeable citizens.

While the 2016 election brought a renewed interest in engagement among youth,4 only 23 percent of eighth-graders performed at or above the proficient level on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) civics exam, and achievement levels have virtually stagnated since 1998.
In addition, the increased focus on math and reading in K-12 education—while critical to prepare all students for success—has pushed out civics and other important subjects.

No modern nation on earth can claim to be a Real Democracy if Civics Education is not a key element of secondary-schooling. People must know not only the political history of the US, but also how politics runs the country today. I suspect personally that most people get a notion of political activity off the BoobTube (TV).

That's just not good enough. The notion of Liberty being the foundation-stone of our nation is fine but neither is it good enough. Americans must be taught also that the Electoral College that MANIPULATES THE POPULAR-VOTE before conveying the results to Congress and Gerrymandering are both manipulations of the popular-vote to favor either side of a basically two-party system!

Both the above election-voting connivances have been in place since 1812 - when the 12th Amendment instituted the Electoral College and a Massachusetts governor (Gerry) carved out voting districts to assure that his party would win them.

What are a people to do when their democracy has been infected by such complicities?

Simply not put up with them!
 
From the Center for American Progress: The State of Civics Education

Excerpt:


No modern nation on earth can claim to be a Real Democracy if Civics Education is not a key element of secondary-schooling. People must know not only the political history of the US, but also how politics runs the country today. I suspect personally that most people get a notion of political activity off the BoobTube (TV).

That's just not good enough. The notion of Liberty being the foundation-stone of our nation is fine but neither is it good enough. Americans must be taught also that the Electoral College that MANIPULATES THE POPULAR-VOTE before conveying the results to Congress and Gerrymandering are both manipulations of the popular-vote to favor either side of a basically two-party system!

Both the above election-voting connivances have been in place since 1812 - when the 12th Amendment instituted the Electoral College and a Massachusetts governor (Gerry) carved out voting districts to assure that his party would win them.

What are a people to do when their democracy has been infected by such complicities?

Simply not put up with them!

In this case sadly most likely the answer is fail and become exploited by the New Chinese Empire.
 
From the Center for American Progress: The State of Civics Education

Excerpt:


No modern nation on earth can claim to be a Real Democracy if Civics Education is not a key element of secondary-schooling. People must know not only the political history of the US, but also how politics runs the country today. I suspect personally that most people get a notion of political activity off the BoobTube (TV).

That's just not good enough. The notion of Liberty being the foundation-stone of our nation is fine but neither is it good enough. Americans must be taught also that the Electoral College that MANIPULATES THE POPULAR-VOTE before conveying the results to Congress and Gerrymandering are both manipulations of the popular-vote to favor either side of a basically two-party system!

Both the above election-voting connivances have been in place since 1812 - when the 12th Amendment instituted the Electoral College and a Massachusetts governor (Gerry) carved out voting districts to assure that his party would win them.

What are a people to do when their democracy has been infected by such complicities?

Simply not put up with them!

You post has proved why the electoral college is necessary. Civics is being taught in school but the average person is too stupid to even name the 3 branches of govt. there’s no way we should trust them with the popular vote
 
You post has proved why the electoral college is necessary. Civics is being taught in school but the average person is too stupid to even name the 3 branches of govt. there’s no way we should trust them with the popular vote

Have you ever met an electoral college voter? Am just curious. I don't believe I have ever met one of these far superior intellects.

By your reasoning we need the electoral college is because everyone is too stupid then why does this smaller group of stupids need more electoral voters then this larger group of stupids?

As long as these electoral voters are superior in intelligence then they should be capable of representing the same number of people. This whole thought process is ludicrous.


In a 2012 Twitter post, Trump called the Electoral College “a disaster for a democracy.”

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-calls-electoral-college-a-disaster-during-2012-tweetstorm/
 
Stop complaining about the EC

If you don’t like it....change it

All you need is 3/4 of the states to ratify an amendment

If the majority believes as you do, should be a piece of cake, right?

But that won’t be so easy will it....
 
Civics education went the same way as the rest of it did after Nixon gave the radicals their quota system that to this decides what is 'racist' and what isn't.

Congratulations, as I now saw recently that arithmetic is now 'racist', too. Too any white kids passing it, you know, and making others feel bad n stuff.
 
From the Center for American Progress: The State of Civics Education

Excerpt:


No modern nation on earth can claim to be a Real Democracy if Civics Education is not a key element of secondary-schooling. People must know not only the political history of the US, but also how politics runs the country today. I suspect personally that most people get a notion of political activity off the BoobTube (TV).

That's just not good enough. The notion of Liberty being the foundation-stone of our nation is fine but neither is it good enough. Americans must be taught also that the Electoral College that MANIPULATES THE POPULAR-VOTE before conveying the results to Congress and Gerrymandering are both manipulations of the popular-vote to favor either side of a basically two-party system!

Both the above election-voting connivances have been in place since 1812 - when the 12th Amendment instituted the Electoral College and a Massachusetts governor (Gerry) carved out voting districts to assure that his party would win them.

What are a people to do when their democracy has been infected by such complicities?

Simply not put up with them!

Again with the "Real Democracy" claims? :doh

The United States was never set up to be a "Real Democracy" and only the uneducated would ever claim it was so.

I do agree that civics should be taught, but not to support your ideal of this "popular vote is best" mob rule ideology.

No, but rather in order to instruct our young citizens in what it means to be a REPUBLIC of united STATES working together to form a union, and not a land dedicated to a tyranny of the majority where two wolves (the most populated 4 or 5 States) and a lamb (all the rest) sit down periodically to decide what's for lunch.

We hear much outrage over the existence of the Electoral College system, because the current President lost the Popular vote by the largest margin in any prior situation. (There were four: George W. Bush 2000; Benjamin Harrison 1888; Rutherford Hayes 1876; John Q. Adams 1824).

People cry "Outmoded system! A national popular vote should elect a President!" That the USA is a Democracy and the Electoral college is a barrier between the will of the people and the holder of the office. That the 12 Amendment created the problem and did not go far enough to solve it.

IMO that thought process is wrong; and I point out the following:...
 
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In this case sadly most likely the answer is fail and become exploited by the New Chinese Empire.


True enough. It's hard to find many 'elite' American journals that don't praise the wonders and positives of Red China no end, Foreign Affairs Quarterly gushes over them over 'evil American patriotism' in pretty much every issue now. Our own 'elites', Wall Street, and the county's largest employer are doing all they can to tank the US and build up Red China. Both our 'right' wing and 'left wing are on the same page re labor racketeering and factories and warehouses that look like prisons designed to keep their 'contractors' from fleeing and violating their 'free market labor contracts'.
 
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The hard part is finding a way to ensure that biases don't infect a solid education in civics. I agree that it's important, but I imagine that kids in a civics class in Texas vs California would walk away with some very different ideas.
 
TRUE DEMOCRACY

You post has proved why the electoral college is necessary. Civics is being taught in school but the average person is too stupid to even name the 3 branches of govt. there’s no way we should trust them with the popular vote

You must be one of the "average", given your response.

There is no bonafide reason whatsoever for an Electoral College to report any other result of an electoral vote to Congress as regards the presidency EXCEPT THE UNADULTERATED RESULTS OF A POPULAR-VOTE!

Which is what would happen if we rid the US of the Electoral College (and Gerrymandering whilst we are at it)! Then, and only then, would we have a True Democracy.

And, the winner of any election is then considered elected fairly and democratically.

Then and only then ... !
 
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This whole thought process is ludicrous.

Well put!

One of the reasons both Gerrymandering and the Electoral College still exist is because no one ever had the courage to decry their outrageous manipulation of the popular-vote. (Put that down to bad Civics Courses that probably never ever mentioned the fact?)

Then, of course, there is the old Yankee wisdom, "If it works, why do away with it?"

I sometimes wonder where we ever get a sense of a just morality in the political process. It is warped by money and the intent to manipulate governance in order to favor certain upper-income groups.

And when Donald Dork and his Replicant Congress lower upper-income taxation all we can do is hang our head in shame ...

PS: And the most hideous result is to be seen in the Discretionary Income Budget (here). How we ever allow the DoD get away with spending almost half of the budget I, for one, will never ever know! Think of what we could accomplish with that money were it spent on a National Healthcare Service and Free Tertiary-Education for our kids!
 
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True enough. It's hard to find many 'elite' American journals that don't praise the wonders and positives of Red China no end, Foreign Affairs Quarterly gushes over them over 'evil American patriotism' in pretty much every issue now. Our own 'elites', Wall Street, and the county's largest employer are doing all they can to tank the US and build up Red China. Both our 'right' wing and 'left wing are on the same page re labor racketeering and factories and warehouses that look like prisons designed to keep their 'contractors' from fleeing and violating their 'free market labor contracts'.

The REALLY BIG QUESTION with our FAILED INTELLIGENTSIA! is how much of their professed ignorance (By this I mean the BS they spout.. the lack of awareness of reality demonstrated by their work and words) is due to willful ignorance, and how much of it is lying.

Dont underestimate the stupidity of the America people, not least those who graduated from our UNiversities....most especially the IVY's.....not only is a degree not a signal that a person is educated, it is a sign that they have had their brain warped by the brain molders, and are likely too ignorant to know that this has happend.
 
Americans must be taught also that the Electoral College that MANIPULATES THE POPULAR-VOTE before conveying the results to Congress and Gerrymandering are both manipulations of the popular-vote to favor either side of a basically two-party system!

Not only no, but **** no.
Students should be taught that we are a Nation of individual States and the reasons why the EC exists to represent the individual States and instead of the a popular vote which is not even a thing in the election.
 
Not only no, but **** no.
Students should be taught that we are a Nation of individual States and the reasons why the EC exists to represent the individual States and instead of the a popular vote which is not even a thing in the election.

Blah, blah, blah.

Hyperventilating are we ... ?
 
You post has proved why the electoral college is necessary. Civics is being taught in school but the average person is too stupid to even name the 3 branches of govt. there’s no way we should trust them with the popular vote

You do realize that the Electoral College plays absolutely NO ROLE in midterm Congressional elections.
It is only used in POTUS elections, nothing more.

I guess people are too stupid even for midterms and we should have a separate "electoral college" for Congressional and state and local elections, too, yes?
Ahhhh well, we can always just GERRYMANDER everything and close down polls where "stupid people" live instead.

/snark
 
Civic knowledge and public engagement is at an all-time low. A 2016 survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center found that only 26 percent of Americans can name all three branches of government, which was a significant decline from previous years.

I can only hope that that is true. Of course, it's all for naught if, in their ignorance, they still believe government should exist and support it.
 
You post has proved why the electoral college is necessary. Civics is being taught in school but the average person is too stupid to even name the 3 branches of govt. there’s no way we should trust them with the popular vote

Since when in history has "IQ" been a criteria to obtain a voting ballot?

Civics is indeed being taught in American schools. But the facts of the matter is that it is not a key-subject and so mostly taken for granted. Like cooking-classes.

Now ask yourself, How well is Civics being taught?

Well, some people went out to make a survey towards answering that important question.

Here is the link and an excerpt from that report:
Civic knowledge and public engagement is at an all-time low. A 2016 survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center found that only 26 percent of Americans can name all three branches of government, which was a significant decline from previous years. Not surprisingly, public trust in government is at only 18 percent and voter participation has reached its lowest point since 1996. Without an understanding of the structure of government; rights and responsibilities; and methods of public engagement, civic literacy and voter apathy will continue to plague American democracy. Educators and schools have a unique opportunity and responsibility to ensure that young people become engaged and knowledgeable citizens.

While the 2016 election brought a renewed interest in engagement among youth, only 23 percent of eighth-graders performed at or above the proficient level on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) civics exam, and achievement levels have virtually stagnated since 1998. In addition, the increased focus on math and reading in K-12 education—while critical to prepare all students for success—has pushed out civics and other important subjects.

Do you think the above reflects favorably upon the US as prime-teacher of Civic Responsibility?

I don't ...
 
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The REALLY BIG QUESTION with our FAILED INTELLIGENTSIA! is how much of their professed ignorance (By this I mean the BS they spout.. the lack of awareness of reality demonstrated by their work and words) is due to willful ignorance, and how much of it is lying.

You've hit upon the reason why there is no such object as a "Political Bible". Because the bible we take on faith, but politics are all too real to treat in the same manner. I.e., politicians lie to get what they want! (Which is also why it is best to rotate them as often as possible Two terms are more than enough!)

But, in fact, some people do exaggerate to make a point - and they are on both extreme sides of the political divide (Left & Right).

The truth, I find, is somewhere in the middle. And that's the hard part.

Because we Yanks sell "political thought" like it were soap-powder. Where whatever political tribe punctuates the TV/radio air-waves with "We wash whiter than white!" (Which, politically, in the US is hogwash. Politics has been manipulated from the get-go, and very largely favors the accumulation of Wealth, which is why the US has one of the most awesomely high values of Income Disparity on earth.

Dont underestimate the stupidity of the America people, not least those who graduated from our UNiversities....most especially the IVY's.....not only is a degree not a signal that a person is educated, it is a sign that they have had their brain warped by the brain molders, and are likely too ignorant to know that this has happend.

I would not call it stupidity because we are mostly a well-educated nation. (Not sufficiently for the best jobs, but well enough for the world that surrounds us.) We are surely not asking the right questions, however.

Those questions are highlighted by the economic analyses, and I need not repeat them yet again. I've done so often enough. If one is taking any good course in Economics, the data on Income Disparity is glaring them in the face.

Saying this: "Hey sucker, don't you understand that you are living in the most Personal-Income unfair nations on earth"?

Now ask yourself WHYZAT?
 
Students should be taught that we are a Nation of individual States and the reasons why the EC exists to represent the individual States and instead of the a popular vote which is not even a thing in the election.

Except that we aren't.

We are a nation of people first and the fact that we live in a state is purely arbitrary and conditional.

We can change states but we cannot change countries (all that easily) ...
 
Except that we aren't.
The United States of America, not the United People of America.

We are a Nation of individual States, which is exactly what it was set up to be.

Your opinion is absurd.
 
Well put!

One of the reasons both Gerrymandering and the Electoral College still exist is because no one ever had the courage to decry their outrageous manipulation of the popular-vote. (Put that down to bad Civics Courses that probably never ever mentioned the fact?)

Then, of course, there is the old Yankee wisdom, "If it works, why do away with it?"

I sometimes wonder where we ever get a sense of a just morality in the political process. It is warped by money and the intent to manipulate governance in order to favor certain upper-income groups.

And when Donald Dork and his Replicant Congress lower upper-income taxation all we can do is hang our head in shame ...

PS: And the most hideous result is to be seen in the Discretionary Income Budget (here). How we ever allow the DoD get away with spending almost half of the budget I, for one, will never ever know! Think of what we could accomplish with that money were it spent on a National Healthcare Service and Free Tertiary-Education for our kids!





It’s funny that some people try to present their own subjective political views as “Civics,” or even “morality,” and expect to be taken seriously.
 
It’s funny that some people try to present their own subjective political views as “Civics,” or even “morality,” and expect to be taken seriously.

You have understood nothing.

The basis of any genuine democracy is the popular-vote, and when it is manipulated (by means of an Electoral College or Gerrymandering) that country has no longer a "genuinely representative government".

Which is the fundamental lesson of any Civics class that you have obviously never taken ...
 
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You have understood nothing.

The basis of any genuine democracy is the popular-vote, and when it is manipulated (by means of an Electoral College or Gerrymandering) that country has no longer a "genuinely representative government".

Which is the fundamental lesson of any Civics class that you have obviously never taken ...

I recommend you try reading Federalist #10.
 
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