Civic Seal For Student Citizenship Education A Start

In recent months, we’ve seen an increasing number of stories and columns about the importance of teaching civics to young people. 

Troubling words have also been written about the younger generations losing faith in our form of representative democracy. They point to a failure on the part of our current education system, our politics, and the divisive nature of our television news and a misinformation-laced internet.

“… multiple studies have shown that younger Americans are losing faith in democracy, and a significant number of them are no longer convinced that it should endure, given the political failure to address issues that they care about,” Danielle S. Allen and Carah Ong Whaley write in an article titled “Education for Democracy: The case for a New Civics.”

Nearly 60% see that “politics today are no longer able to meet the challenges our country is facing,” a 2023 Harvard Youth Poll found. They see our political system failing them on addressing gun violence, climate action, health care, and social issues.

But it is not just that youth are losing faith in our form of government; it’s that citizens of all ages are ignorant of how their government operates.

“The headlines tell the same story: Americans’ civic knowledge is at a woeful level,” the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute for American Democracy says.

“A 2024 study from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce found that more than 70% of Americans failed a basic U.S. civic literacy quiz; one in three respondents did not even know that there exist three branches of government, much less what those branches are and what they do.”

Each was given equal power to check the other, as the founders feared a would-be king, or an authoritarian power would replace the representative democracy they had created after being freed from the king of England.

Fighting against authoritarianism relies on respecting the role of each branch of government – judicial, legislative, and executive. The founders intended each to be a check on the excesses of the other. They saw each branch of government as protection against momentary swings in popular opinion.

The O’Connor Institute also reports that a University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center survey found that only 5% of American adults could name the five rights guaranteed in the First Amendment. Can you?

But it takes more than just knowing what those five rights are. You also must understand why Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Speech, Freedom of the Press, the right to petition your government to address your concerns, and the right to assemble to peacefully protest wrongs you see in society were enshrined in the First Amendment.

If you don’t understand why these fundamental rights are so precious, it is easy to trample them or dismiss them in self-interest.

It is no surprise that our nation’s Capital is in disarray, as the sanctity of the principles of our three branches of government is being undermined.

Civic knowledge and participation in our representative democracy in America is shameful.

Do you know what the largest vote category among American citizens 18 and older was in the 2024 presidential election? It wasn’t the vote for Trump. Our current president received 32% of the vote among those old enough to cast a ballot. Vice President Harris received 31%. But 37% of those old enough to vote didn’t. Their non-vote was as important in deciding the election as those cast for the presidential candidates.

The Minnesota Civic Education Coalition is working to establish a Minnesota Civic Seal to encourage more young people to pay attention to their local governments and learn the habits of citizenship.

“Our democracy thrives on the active participation of informed and engaged citizens,” the Minnesota Civic Seal program website says. “But currently, only two in five young people feel somewhat prepared to participate civically based on their civic education experiences. Many students lack sufficient knowledge about how the government works and feel disengaged or disinterested in civic life.”

In the decades we have covered local public bodies, we could count on one hand the number of students who attend a meeting each year. We believe this Minnesota Civic Seal program is a good one that should be pursued, but it won’t be enough. 

“Minnesota Civic Seal is a proposed designation for high school students who’ve gone above and beyond in civics education and engagement,” it says. “We’re talking about a seal that goes on your diploma and transcript that says you have not just learned about democracy, but you’ve actively participated in it.”

Legislation to create seal recognition is currently under discussion in the Minnesota House and Senate. The law would task the Minnesota Department of Education with developing the seal. It would be effective starting with the 2026-2027 school year.

To earn the seal, a student would have to:

– Complete coursework in civics or government that meets the state’s standards.

– Show understanding of civic engagement and public policy through involvement in “a cool project.”

– Participate in civic activities outside of school. These activities can include voting, attending public meetings, and participating in political activities or a cause. 

– Show that they have developed the qualities essential to a civic mindset, which includes respecting diverse viewpoints and understanding the principles of a representative democracy.

Earning the seal could establish habits students will carry on long after high school. A civic education is also critical to immunizing the mind against anti-democratic propaganda.

Getting kids and adults to read their local newspaper is essential to any civic education. What happens in St. Paul or Washington, D.C., is important, but what happens locally is likely to have the greatest impact on the quality of your life in your home community.

If you don’t learn to follow the news of your community while being educated in your elementary and high school years, there is a good chance you’ll never acquire the habit or skills of good citizenship.