American civics is the great neglected subject of the 21st century. Unfortunately, its decline and semi-demise occurred almost exactly at the same time as the internet and social media rose to prominence. The result is that the vast appetites and emotions of the broader society have been less and less tempered by actual knowledge of the logic, values, and aims of the American system. Consequently, we see assertions that are flagrantly wrong and easily seen as such. When it comes to the subject of civics, ascendant democratic socialists may have skipped class entirely.
I grew up during the Cold War, so the public schools of my youth went to some trouble to demonstrate to me the value of the American system over against the Soviet Union. Why was the Declaration of Independence important? What was special about the American constitution? What was the point of the separation of powers and checks and balances? What is good about federalism and the existence of the states as laboratories of democracy rather than just parts of a giant vox populi? My public elementary school emphasized patriotism with singing and colorful commemorations. I had civics instruction in middle school and then a full year of American government in high school. In both cases my teachers were credentialed in those subjects as opposed to being athletic coaches rounding out a schedule and giving students handouts to complete during class.
Without study and then the kind of thought that can come from writing papers and doing projects, so many people are left looking at the American constitution uncomprehendingly. Why do small population states get two senators? Why is there an Electoral College? The current crop of badly educated critics of the document have a single answer: racism. They spend little time considering that the states pre-existed the federal government and wanted to matter as states and not just as portions of an undifferentiated mass. Thinking about the states, is there value in having different models running at the same time as “laboratories of democracy?” Isn’t it better to figure out the successes and failures on a smaller scale before adopting them nationally? For that matter, isn’t there something good about maintaining some options in public policy for those who want to live in a state like California while others prefer Texas or Florida?
Click Here to Read More (Originally Published at World Magazine)