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Tuesday 17 sepTember 2024
Do you know the 3 branches of US government? Many don’t,

leading to a push for civics education

For example, students at
Continued from Front Indiana’s Purdue University
and its satellite campuses
Most states require some can choose from three paths
sort of high school civics in- — write reflections after at-
struction. But with a recent tending six approved civics-
survey by the Annenberg related events, listen to 12
Public Policy Center showing podcasts and take a series
that about a third of Ameri- of quizzes or complete one of
can adults can’t name the 13 politics or history courses
three branches of the federal — and pass an exam. Uni-
government, many think we versity of Arizona system fac-
should be aiming higher. ulty are currently developing
Over the past few years, a “American Institutions” cur-
small but growing number of ricula to fulfill a requirement
states have begun requiring from the board of regents.
students at publicly funded Professors acknowledge not
colleges to complete a civ- all students appreciate the
ics requirement. That comes forced civics learning.
as polling indicates civics “Some view it as the vegeta-
education is wildly popular ble in a meal, some view it
across the political spectrum. as the dessert. For some, the
Civics — the study of citizens’ goal is just to finish the meal,”
rights and responsibilities — Professor Kevin Dopf lectures his American government students at the University of South Carolina said David Reingold, dean
fosters a sense of unity, ad- Beaufort in Bluffton, S.C., on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. of Purdue’s College of Lib-
vocates say, and an ability Associated Press eral Arts, who oversaw the
to deal with disagreement. tate curriculum usually set can Democracy,” mirrors the legislature, unanimously ap- implementation of the sys-
It empowers citizens, and by professors and that it was REACH Act in many ways. proved the plan in mid-April. tem’s civics program.
many people believe it could drafted by Jameson Broggi, They even added Abraham Details are still being ironed The Civics Alliance says
help heal America’s divides. an avowedly conservative Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address out, with the requirement America’s colleges, which
Having it in higher education U.S. Marine Corps captain to the list of required docu- applying to students enter- train K-12 teachers, have
means they can look at issue and lawyer who has said cur- ments. It seemed like every- ing the system starting July been “taken over by a
in more sophisticated ways, riculum must include “devo- one wanted the same thing. 2025. (The NC REACH Act’s radical establishment de-
perhaps weaving it into other tion to American institutions But supporters of requiring sponsors, displeased with the termined to replace proper
classes. and ideals.” civics through legislation UNC plan, have vowed to civics education with peda-
“I feel we are in the busi- The North Carolina act eas- were troubled – why did revive the legislative effort gogies such as Critical Race
ness for making a case for ily passed the state House in the faculty object to their next year.) Theory and action civics ...”
America,” said Louise Dube, March 2023 and a first read- version? According to the conserva- Whitney Ross Manzo, an as-
head of iCivics, which pro- ing in the Senate. It seemed “What are these people tive, New York-based Civics sociate professor of political
motes civics education. on its way to victory. afraid of?” asked Michael B. Alliance, legislation in at least science at Meredith College
But what does it mean when University of North Carolina Poliakoff, president and chief 10 states — Arkansas, Califor- in Raleigh, says fears about
those talking about civics of- officials and faculty were executive officer of Ameri- nia, Florida, Georgia, Missou- political indoctrination as-
ten can’t be, well, civil? not happy. “We tried to slow can Council of Trustees and ri, Nevada, South Carolina, sume “a power that faculty
Take North Carolina, where this down in House but had Alumni, which helped Broggi Texas, Utah, and Wyoming simply don’t have.”
lawmakers and academics zero success,” Bart Good- draft the North Carolina act — require undergraduates at “If I could force something
got into a heated battle over son, senior vice president of and a similar one that passed public universities to take at on my students, it would be
who should decide how civ- government relations for the in South Carolina three years least one American history to read their syllabus and
ics would be taught. 16-school UNC system wrote ago. “As if understanding and/or government course. do their homework. I don’t
Last year, North Carolina to a fellow administrator in the founding documents The requirement is being en- have the power to change
Republicans introduced the an April 2023 email, obtained and the pivotal moments in acted, or at least discussed, their political ideology,” said
REACH Act, an acronym for by Broggi through an open our history, culminating with in other states. Manzo, who once taught in
“Reclaiming College Edu- records request. letter from Birmingham Jail, And the Alliance — which Texas. Back in Bluffton, Dopf
cation on America’s Con- “It was a ‘wrap yourself in would be too disturbing, too rails against “identity politics” has his work cut out for him.
stitutional Heritage.” The bill the flag’ type bill and any- retro.” That’s not the point, and “radical New Civics ac- After some introductory re-
required undergraduates one who spoke against was the academics say. tivists” — is looking to spread marks, Dopf tells his students
to take at least three credit essentially viewed as non- Unlike standards in K-12 the word. to take out a piece of pa-
hours in American govern- American,” Goodson wrote. schools, college faculty typi- The organization has created per and pen. “This is your first
ment and read a series of So, as the idea moved slowly cally decide the content of model legislation that calls test.” The 14 questions are
major U.S. history docu- through the legislative proc- individual courses. It’s seen for the “’study of and devo- relatively simple: How many
ments, from the Declaration ess, UNC faculty took matters as a core of academic free- tion to America’s exception- members in the U.S. Senate?
of Independence to Martin into their own hands. dom. “Faculty are the prima- al and praiseworthy history.’” What are the requirements
Luther King Jr.’s 1963 “Letter Wade Maki, chair of the UNC ry owners of the curriculum.” David Randall, the alliance’s to be president? How long is
from Birmingham Jail.” They faculty assembly, worked says Maki, who teaches phi- executive director, said its the term for members of the
would also have to pass a with professors from four oth- losophy at UNC-Greensboro. materials had “informed” House of Representatives?
final exam worth 20% of the er campuses, including two “We know what works in legislation in Florida, Iowa Would-be citizens must get
final grade. historically Black universities, ways that sometimes some- and Texas, but declined to six of 10 answers correct to
If the bill seemed anodyne to draft a set of learning out- one outside of higher ed may say what other states might pass. Dopf holds his students
on the surface, it met with comes. They studied what’s not know what works.” have reached out. to a lower standard — just
intense pushback. Critics being done in other states. The UNC board of gover- Some state college systems, seven of 14.
pointed to the bill’s “reclaim- The resulting proposal, called nors, all 24 of whom were like UNC, haven’t waited for As he expected, about 70%
ing” title, its attempt to dic- the “Foundations of Ameri- appointed by the GOP-led a legislative mandate to act. flunked.q