Civic education is commonly understood to be important for creating informed, active participants in democracy. Importantly, it also ties into being politically informed, as skills such as media literacy and understanding laws are crucial in understanding larger-scale developments.
Civic education comes in many forms, but its core principle is to understand democratic institutions and the society in which we live, which can help improve it. It also can lead to more democratically involved communities, which improves voter turnout and problem-solving abilities.
“Knowing the issues with the current government [and] how to fix them is very important,” says Sidney Barter (11). “The Constitution has a lot of strengths, but too many people don’t truly know them.”
Barter’s opinion echoes a trend of students who emphasize the importance of civic education as practical, rather than simply limited to classrooms.
Ozi Leibovitz (11) says, “I mean, we have to learn basic laws and basic rights and things like that. We have to make sure people understand the difference between rights because they try to misuse them very often now.”
Being familiar with the laws and principles at the foundation of our society is important, as it bridges the gap between simply understanding government and actively influencing it. It also connects with media literacy, as knowing basic laws also allows us to understand current events and critically evaluate information presented in the news and social media.
“I’m not politically informed,” Leibovitz admits. “But I think to understand politics, you have to understand why people have [their] sides and what the objectives of each side mean.”
Understanding the way our government works, such as what rights are afforded to us, allows for greater civic participation and more freedom in everyday life.
Leibovitz continues, “People have talked about how you’re not allowed to protest, despite that being your First Amendment right. And recently, that man was murdered at a protest, and people were saying ‘He had a gun on him, you’re not allowed to do that.’ Actually, that is your Second Amendment right.”
Additionally, remaining informed not only helps oneself exercise their rights, but also creates a more harmonious society if everyone makes more of an effort to understand different systems and viewpoints while remaining respectful. Civic education can promote open dialogue and stronger communities as it teaches people how to navigate differing opinions
“I’m from Canada; I’m using that as an example,” says Barter. “There are many radicals … but in general, it’s a fairly kind conversation because there are a whole bunch of different parties. Because it’s so diverse, it’s not polarized and people can have a nice conversation, because [they] can assume that the person they’re talking to doesn’t agree.”
Ultimately, civic education empowers individuals to both participate responsibly in society and understand a wide range of perspectives, contributing to a stronger, more informed democracy.
