[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 25 (Wednesday, February 28, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1704-S1705]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. COCHRAN (for himself and Mr. Dodd):
  S. 413. A bill to amend part F of title X of the Elementary Education 
Act of 1965 to improve and refocus civic education, and for other 
purposes; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, today I am introducing the Education for 
Democracy Act. I am pleased that the distinguished Senator from 
Connecticut, Mr. Dodd, has joined me as a cosponsor to reauthorize and 
improve existing federally supported civic education programs.
  ``We the People . . . The Citizen and the Constitution,'' has proven 
to be a successful program for teaching the principles of the 
Constitution.
  Since 1985, the Center for Civic Education has administered the 
program. It is a rigorous course designed for high school civics 
classes that provides teacher training using a national network of 
professionals as well as community and business leaders.
  The most visible component of We the People, is the simulated 
Congressional hearings which are competitions at local, state and 
national levels. The final round of this annual competition is held in 
an actual United States Senate or House of Representatives hearing 
room, here in the Nation's Capital. I am proud that Ocean Springs High 
School will be representing Mississippi at this year's competition in 
April.
  The 32nd Annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of 2000 indicated that 
preparing students to become responsible citizens was one of the most 
important purposes of public schools. The popularity of We the People 
is demonstrated by the 82,000 teachers and the 26.5 million students 
who have participated since its beginning.
  Studies by the Education Testing Service have repeatedly indicated 
that We the People participants outperform other students in every area 
tested. In one, We the People high school students outscored university 
sophomore and junior political science students in every topic.
  A Stanford University study showed that these students develop a 
stronger attachment to political beliefs, attitudes and values 
essential to a functioning democracy than most adults and other 
students. Other studies reveal that We the People students are more 
likely to register to vote and more likely to assume roles of 
leadership, responsibility and demonstrate civic virtue.

[[Page S1705]]

  In addition to We the People, this bill reauthorizes the Civitas 
International Civic Education Exchange Program, which links American 
civic educators with counterparts in Eastern Europe and the states of 
the former Soviet Union. This program is highly effective in building a 
community with a common understanding of teaching and improving the 
state of democracy education, worldwide.
  Last year, Mississippi became the latest state to participate in this 
important international exchange program. Ms. Susie Burroughs, 
Mississippi's Civic Education program director, joined the exchange 
program to Hungary and helped train Hungarian teachers in lessons of 
democracy. Under Ms. Burroughs direction, more Mississippi teachers 
than ever began participation in the We the People program.
  We the People and Civitas are preparing America's students and 
teachers to live and lead in the world by the standards and ideals set 
by our Founding Fathers.
  I invite other Senators to cosponsor and support the Education for 
Democracy Act.
  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I rise to join my friend and colleague from 
Mississippi, Senator Cochran, in introducing the Education for 
Democracy Act.
  The Education for Democracy Act re-authorizes grants to The Center 
for Civic Education to provide a course of instruction on 
Constitutional principles and history and on the roles of State and 
local governments in the Federal system, and, in coordination with the 
National Council on Economic Education, curriculum and teacher training 
programs in civics, government, and economics for teachers from many 
foreign countries.
  The strength of our democracy comes from the informed participation 
of citizens, whether voting in an election, spending time on jury duty, 
volunteering for community service, or simply keeping aware of current 
affairs. The purpose of this bill is to improve the quality of civics 
and government education, and to educate students about the history and 
principles of the Constitution of the United States, including the Bill 
of Rights.
  Thomas Jefferson said: ``I know of no safe depository of the ultimate 
powers of society but the people themselves, and if we think them not 
enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome 
discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them but to inform their 
discretion.'' In addition to offering instruction in the core subject 
areas, it is essential that our schools prepare our children to be 
informed, effective, and responsible citizens.
  Comprehension of and commitment to democratic values is of particular 
consequence for every American. The values, principles, and beliefs 
that we share not only have provided a foundation for the stability of 
our government, they have spurred efforts by individuals and groups 
which have brought us closer to realizing our goal of liberty and 
justice for all.
  College freshmen in 1999 demonstrated the lowest levels of political 
interest in the 22-year history of surveys conducted by the Higher 
Education Research Institute at the University of California at Los 
Angeles. That finding should serve as a warning to protect our 
democracy by ensuring that our children receive instruction in civic 
education.
  Our founding documents, the Declaration of Independence and the 
Constitution, proclaim that ultimate political authority rests with the 
people, who have the power to create, alter, or abolish government. As 
wielders of such awesome power, it is imperative that the people, all 
the people, be educated to exercise their power judiciously.
  The programs for teachers from other countries also are of great 
importance. America's greatness and power flow from our democratic 
principles. Exporting those principles will promote human rights and 
ensure international stability.
  Senator Domenici and I recently introduced the Strong Character for 
Strong Schools Act to help expand States' and schools' ability to make 
character education, including civics education, a central part of 
every child's education. I think that good citizenship is an essential 
part of good character, and I ask my colleagues to join Senator Cochran 
and me in support of the Education for Democracy Act.
                                 ______