[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 171 (Saturday, November 22, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2404]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 YOUTH ATTITUDES ABOUT CIVIC EDUCATION

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DIANA DeGETTE

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, November 21, 2003

  Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, at the First Annual Congressional 
Conference on Civic Education held recently in Washington, D.C., a new 
report was released that deserves our highest attention and concern. 
The report, ``Citizenship: A Challenge for All Generations,'' showed 
that young people are disengaged from the political process and lack 
the knowledge necessary to be effective citizens. According to the 
public opinion survey described in the report, more young Americans 
know the name of the reigning American Idol than know the political 
party of their state's governor.
  The survey did provide a source of good news, however. It reported 
that courses in civics and government make a significant difference in 
sparking young people's interest in government and increasing their 
understanding of the American system of government.
  Both the landmark Congressional Conference on Civic Education and 
this new national survey of youth civic attitudes, knowledge, and 
participation were products of the Representative Democracy in America 
Project, a new congressional initiative designed to reinvigorate 
Americans and educate them about the critical relationship between 
government and the people it serves. This national project is a 
collaboration among the National Conference of State Legislature's 
Trust for Representative Democracy, the Center on Congress at Indiana 
University and the Center for Civic Education. The project, which is 
strictly nonpartisan, is funded by the U.S. Department of Education by 
act of Congress. I would like to submit for the record the executive 
summary of the report ``Citizenship: A Challenge for All Generations.''

                           Executive Summary

       This public opinion survey shows that young people do not 
     understand the ideals of citizenship, they are disengaged 
     from the political process, they lack the knowledge necessary 
     for effective self-government, and their appreciation and 
     support of American democracy is limited. The older 
     generations have failed to teach the ideals of citizenship to 
     the next generation. But there is hope. The report provides 
     new evidence that civic education makes a big difference in 
     the attitudes toward citizenship, knowledge and civic 
     engagement of young people.
       The report is based on a national public opinion survey 
     designed to tap how the civic attitudes, knowledge and 
     participation of young people--the DotNet generation between 
     15 and 26 years of age--compare to those of older 
     generations. The poll was conducted by Knowledge Networks, a 
     research firm that conducts scientifically based Internet 
     surveys. The sampling error for the two age groups--15 to 26 
     and over 26--is approximately 4 percentage points 
     each.
       The survey results reveal a breakdown in how older 
     generations pass on the values of democracy to younger 
     Americans, especially in the area of what it means to be a 
     good citizen.
       Here are some key findings regarding the qualities of good 
     citizens:
       Seventy-eight percent of those in the older generations say 
     we need to pay attention to government and politics compared 
     with 54 percent of the younger generation.
       Less than half of the DotNets think that communicating with 
     elected officials or volunteering or donating money to help 
     others are qualities of a good citizen.
       Only 66 percent of the DotNets say that voting is a 
     necessary quality for being a good citizen, compared with 83 
     percent of those over age 26.
       Among the DotNet generation, 64 percent report that they 
     have taken a high school course on civics or American 
     government. Those who have done so are much more likely to 
     believe they are personally responsible for making things 
     better for society and have a more expansive concept of the 
     qualities of a good citizen. On the importance of voting, for 
     example, there is a 24 point spread between those who have 
     taken a government class and those who haven't.
       In the area of civic engagement--the act of governing 
     ourselves:
       Only half of the DotNets reported that they voted in the 
     most recent elections or that they follow politics, compared 
     to three-quarters of those over age 26.
       In many areas of civic participation, two or three times 
     more DotNets who have taken a civics class report that they 
     have engaged in civic activities than those who have not.
       On civic knowledge--the tool that enables us to govern 
     ourselves:
       Three-quarters of the older generations correctly 
     identified the party of their state's governor and three out 
     of five knew the Republicans control Congress. But only one-
     third could correctly identify the party in control of their 
     state's legislature.
       Among DotNets, eight out of 10 know that the cartoon 
     Simpsons live in Springfield, and the great majority know 
     that Ruben Studdard is the reigning American Idol. But less 
     than half know the party of their state's governor, and only 
     40 percent can say which party controls Congress.
       On attitudes toward representative democracy--our 
     appreciation and understanding of the complexities of the 
     legislative process:
       The majority of Americans grasp the fact that people 
     disagree on the issues and the system has to work to resolve 
     such disagreements.
       The public is cynical about the people and processes of 
     government. They are about equally divided on whether 
     legislators care what people in their districts think or 
     don't care about the opinions of ordinary people. Two in five 
     believe that those elected to public office are out to serve 
     their own personal interests, while only one in three thinks 
     they are trying to serve the public interest. A majority 
     believes that the system is run by a few big interests rather 
     than for the benefit of all.
       Americans believe the country would be better off if the 
     people decided issues directly by voting on them. Support for 
     representative democracy is limited.
       The gap between the civic attitudes, knowledge and 
     participation of the new generation of DotNets and the older 
     ones is substantially greater than the gaps between previous 
     generations. It suggests that the DotNets will never be as 
     engaged in democracy as their elders, even as they age.
       Civic education makes a big difference in the attitudes, 
     knowledge and engagement of young people. Thirty-nine states 
     have civics or government class requirements for high school 
     graduation. All states will want to review their civic 
     education requirements, standards, assessments, teacher 
     training and course content to determine if they are 
     delivering effective civic education that produces informed 
     citizens.

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