Civil society has deteriorated over the last three decades as people have withdrawn from civic life. The root cause of this trend lies in our failed education system, which has substituted nation-building civic education with destructive activism.
I’ve seen the results of this failed education firsthand in the classroom as a political science professor. Today’s college students lack the fundamental knowledge of our rights and obligations to society.
Our education system was created to cultivate the next generation to build, strengthen, and defend our nation — not just by voting and paying taxes but by participating in the structures that make up civil society: family, faith, community organizations, and charity.
Today, we are suffering the repercussions of an education system that has turned its back on this purpose, and our families and communities are suffering as a result. We must reverse course and reinstall civics into our K-12 classrooms to preserve and strengthen this great country.
We need a populace that loves our country and its people and, to paraphrase President John F. Kennedy, asks what they can do for their country. The retreat of this mentality has allowed big government to expand into our personal lives and our communities, eroding the very character that makes America strong.
The shift away from teaching our youth civics has eroded our populace’s concept of self-government and undermined the importance of personal responsibility, both of which are necessary to maintain a healthy republic.
The increasing culture of government dependency threatens our freedoms. For example, in 1945, 1.5% of our federal budget was allocated to social programs. Today, it consumes 65% of the budget. This reliance empowers the government and strips people of their ability to control their destinies.
Making this matter worse, community organizations such as the Knights of Columbus, the Elks Lodge, the Lions Clubs International, the Rotary Club, the League of Women Voters, the Kiwanis, and countless others are now on life support. Membership has dropped significantly, meetings have low attendance, and new people aren’t joining. And as service to the community wanes, so do charitable giving and volunteerism. Over the last decade, charitable contributions and volunteer rates have plummeted .
These groups have historically played a vital role in community life, from social engagement to assisting those in need. They demonstrate the principle of self-governance where members come together to solve problems rather than rely on government intervention.
As many civic organizations disappear, so will the vital services they provide to the communities, including social safety nets. Their departure will inevitably lead more people to turn to the government for support. When community groups retreat, the government steps in — and never gets out.
As people relinquish their civic duties and grant more authority to the government, they grow increasingly detached from their communities and the social bonds that once gave our nation its strength. According to the Pew Research Center, we have become more distant — a majority of people don’t know their neighbors and barely talk to the ones they do know.
This community detachment is the direct result of an education system that failed to produce an informed citizenry. Just 13% of students demonstrate proficiency in American history and 22% in civics. Most cannot pass a basic citizenship exam and are unaware of their enumerated rights, and fewer than half can name the three branches of government.
Furthermore, students have been bombarded with anti-American propaganda. Some educators even admit that their goal is to “dismantle” America. How can we expect to produce good citizenry when the majority of young people are not proud to be American and 30% of Generation Z believes Osama bin Laden was a force for good?
If we fail to address this crisis, we risk losing the very essence of what it means to be American. That’s why we need a robust civics education program — a curriculum that celebrates America’s achievements and examines its shortcomings without reducing it to anti-Americanism. One that promotes patriotism and instills the values of personal responsibility, hard work, merit, charity, and an appreciation of liberty, all of which make up the American identity.
By reintroducing civics, we can impart a lost generation with a sense of purpose instead of a sense of entitlement.
As we look back to July 4, 1776, we ought to remember the ordinary men who rose to become statesmen as they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor for a cause that would change the course of human civilization. It’s time for us to do the same and remember who we are as Americans and what makes our nation exceptional.
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Nicholas Giordano is a political science professor at Suffolk Community College and a Leadership Institute Campus Reform Higher Education fellow.
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