Universities Mustn’t Neglect Civics Education

American higher education institutions must recommit to their civic missions

Next year, we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It should be a time for unity and reflection on the ideas on which our nation is founded: liberty, equality, and opportunity.

But our current civic climate doesn’t feel like a prelude to celebration. Ideals we hold dear, from free speech to the rule of law, are under threat. Public trust in institutions has fallen precipitously. And in the midst of this turmoil and polarization, many of our leaders seem to have lost sight of their civic duties, vying for sound bites instead of responsibly governing.

These symptoms reflect deeper problems, including failures in how citizens are educated about democracy and self-government. Civic education has been out of favor since at least the 1980s, after student agitators took to the quad at Stanford University, chanting, “Hey, Hey, Ho, Ho. Western Civ has got to go.” Once a foundational part of general education for all students, civics courses are now largely absent. Today, our institutions of higher education fail to teach future generations the importance of our civic traditions or the purpose of our constitutional republic.

Photo by Georg Eiermann on Unsplash

This is true even at our most elite institutions. No school in the Ivy League requires students to take a course in civics or American history. According to a new report from the Martin Center, written by my colleague Shannon Watkins, only 14 states require all public-university students to take a civics course as a condition for graduation. And even where they are required, such courses are not always rigorous.

This lack of coursework translates into a lack of civic knowledge. Today’s students graduate without a basic understanding of constitutional structures, rights, and responsibilities. A 2024 study from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation found that “more than 70% of Americans fail a basic civic literacy quiz on topics like the three branches of government, the number of Supreme Court justices, and other basic functions of our democracy.”

The same study notes that two-thirds of Americans took civics courses in high school. So why didn’t they learn anything? Probably because their civics teachers weren’t adequately prepared to teach. According to Watkins, many public flagship institutions don’t require future social-studies teachers to take courses on civics, U.S. history, or U.S. government in college. Many more require only government or history, but not both.

This abandonment of civics has proved harmful. As we have witnessed, public discourse has deteriorated, at least in part because we lack a common understanding of civic responsibilities and virtues. The most obvious symptom is young Americans’ disdain for or misunderstanding of free speech. In a recent survey conducted by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, 34 percent of student respondents said it was sometimes acceptable to “use violence to stop a campus speech,” up from 20 percent in 2022.

But the social and political consequences of civic illiteracy don’t stop on college campuses. They have also contributed to increased polarization, the rise of conspiracy theories, and growing political extremism among the public at large. In the long run, declining public trust in our civic foundations makes democratic institutions and processes more fragile.

Reversing this trend starts with a return to robust civics education, including an understanding of civic virtues, habits of citizenship, and the ideas and values that inspired our nation’s founders. It also includes the teaching of essential skills, including critical thinking about laws and governance, respect for the rule of law, and the peaceful resolution of disputes. Colleges and universities are in a unique position to help rebuild civic knowledge, understanding, and trust.

In the long run, better civic education will create better civic communities, with graduates who are equipped to serve in public office and as leaders in private business, philanthropy, and other civic roles. Better habits of citizenship will help reverse our growing disconnection from neighbors, public institutions, and civil society and restore public trust in institutions and each other.

Elite universities (especially the Ivies) educate an outsized proportion of the nation’s future policymakers, judges, and cultural leaders. For example, eight of the nine sitting Supreme Court justices earned their law degrees from Ivy League institutions. If elite universities fail to teach civics, many of our nation’s future leaders will lack any grounding in self-government. Our elite institutions should lead by example by reinstating rigorous civics requirements.

Public institutions also play a key role. Nationwide, nearly three-quarters of undergraduates attend public colleges and universities. The mission of these institutions explicitly includes service to the state, an important part of which is preparing informed citizens. Moreover, many if not most state and local leaders in government, civic institutions, and the private sector attended public institutions. Many future teachers also earn their degrees at public flagship or regional universities. It is the duty of state legislatures and governing boards to strengthen civics-education mandates.

As the semiquincentennial approaches, our institutions of higher education must recommit to their civic missions. The American experiment depends on it. Our first president said it best: “A primary object should be the education of our youth in the science of government. In a republic, what species of knowledge can be equally important? And what duty more pressing than communicating it to those who are to be the future guardians of the liberties of the country?”

Jenna Robinson is president of the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal.