“It is a necessity that we, the next generation, learn how to use our voices for good, for change, effectively and earnestly,” said Oliver, a junior at the Sussex Academy of Arts, on the Zoom call. “We will be the ones to lead the charge of our country for the years to come.”

She was speaking in favor of a measure that would give sixth- through 12th-grade students one excused absence per year from school to participate in a civic activity such as attending a rally or visiting the state capitol. If the bill passes, Delaware will become the only state to offer this opportunity to students.

The deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol in January and the continuing misinformation about the presidential election have left many Americans deeply worried about the state of their democracy. Some legislators on both sides of the aisle say the extreme political divisions spring in part from a fundamental lack of understanding about the country’s history and how its government works.

It’s a fragile time in our democracy, said Shawn Healy, senior director of state policy and advocacy at iCivics, a Massachusetts-based education nonprofit that released a roadmap earlier this year outlining how states, local school districts, and educators can reinvigorate civics and history education around the country.

As the U.S. has disinvested in civics education, school boards have poured money into science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) coursework. The U.S., in fact, spends a thousand times more per student on STEM education than on history and civics, according to the Center for Civic Literacy at Indiana University.

The lack of investment shows: A quarter of Americans cannot name a single branch of government, according to a 2020 national survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania.

Many young people are dissatisfied with the limited civics coursework they receive.

Nationwide, lawmakers are considering a variety of measures. In New Jersey, the state Senate passed a measure that would require civics coursework in middle school. Meanwhile, both houses of the Florida legislature passed a bill that would offer school districts a civics literacy project.

The YMCA has been involved in nonpartisan civics education since 1936. Over 55,000 students in 42 states and the District of Columbia participate in its model government program, Youth and Government. Many of those students have implored their states to pass legislation that bolsters civics education.

Some states are also moving to require students to pass the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service civics test required for naturalization. The 128 questions range from the number of U.S. Supreme Court justices to why the United States entered World War II. Around half of states have similar requirements.

Most Democrats oppose these measures, worried the test is not an effective tool for bolstering civic knowledge. Using the naturalization test as a benchmark for civics education is flawed and shortsighted, said Khalilah Harris, acting vice president of K-12 education at the Center for American Progress, a Washington, D.C.-based progressive think tank. The organization has released two reports in recent years that outline the gaps in U.S. civics education.

Students of different backgrounds and economic levels have uneven educational experiences, she said, and the test could disproportionately hurt low-income communities or communities of color by risking students’ graduation.

“Adding another required graduation assessment does not address the needs of the district to have adequate resources, funding, or exposure to things like a trip to the Liberty Bell,” Harris said.

Harris said other measures would more effectively involve students in civic life: States could allow 16-year-olds to vote in local municipal elections. School boards could give students full voting rights on issues that affect them. States also could implement automatic voter registration, which would add young people to voter rolls when they get their driver’s license.

Some conservatives worry investments in civics education will open the door to teaching critical race theory, an academic field that examines racism in systems.

Several Republican-controlled states, including Idaho, Iowa, and Tennessee, have enacted measures this session that would ban materials that discuss the racist roots of America’s founding, including the New York Times’ “1619 Project.”

On the federal level, a bipartisan bill would invest $1 billion a year for six years in civics and history education, with money given to states for education programs, to nonprofits for civics programs for underserved communities, and to higher education programs for training educators. It would be up to school districts and schools to craft the curricula.

Some Republicans argue that civics education could lead to un-American indoctrination. Healy, of iCivics, said this argument is a dangerous distraction, meant to stir up the culture war debate. And some legislators worry that teenagers aren't mature enough to benefit from more opportunities to engage with the government.

After the public comment concluded for the Delaware bill that would give students an excused absence for a civic-related activity, Republican state Rep. Richard Collins criticized the bill.

“Our kids, they go to school to learn,” he said, exasperated. “It really does bother me. They need to learn before they become activists, so they have informed opinions. I’m sorry, I just cannot support this bill.”

As he finished, the committee chair, Democratic state Rep. Kimberly Williams, cut in.

“Learning comes in all different ways,” she said. “It’s not just sitting behind a desk.”


Matt Vasilogambros writes about immigration and voting rights for Stateline. Before joining Pew, he was a writer and editor at The Atlantic, where he covered national politics and demographics. Previously, he was a staff correspondent at National Journal and has written for Outside. In 2017, he completed the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail. He is a graduate of Drake University.

The Pew Charitable Trusts is a global research and public policy change agent that remains nonpartisan and dedicated to serving the public. An independent non-profit organization, the Pew Trusts seeks to improve public policy, inform the public, and invigorate civic life.