As the presidential election approaches, we will be hearing a lot about citizenship and civic duties. So-called public service announcements will urge us to do our civic duty and vote, for instance. But, amid all the calls to be “good citizens,” Americans rarely hear what exactly makes one a good citizen.
Indeed, today, when we think about citizenship, we usually think in terms of doing something, such as voting or rendering some type of service to the nation. Service alone, however, does not make good citizens. Citizenship in our country is about loyalty to the principles that are uniquely American and have served our nation well throughout its history.
Citizenship, like our nation, is based on a set of ideas, namely the ideas on which the country was founded. These are the principles laid out in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, and the principles that our great leaders have called on at momentous occasions.
Today, however, too many young Americans are not being taught these first principles as truths and, therefore, aren’t learning what it is necessary to be a citizen. School texts treat these principles as little more than “one person’s view” no better or worse than competing views.
“America is facing an identity crisis,” warns a recent report on the state of citizenship in the nation. “The next generation of Americans will know less than their parents did about our history and founding ideals.”
The report, which was published by the Bradley Project on America’s National Identity ( http://www.bradleyproject.org), should get Americans thinking about the importance of civic education. If young people don’t know why our country is so great, they have no reason to defend it against others.
“Knowing what America stands for is not a genetic inheritance,” the Bradley report explains. “It must be learned, both by the next generation and by those who come to this country. In this way, a nation founded on an idea is inherently fragile.” There are ways to shore up this fragility and ensure the continued renewal of the unique American spirit. To that end, the Bradley report offers remedies that can strengthen citizenship in the nation.
Many of the remedies are simple and require nothing more than a family outing to a historical site.
Others require changes to the way American history is taught to students. Not only do many textbooks fail to teach students about great events and leaders in our nation’s history, they frequently dwell on failures or shortcomings of Americans. As a result, students are exposed to American history that is uninspired and boring, and too often presented as something to be ashamed of.
Instead, the report explains, “Students should first be taught about America’s great heroes, dramatic achievements and high ideals so they can put its failings in perspective.” That means reading “America’s great public documents and speeches, and books with compelling narratives.” The country’s history is exciting, and students should not be shortchanged as they so often are now.
The Bradley report comes at a time of critical importance for Americans, during an election year when citizens will be called upon to choose candidates who they believe can fulfill America’s promise. And, Americans are best able to judge who can fulfill that promise when they are well acquainted with the ideas on which the country was founded.
