Civics Ceasefire
Published June 3, 2025
As civic knowledge declines, so too does the strength of American democracy. Today, only 22% of eighth graders are proficient in civics, while many young Americans question the viability of democracy itself. But amid growing political and cultural battles over what should be taught, parents across the spectrum agree: students must learn the founding principles that sustain the republic. By building on this consensus and advancing decentralized, state-led reforms, America can bypass ideological gridlock, strengthen civic understanding, and secure the foundations of constitutional self-government.
Check out more from Chester E. Finn Jr.:
- Read "An Open Letter to Bill Gates" by Chester E. Finn Jr. here.
- Read "It’s Time To Get Serious About Civics" by Chester E. Finn Jr. here.
- Listen to the Matters of Policy & Politics podcast with Chester E. Finn Jr. here.
Learn more about Chester E. Finn Jr. here.
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The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Hoover Institution or Stanford University.
© 2025 by the Board of Trustees of Leland Stanford Junior University.
An educated and informed citizenry is the backbone of American democracy. Yet an epidemic of civic ignorance threatens to compromise its integrity.
Many states require only a single semester of high school civics, if any at all. Only 22% of 8th graders are proficient in civics, and nearly a third of college-age Americans think democracy itself is no longer viable.
A significant part of the problem is that culture warriors and politicians are heavily divided on what should be taught in this key subject. Should civics focus on how government works or how to change things, information, or action?
The good news, most parents across the political spectrum agree that education about our nation's founding principles is vital, even when historical figures in their work may not align with modern values.
This near consensus is a summons to pause the culture wars and return to civics fundamentals.
That doesn't mean a national curriculum. It means a decentralized approach, ideally catalyzed by state leaders, that allows for varieties in curricula and teaching styles while equipping all students with a basic understanding of what it means to be American.
Thirteen states already require high schoolers to pass a version of the US Citizenship test before graduating. Eight more have their own civics test that students must pass.
Whether a citizenship-based test, a new curriculum, or something else, the first steps forward are the most important to put cultural and political conflict aside, build upward from parental consensus, and return to civic fundamentals, to reinstill faith and pride in what it means to be an American.