Civics War
Civics War
As our nation nears its 250th anniversary, there is some good news regarding the teaching of traditional civics, but many troubling signs remain.
Civics, the study of what it means to be a citizen, focusing on the rights, duties, and responsibilities of community members, involves understanding how government functions, including citizens’ roles in voting, obeying laws, and participating in the democratic process.
An education in civics is not just beneficial; it is foundational. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch states that a lack of basic civics knowledge is “perhaps the greatest threat” to our nation and a “core crisis.” Gorsuch highlights the sad truth that many native-born Americans would be unable to pass the basic civics test required for those seeking to become naturalized U.S. citizens. This ignorance creates a vacuum where the self-governing principles of our founding cannot survive, putting the republic at risk of internal collapse.
The latest NAEP U.S. history and civics test results from 2022 are deeply concerning. Only 22 percent of 8th-grade students scored at or above the proficient level in civics, indicating that most are uninformed about the Constitution, the roles of the different branches of government, and related topics.
These low numbers are hardly surprising, considering that only 49 percent of students in 2022 took classes mainly focused on civics.
Even worse, only 14 percent of 8th graders met proficiency standards for U.S. history, meaning they can explain key themes, periods, events, people, ideas, and turning points in the country’s history. Both scores are the lowest ever recorded on these two tests.
On a similar note, a 2024 survey found that 60 percent of college students failed to correctly identify the term lengths of members of the U.S. Congress, and 63 percent could not identify the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Notably, these were multiple-choice questions, so students didn’t need to recall John Roberts’ name; they only had to recognize it. The same applied to the Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, whose name was known to only 35 percent of students. Over two-thirds did not know that impeachment trials take place in the Senate. A majority of students incorrectly believe that the Constitution was written in 1776 instead of 1787.
There is some good news on the topic, however. A 2025 survey shows that 82 percent of K-12 teachers considered it “very” or “extremely” important to teach students about the Constitution’s core values, and 62 percent viewed it as crucial to teach that America is a fundamentally good country.
Additionally, a survey by iCivics, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to promoting civic learning by providing educators and students with the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to participate in civic life, shows that teachers overwhelmingly believe instruction should not be partisan. In fact, only 12 percent say their teaching should be “guided by their own affiliation.”
So much for the good news.
Many educators feel pressured, believing they are being scrutinized, with 35 percent reporting that they are changing or removing lessons they usually teach “because of the climate in their school or community.” More than half find teaching basic civics concepts difficult, and nearly 60 percent worry about potential backlash for teaching something the “wrong way,” with 20 percent saying they have experienced it.
Also, as noted above, while 62 percent of teachers believe it’s crucial to teach that America is fundamentally good, nearly two in five do not share that belief. Many from that cohort are America-bashing activists who engage in “action civics,” which encourages students to advocate for progressive causes, a movement that gained momentum during the Obama administration.
An example of action civics—which is more action than civics—takes place at Cypress High School in Anaheim, where government teacher Teresa Shimogawa has her students examine a community problem and explore possible solutions. Students also take part in Social Justice Day, an event where they give speeches, create art projects, and build exhibits, all inspired by progressive policies.
Teachers interested in action civics can receive training on organizing walkouts and protests, as well as preparing students to become foot soldiers for various radical movements.
A recent example of this activity occurred earlier this year when many teachers across the country coordinated anti-ICE walkouts. For instance, Erika Sanzi, director of communications at Defending Education, reported that teachers in Minnesota have been coordinating student protests on social media.
“There is nothing organic about these events, and despite claims to the contrary, they are almost never spontaneous expressions of student speech. They are basically field trips without the parent permission slip,” Sanzi said.
Additionally, in Oregon, a video showed kindergarten students taking part in a protest, and numerous schools nationwide preemptively canceled classes so students could protest.
Also, a report by the Goldwater Institute, released in January 2025, highlights left-wing political bias in our schools. The group states that about 25 percent of American classrooms include work by Marxist Howard Zinn, whose best-selling book, “A People’s History of the United States,” which is used with the online “Zinn Education Project,” draws from Karl Marx to portray American history as a “conflict between capital and labor.”
When I taught American history to 8th graders in the 2000s, I made sure to emphasize America’s greatness while also acknowledging its flaws. However, other teachers clearly had a different perspective. The school’s music teacher proudly displayed a photo of the Communist revolutionary and ruthless murderer, Che Guevara.
In reality, after the morning school bell rings and the classroom door closes, teachers can do pretty much anything they want. Therefore, parents need to check in with their children daily.
Parents, if you send your child to a school—especially a public school—ask them questions when they come home each day. Find out whether they learned anything about politics or if their teacher encouraged any kind of activism. If they mention anything concerning, talk to their teacher, the principal, and the school board, and share your concerns. Also, inform other parents about what you have learned.
At the 1787 Constitutional Convention, a woman asked Benjamin Franklin, “Well, Doctor, what have we got? A republic or a monarchy?”
Franklin responded, “A republic, if you can keep it.”
Unless more teachers instruct our youth in traditional civics, we indeed risk losing our republic.
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