In the opening of Federalist 1, Publius makes clear to his countrymen the great question that Providence had placed before them. Americans, he said, have the opportunity to decide “whether societies of men are really capable or not of establishing good government from reflection and choice, or whether they are forever destined to depend for their political constitutions on accident and force.”
This was the momentous question that underlay the American Founding. Now, 250 years after the American Revolution, we face the same one today.
A self-governing people must cultivate the habits that make responsible public action possible. They must learn to connect principles with practice, to deliberate about the proper ends of political action, and to judge wisely among the means available to achieve those ends. This is the work of civic education: forming citizens capable of exercising prudence to pass on the blessings of liberty we received to future generations.
The study of history is an essential preparation for that work. By learning the stories of those who have gone before us, we acquire knowledge and experience that help us deliberate well about the questions before us. This formation in knowledge for the sake of prudence is the purpose of history and civics education—and we are in dire need of it today.
On the most recent Nation’s Report Card, only 22% of eighth graders scored at or above proficient in civics, and 40% could not demonstrate even partial mastery of basic U.S. history. This means that four in ten young American citizens likely cannot identify simple historical concepts in a primary source.
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