7/16/2024

Last week’s curation at RealClear’s American Civics portal features the latest profile of a key civic institution from American Civics portal editor Mike Sabo, who reports on the School of Civic Leadership at the University of Texas at Austin. Inaugural Dean Justin Dyer, a fellow with the Jack Miller Center, says that SCL gives students the opportunity to “study the Western tradition and American constitutional history.’” Dyer continues, “We need an educated citizenry in the United States in a republican regime in order to carry forward the project of self-governance.” The American Founders knew that in order to pass on their experiment in liberty and equality to future generations, a baseline knowledge of the principles and habits of a free people must exist. SCL hopes to carry on that tradition, together with other civic institutions that are cropping up across America. Currently, Dyer reports that SCL is busy “hiring faculty, developing new courses, and creating opportunities for students.” A minor in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics will open to students this fall, and major and minor degrees in civics will be offered starting in the fall of 2025. Dyer closes by noting that in 10 years, he hopes he “will be able to book back with pride” on the civics renaissance that seems to be taking place right now.

At RealClearEducation, Michael Poliakoff and Bradley Jackson report on the findings of a recent national civics survey of college students conducted by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA). Unfortunately, the results are alarming. “Sixty percent of college students could not correctly identify the term lengths of members serving in U.S. Congress,” they note. “Sixty-three percent were unable to identify the chief justice of the Supreme Court.” Poliakoff and Jackson argue that this is not the fault of the students but of “feckless pedagogues who are failing in their charge.” In closing, they call attention to the fact that “our students today are seldom even taught the basics. This must change, for the sake of the students and for the future of our nation.”