Why Civics classes should be mandatory

I just read Eric Metaxas most recent book, If You Can Keep It: the forgotten promise of American Liberty. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Metaxas reminds us that we are a nation based on the ideas of liberty and justice and, at the time of our inception, the unthinkable notion of self-governance. This link to his recent blog posting will give you a taste of his perspective: http://ericmetaxas.com/blog/few-passionate-thoughts-america/

In the current election cycle we are reaping the ignorance of major portions of our citizenry. We are not a nation conceived by ethnicity, geography, religious affiliation or shared history. We are based on the fundamental ideas of human liberty and justice. Yes, we fall short. Often and horribly. But our arc is one that, as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. reminds us, bends toward justice. We have a base line to return to, a vision pushing us forward, an innate valuing of justice and freedom that counters our urges for simpler more ‘manageable’ ways. We forget that self-governance is a relatively new idea in human history and that ours is based on those difficult, beautiful, and unmanageable ideas of freedom and justice.

I took Civics in the eighth grade from a very boring teacher who was, himself, bored. But I am profoundly grateful for the lessons internalized. I learned how our system of government works and why we created our system of government. As an adult I am able to engage with a deeper understanding and love for this messy system. When others see it as ‘not working’ I see it as working. It doesn’t work is when the actors in the system have no understanding or appreciation for our political character. Obstructionism is not in our character. Limiting freedoms is not in our character. Refusing to seek justice for people of different races, religions, sexualities, genders, and ethnicity is out of our character. It may be who we are in any given historical moment, but it is out of line with the vision of who we are called to be as a nation.

Those who are not familiar with the ideas on which this nation was founded cannot be called back to the vision. These ideas stretch us as human beings to act from, as Joe Biden reminded us, ‘our better angels’. As a nation we cannot act purely out of self-interest. At times it may be  who we are but it is not who we are meant to be.

So here is my call for mandatory civics classes. Classed where we learn to urge everyone to vote- even those who disagree with us – because we know voting is a higher calling than political affiliation. Civics class is where we learn the that this nation is based a commitment to ever expanding our understandings of  liberty and justice. Civics class is where we learn about the checks and balance system that limits the power of any one part or our government.

Everyone who participates in our political process needs a thorough understanding of not only the system by which we govern ourselves but also to the values on which our system is based. Civics class gave me what is often referred to as a ‘buy in’ to the profound process of self-governance. I want that for the generations to follow.