11 - Civics

 Civics

According to CivxNow, civics refers to "the lifelong process that makes people into informed and engaged members of their communities..." Civics is an integral part of a person's identity as a citizen of a nation. It is what educates a citizen on the ins and outs of how their government works and where they fit into it. 

In the U.S., according to the National Education Association, civics education is required to some extent in all 50 states, although this measure lacks the proper utilization of the skills that are supposed to be learned from courses. When I was in high school, I took a required civics course where I was required to pass a citizenship test (Sample of Test Questions) at the end to pass the class. In this course, we learned about the three branches of government and how they work together. 

Graphic from Rise.

Civics is incredibly important in understanding how our country runs and what our roles as citizens are. It allows us to stay informed regarding our rights and aids us in analyzing politics. For instance, with the 2024 presidential election have come many news outlets critiquing Donald Trump's insistence on voter fraud during the 2020 election, and, namely, his silence regarding the topic with the most recent election (U.S. News and World Report). With civics, we are able to learn more about the voting process and be able to perceive the situation of voter fraud based on that knowledge. 

Civics education allows us to be more analytical of current happenings in our country by giving us a foundation to understand the inner workings of that country. It empowers citizens to stay educated on government processes and how we contribute to that. It is imperative that we focus more on civics education within not only our youth, but our adult population as well.