Older and Weiser

Today, the results of a survey conducted by the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship and the National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC) were announced in Miami. It concludes that civic engagement has dropped off markedly during the past two years in Florida, partly due to the financial crisis. The results are similar to the 2009 Civil Health Index released by the NCoC in August. In that study, 66 percent of those who participated said they were responding to the economic crisis by looking out for themselves. Among the leading indicators of civic health, such as voter turnout, involvement in community organizations, and charitable giving, Florida ranks among the lowest in the country.

Michael Weiser, chairman of the NCoC, said: “Florida’s leaders need to focus on such basics as civic education, teaching Florida history and encouraging Floridians to volunteer in their communities. These initiatives cost little but can yield highly leveraged results in terms of the future health of Florida’s citizenship.”

Legislation is pending that may help reverse the trend. Florida Representative Charles McBurney has introduced a bill called the “Justice Sandra Day O’Connor Civics Education Act.” The legislation mandates a social studies section to be included in the state-wide Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT).

The results of the study come at a time when educators are reconsidering their social studies curriculum, with some choosing to jettison their existing programs in exchange for new textbooks which seek to enliven classroom discussion.

Victor Davis Hanson, writing in City Journal not long after the terrorist attack on New York City, said: “Restoring civic education—from the daily practice of its rituals to real mastery of the elements of Americanism—will not be easy, but such a shared sense of values is critical in such a vast nation that is otherwise not defined by a shared religion, common race, or dominant ethnic affiliation.”

Blog Editor,
Robert Peach

Filed under: Civics by admin