But the point is that we can do better. Studies that compare today's young people to older cohorts have shown that the new generation is the least knowledgeable about government structure, historical persons and events, and contemporary politics - and is the most politically disengaged.⁴

The IEA study found alarming disparities in civic knowledge as students in low poverty schools (those with a low percentage of students who are eligible for free or reduced lunch program) outperformed students in high poverty schools. Mistrust of the government and its attention to the average citizen is also higher among disadvantaged youth.

The NASS Millennium Project, a study of youth attitudes on politics, citizenship, government and voting, found that students "lack any real understanding about the democratic process... and information about candidates and political parties."⁵ Some other findings from this project:

• NASS asked three questions to assess political knowledge. 79% of respondents replied correctly to the easiest question--to give the name of the U.S. Vice-President. On the second question - name your Governor - 67% were able to answer correctly while 1/3 of respondents were either unsure or could not recall a name. And only 37% of respondents gave the correct answer when asked for the length of term for a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
• In assessing attitudes towards citizenship, NASS found that 94% of youth believe that "the most important thing I can do as a citizen is to help others." This mirrors many other surveys that have found young people's notions of citizenship centered on the private rather than the public realm.⁶ While growing involvement in volunteer activities is admirable, the declining participation in the electoral process and the rising levels of cynicism are troubling to a democracy that was founded "by the people and for the people." As Flanagan and Faison state, "The question is how to link their community volunteer work to larger civic issues and to engage them in a broader political process."⁷
• While responses to the NASS survey questions suggest that young people value American citizenship, when asked in focus groups about what it means specifically to be an American citizen, "most young people are at a total loss, having never really thought about the role of a citizen."⁸

Students with more civic knowledge are more likely to be inclined toward participating in the civic responsibility of voting; such knowledge has been correlated with higher levels of trust, tolerance and civic engagement.⁹ The good news is that 70% of U.S. schools with a ninth grade reported having a ninth-grade civic-related subject requirement and 55% of school principals reported that ninth-grade students are required to take 5 to 6 periods a week in civic-related subjects such as social studies, history, or civics¹⁰ (please see section on "In the States" for more information on civics requirements and standards). Moreover, the majority of students are reaching basic levels of civic knowledge and comprehension. Yet as the NAEP report states, "the basic level is not the desired goal, but rather represents the partial mastery that is a step toward Proficient."¹¹

Curriculum in schools can be an effective means to develop the intellectual capital necessary for constructive citizen engagement. Participation in meetings or activities sponsored by any type of organization, even if it occurs only a few times a month, has been found to increase civic knowledge.¹² Civic education occurs in many places and in many ways: in elementary and secondary classrooms and in colleges and universities, but also through practical work in neighborhoods and communities, voluntary associations, and families. It is the mission of NACE, a broad coalition of individuals and organizations, to give civic education and engagement their rightful place in schools and on the public agenda.