OPINION:
One of the most surprising things about the current Democratic presidential primaries is how surprised people are that Sen. Bernie Sanders, an avowed socialist, is emerging as the leading candidate.
But, on reflection, no one should be surprised. In fact, this result is predictable.
In 2006, the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI) contracted with the University of Connecticut to conduct surveys of more than 14,000 college freshmen and seniors to measure their knowledge of American history, free market economics, government, and America and the world. The average score for the seniors was 53.2 percent and 51.7 percent for the freshmen.
The colleges were ranked based on the improvement of the scores from the freshman to the seniors. The bottom 16 colleges in the rankings actually had “negative” scores. In other words, the freshmen knew more than their seniors. Among those 16 schools were some of the top colleges and universities in America. In 2008, ISI repeated the survey and the results were no better.
Additionally, ISI published a report titled “Our Fading Heritage: Americans Fail a Basic Test on Their History and Institutions.” For this study, ISI surveyed 2,508 Americans, and over 70 percent failed, with an average score of 49. Among those interviewed were 164 people who served in public office, and their average score was only 44 percent. Among this sub-group, 68 percent were unable to correctly define the free enterprise system, and 89 percent did not know the difference between a free market and central planning.
For decades now, Americans have been educated under a system that has failed to teach our history, about free enterprise, or about America’s positive role in the world. And what has been taught has been taught in a highly selective way, ignoring the economic failures and human suffering caused by socialism while often focusing on America’s past failures. Consequently, no one should be surprised that Mr. Sanders could be the Democratic nominee for president, though he is not even a Democrat.
Given that the average age of a Sanders supporter is currently 32, what we are witnessing is the result of how our secondary schools, colleges and universities have failed to teach students the lessons about America that are necessary to sustaining our prosperity and security. Few colleges or universities require courses in history for graduation. Concerningly, schools consistently ranked in the country’s top 50 are among those who have these low requirements in history.
This widespread lack of knowledge of our history, the differences between socialism and free enterprise, and the principles on which our nation was founded can largely explain why Mr. Sanders is currently leading the Democratic primaries. This education deficit has led to increasingly hostile attitudes among younger people that threatens to make America poorer, more atheistic, less free and with only a fading memory of who we once were.
In 1992, Richard Lamm, the former Democratic governor of Colorado, wrote, “There has been a great unbalancing in America. We have unbalanced community in favor of individualism; responsibilities in favor of rights, and duties in favor of privileges. We want education without study; wealth without work; freedom without participation; and democracy without citizenship.”
His words have turned out to be prophetic. Now, almost three decades later, we are witnessing the viable candidacy of a self-described socialist with the support of a generation almost totally disconnected from any understanding of what President Ronald Reagan said made America the world’s “… last best hope of man on earth.”
Mr. Lamm also said, “… great nations have great citizens, and the kind of future we will have depends on what kind of people we are and what kind of kids we produce.” His words echoed what Reagan told us: “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.” This is what we have failed to do in our schools and colleges.
It has always been the challenge and responsibility of every generation to pass on essential virtues and values. The future of America depends on how well we teach our children about our nation’s stories, about the Judeo-Christian principles that are the foundation for our laws, about the free market principles that made us the most prosperous nation in the history of the world, and about the courage of countless men and women who sacrificed themselves to preserve our freedom.
But we have failed to do that important work, so no one should be surprised that a socialist is now a potential presidential nominee.
• Gary Palmer is a Republican U.S. representative from Alabama.
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