OPINION:
We must remind our fellow Americans why we are a great nation. Let us dedicate ourselves this July Fourth to spending the next year, leading up to the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, to this noble cause.
Thomas Jefferson, the author of our founding document, wrote: “Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government.” The patriots who unanimously ratified the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, would most certainly be shocked by modern Americans’ lack of a basic understanding of our government.
In 2014, just 18% of eighth-grade students were “proficient” in U.S. history, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Sadly, that share dropped to just 13% eight years later. For all the talk of saving democracy, the true threats to our republic are the failures of the education system in America. A basic understanding of our government and history is Exhibit No. 1.
Survey after survey repeats this troubling news. In the past, the results of a national survey released by the Institute for Citizens & Scholars showed that only 1 in 3 Americans could pass a multiple-choice test consisting of items taken from the U.S. Citizenship Test, which has a passing score of 60.
More than half of the respondents did not know which countries fought in World War II. Of those surveyed, 57% did not know how many members served on the Supreme Court. Only 13% knew when the Constitution was ratified by the states, even on a multiple-choice exam. Most thought it was 1776.
Last year, the Annenberg Constitution Day Civics Survey found that more than a third of Americans cannot name all three branches of the government. Although most could cite freedom of speech as a right guaranteed by the First Amendment, less than 40% could name freedom of religion. Things got much worse when it came to naming the other rights. Plus, only about half the adults in the country knew which party controlled the Senate and House of Representatives.
President Reagan gave a warning in his farewell address from the Oval Office in 1989. As usual, his words are just as relevant today as they were when he shared them with the nation:
“An informed patriotism is what we want. And are we doing a good enough job teaching our children what America is and what she represents in the long history of the world?”
Reagan continued, “But now, we’re about to enter the nineties, and some things have changed. Younger parents aren’t sure that an unambivalent appreciation of America is the right thing to teach modern children. And as for those who create the popular culture, well-grounded patriotism is no longer the style. Our spirit is back, but we haven’t reinstitutionalized it. We’ve got to do a better job of getting across that America is freedom — freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of enterprise. And freedom is special and rare. It’s fragile; it needs protection.”
Reagan gave us a practical charge that is even more important as we look ahead. He said, “Let’s start with some basics: more attention to American history and a greater emphasis on civic ritual.”
We can begin by ensuring that every student in America can pass an exam equivalent to the U.S. Citizenship Test before they graduate from high school. In addition, we can make sure every college student takes a basic course in American history and government.
Lawmakers in North Carolina are debating legislation requiring college students to take a three-credit course in American history and government. As part of the course, they would read several important documents, including the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, the Emancipation Proclamation, at least five essays from the Federalist Papers, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s letter from Birmingham Jail, the Gettysburg Address and the state constitution.
In response to the original bill’s introduction, nearly 700 professors at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill wrote a letter opposing the measure. They claim that the proposed legislation would undermine academic freedom.
Quite the opposite is true.
Faculty would not be required to interpret the materials in a specific way. I believe many of them are radicals who try to indoctrinate young people into hating our Founders and their ideas. We must give students direct access to the documents that have built this great country.
The delegates at the Second Continental Congress knew that in ratifying and signing the Declaration of Independence, they were committing an act of high treason, punishable by torture and death, against the crown. The least we can do today is make sure our fellow citizens understand our history and our government.
Let us make this our solemn duty as we approach the 250th anniversary of our beloved nation. Happy Independence Day, America!
• Scott Walker is a columnist for The Washington Times. He was the 45th governor of Wisconsin and launched a bid for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. He lives in Milwaukee and is the proud owner of a 2003 Harley-Davidson Road King. He can be reached at swalker@washingtontimes.com.
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