The Republic is (Still) at Risk — and Civics is Part of the Solution
In September 2017, Tisch College Associate Dean Peter Levine and CIRCLE Director Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg released a new report titled "The Republic is (Still) at Risk — and Civics is Part of the Solution" at the at the Democracy at a Crossroads National Summit in Washington, D.C.
In their paper, Kawashima-Ginsberg and Levine outline some civic challenges and opportunities in the U.S., particularly as they relate to young people, and with special attention to the gaps and inequities that affect low-income youth and young people of color. They cite recent CIRCLE work on civic deserts and other ways in which marginalized young people lag behind their more advantaged peers—from the schoolroom, to the ballot box.
The report focuses in large part on the six proven practices that lead to effective civice learning:
- Courses on civics, government, law, and related topics
- Deliberation of current, controversial issues
- Service-learning
- Student-led voluntary associations
- Student voice in schools
- Simulation of adult civic roles