Civic engagement is essential to the success of a democratic government. In a country that was established “for the people and by the people,” citizen involvement in the legislative and electoral processes under girds the foundation of our society. Yet in the last forty years, there has been a continual decline in the involvement of American citizens in the election of our government representatives and in the lawmaking process. Surely, this is not the picture of which our forefathers dreamed so many years ago.
The decrease of involvement among young people in these processes is particularly alarming. Youth are becoming increasingly disenfranchised with the democratic process. Since 1972, young voter participation in presidential elections has declined more than thirteen percent. Anecdotally, I regularly hear about a significant decrease in student involvement in the legislative process as well.
It is time that we reverse these trends. It is important to realize that this change requires a fundamental shift for many citizens in our society and for that reason it will take time for this evolution to occur. While these declines have occurred over many years, that should not indicate the length of time necessary to alter these trends. It is imperative that we act now in order to increase the civic engagement of all citizens.
Highlighting the problem is relatively easy, but finding an effective solution is more challenging. Thanks to the bipartisan leadership of Senator Jack Westwood, Representative Tanya Pullin, and the entire General Assembly, efforts are being made to study civic engagement within the Commonwealth. This fall, my office in concert with the Scripps Howard Center for Civic Engagement at Northern Kentucky University (NKU), will convene a Summit on Civic Literacy at NKU. The focus of the summit is to determine a long-term strategy to increase civic literacy and engagement.
Without a doubt, many young Americans have deficient knowledge of the U.S. government system. In fact, in the 1998 National Assessment of Educational Progress, 75 percent of students scored at "basic" or "below basic" levels on the civics assessment. Similarly, one third of high school seniors lack a fundamental understanding of American government.
Education is a key to the success of our democratic system. The more exposure students have to civics and democratic principles, the more likely they will be to vote and to participate in the legislative process. It is important that students receive the knowledge and skills required for effective civic participation. Small changes can make a big difference; by merely discussing current events in the classroom, students are more engaged in their communities. The simple act of community service instills the values of community within young adults.
The Kentucky Education Reform Act of 1990 takes many steps in further developing skills necessary for civic engagement. Increased writing, problem solving, and public speaking are all cornerstones of KERA and are critical for students who are to be civically involved. We should not rest on our laurels. Obviously, the level of civic participation among young people is not acceptable.
We must start early in our quest to engage students civically, and in many cases our schools can provide those opportunities. The more decision making opportunities that can be afforded to students and young people, the more likely they will become active in the democratic process.
Young people are creatures of habit. It seems appropriate then that civic engagement becomes part of their routine nature. To do so, young people must be regularly exposed to active democracy where they are legitimate participants. Student councils provide such participation in school governance. Other school organizations such as clubs, sports, and even classroom debates allow students to witness and actively participate in democracy.
For civic engagement to improve, we must increase the civic literacy of young people. I look forward to joining other Kentuckians to discuss this critical issue. A good first step in addressing this problem is the upcoming Civics Summit. State and national leaders will gather on October 5th at Northern Kentucky University’s METS Center to discuss how to improve the civic literacy of our youth and to find a way to encourage young people to participate in the democratic process.
The Civics Summit is the first step in a multi-year commitment to improve civic literacy with the ultimate goal of improving participation. Coming together, we believe that Kentucky can become a national leader in civic education, literacy, & engagement. Democracy by definition involves “the people.” Democracy allows “the people” to express their opinions, but without participation, democracy crumbles. We must act now to prevent this from happening.
Over the next few years, we will thoroughly review many different avenues that will increase the civic engagement of our citizens. I invite you to share your ideas and thoughts as we seek to enhance young people’s participation in the cornerstone of our society.