The U. S. was founded on the principle that ordinary citizens would rule, but most students are not taught to be rulers. Colonists in New England worked together on issues for the common good, and children learned the skills of associating from their parents. Today, however, many citizens feel they cannot make a difference, and civic participation…

The purpose of this report is to examine the history of an international partnership for civic education begun in 1994, and concluded in 2011 that links Center for Civic Education partners in the United States (Florida Law-Related Education Association), Hungary (Civitas Hungary), and Romania (Intercultural Institute of Romania). This study serves…

This ERIC digest discusses the National Standards for Civics and Government for students from grades K-12. The Standards are organized around five central questions dealing with the following subjects: (1) the nature and necessity of government; (2) the foundations of American constitutionalism; (3) the functioning of American government and the…

This paper attempts to aid Vermont educators in re-examining traditional education practices designed to foster responsible citizenship behavior patterns in youth, and establishes basic directions for new programs and procedures. The paper outlines behavioral objectives and goals of a new citizenship program in Vermont. It is the position of this…

Contends that citizenship and democracy are two of the most overused words in social studies classrooms. Maintains that schools must walk a tightrope between those fostering patriotic attitudes and those fostering critical-mindedness and protest. Includes four suggestions for critical thinking in social studies. (CFR)

Asserts that, in teaching about human rights, the international standards should be the fundamental core of the content and values to be communicated. Recommends that teachers should use the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as the standard by which the actions of individuals and governments should be compared. (CFR)

The interactions of individuality and community in a democratic republic have remained the great object of civic inquiries, the perplexing civic problem throughout the more than 200 years of U.S. constitutional history. This paper argues that this inquiry should be at the center of civic education today. Five recommendations for civic educators to…