In its 1995 definition of social studies, the National Council for the Social Studies (NC SS) explicitly identifies "citizenship for the common good" as the purpose of social studies education. The roots of this perspective can be traced to early twentieth-century educators. In their introduction to the seminal "1916 Report of the Committee on…

On Sept. 11, 2001, nineteen men crashed four airplanes into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania. Their goals were to strike at symbols of American power, and to kill as many Americans as possible. The 9/11 Commission looked at this event from many different vantage points--from airport security to intelligence,…

As the new democratic republics of Eastern Europe experience sweeping transformations in their political, economic, and social institutions, their educational systems must also undergo changes to address the new roles and responsibilities of citizens. The purpose of this article is to explore the impact of these changes in two specific contexts,…

Throughout human existence, changes in technology have influenced human life. Innovations in technology also impact civic life. Radio and television became prominent fixtures in the United States in the twentieth century. In entering the twenty-first century, another technological innovation, the Internet, emerged as a new factor in civic life.…

Asks whether it is possible to develop an international, cross-cultural consensus on the meaning and characteristics of democracy and which common elements of these should constitute education for civic democracy. Outlines an international project, Democratic Citizenship: A Framework, in an attempt to answer these questions. Discusses possible…

In trying to engage in comparative study or transnational discourse in civic education that promotes democratic ideals and principles, certain realities about democracy should be kept in mind. One such reality is to acknowledge and account for the fact that not everyone views democracy through the same theoretical lenses. The comments expressed by…

The right to privacy is a firmly entrenched democratic principle that has been inferred in the U.S. Constitution and protected by the Fourteenth Amendment as a liberty of personal autonomy. It is the statutory right to privacy that has been most closely aligned with data protection as a form of self-protection. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission…

Describes a project, Comparative Lessons for Democracy, to develop and publish lessons for high school students. Lessons compare institutions and processes of constitutional democracy in the United States and five post-communist countries involved in the Civitas international civic education programs: Latvia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary,…

Over the past two decades, the technology "revolution" has evolved to touch nearly every aspect of the people's lives. More than just a convenience, this force has become a necessity throughout business, government, and education. One of the most invasive forces of technology is the way in which it plays a role in the types of instructional…

We live in a global era of transcendent democracy. According to recent surveys by Freedom House, most peoples of the world favor democracy over other types of government. A global revival of education for democratic citizenship accompanies the worldwide resurgence of democracy. Diverse peoples in various parts of the world commonly understand that…

Discusses political education in the postwar Federal Republic of Germany. Describes a U.S. led reeducation program founded upon principles of denazification and democracy and examines German responses. Identifies the influence of the Soviet Union upon West German education. Analyzes the growth of political education in the 1960s, its maturation,…

Describes the international civic education program, Civitas, including background on its creation, national and international significance of and need for the program, program goals, elements for systematic implementation of civic education, program organization, program products and their effectiveness, and illustrative examples of program…

The focus of this article is on the role that content and concepts drawn from the field of economics should play in education for self-government. How important is economic knowledge for the practice of effective citizenship in a democratic society such as the United States, and what core economic knowledge is required for effective civic…

Discusses the origins of radicalism in Italy, specifically the emergence in 1831 of Giuseppe Mazzini as the advocate of Italian nationalism and radicalism. Examines Mazzini's role in Italy and among European revolutionaries, concluding that his legacy led to the establishment of the Italian republic in the twentieth century. (GEA)

The development and promotion of the "expanding communities" curriculum design model for teaching elementary school social studies was a crucial episode in the history of social studies. This article profiles how the model developed in the mind of its most effective promoter, Paul Robert Hanna. Paul Hanna understood early in his career the…