Proposes that social studies teachers make newspaper reading a daily assignment for all students. Also suggests that, whenever possible, social studies content should be related to contemporary events to encourage daily newspaper use and to show the relevance of content. (Author/DB)

The National Issues Forum's Literacy Program uses study circles and group discussion to promote empowerment and enhance adult literacy through civic education. The program has helped the Westonka (Minnesota) Adult Basic Education project accomplish its mission and has expanded the staff's view of adult learning. (SK)

Discusses the grounds for political obligation, adapting John Searle's argument about 'promising' to the case of voting. Presents a method for citizenship education which specifies a path to political obligation based upon participation. Concludes that participation, specifically voting, leads to political obligation. (GEA)

Describes several classrooms where children learn to use their literacy to take part in the governance of their communities. Demonstrates how reading and writing can be brought together around issues of civics in the elementary and middle school grades. (SR)

Describes the Center for Civic Education's efforts to develop and disseminate national standards in civics and government for K-12 education. Considers why standards are needed, what the standards are intended to accomplish, how they are being prepared, the groups involved in the development process, and the schedule for completion. Includes a…

Observes that the international civic education program Civitas has been of great benefit to both the Czech Republic and cooperating U.S. states. Discusses background factors in the Czech Republic, civic education projects underway in that country, and a program introduced into Czech civic education as a result of the partnership. (DSK)

Outlines the status of democratic civic education in Russia, particularly the need to educate teachers about democracy. Discusses the need for civic education reform, international cooperation in meeting those needs, dissemination of information on civic education, curriculum development and teacher-education projects, and the importance of…

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…

Recounts the role of Congress in creating much of the New Deal legislation. Argues that the impetus for many pieces of legislation came from Congress, not from President Roosevelt. Suggests that the story of Roosevelt as mastermind was fostered by his assumption of greater executive power during World War II. (DSK)

Examines what values and virtues schools should cultivate in students as part of a program of moral or citizenship education, noting how these values and virtues differ based on historical and political contexts. The article focuses on four recent volumes on moral and citizenship education. (SM)

Examines history and consequences of nonliberal democratic government policies on efforts to liberalize civic education in Israel. Employees three levels of analysis: Structural, policymaking, and policy implementation. Concludes with pessimistic assessment of the prospects of civic education including more liberal democratic values. (Contains 57…

In this paper, I first examine the three justifications most often provided for differentiating, discounting, or even disclaiming the present generation's moral responsibility to future generations. I then discuss ideological critiques of, and educational solutions to, the complicity of formal educational institutions in propagating these…

This study draws on data from the IEA Civic Education Study to provide a secondary analysis of selected latent dimensions identified for their potential to demonstrate the extent to which Australian students' civic attitudes support the development of social capital. Four latent dimensions are examined using item-by-score maps and Australian…

A quantitative content analysis of three widely adopted high school civics textbooks revealed that concepts associated with traditional liberalism--citizens' rights and freedoms--far outnumber concepts associated with classical republicanism or communitarianism (e.g., civic virtue, the reciprocal relation between citizens' rights and their…

Nigeria is currently facing the problem of youth incivility and immorality. The need has arisen to seek informal approaches to the inculcation of desirable values and civic consciousness in the young people in view of the apparent failure of the formal school system to inculcate desirable values. This study was about holiday citizenship education…