“I would humbly suggest that—if we do indeed survive this current threat to self-governance—that President Harris takes Washington’s guidance and expands the study of civics, both in our school and in our communities, and strengthens the nation’s commitment to and belief in the value of education more broadly.”
Since the right-wingers like to push more and limitations on who gets to vote, they’d probably like my idea of requiring everyone who votes to pass the citizenship test given to newcomers hoping to become Americans. Hell, let them vote if they only get 2/3 of the answers correct. Sample easy question: who said, “we chose to go the moon …snd other things…because they are hard.” (Hint: a relative is running in today’s election)
I and nearly everyone I know has been involved in getting out the vote via phone banking, letters and postcards to voters and/or knocking on doors. Participation is critical. May Kamala Harris win a huge victory and our democracy prevail over the forces of darkness.
Thank you for sharing with us those powerful, powerful words by our first president, George Washington (with Alexander Hamiltons's input, I gather?) How appropriate they are to today -- and I mean, literally, today. Civics class ceased to be a requirement during my junior year in high school -- 1968. We celebrated: it was "SO boring!" How I wish that I had had that class, and how I hope that it will, after so many long years, become a requirement in schools (public, I suppose) again. Thanks for all you do, Steven. You have been one of my Beacons during these past frightening months.
Absolutely! Civics lessons for all students and adult citizens. Washington and Lincoln's wisdom, understanding, and devotion to the principles of self governance are in short supply these days. And the GOP, or what remains in its wreckage, has completely lost sight of the sacred nature of our system in their pursuit of dominance. There is no dirty, unethical, mendacious trick they will not use. We need to return to our love of fact and sanity, trumpism has been the opposite of that.
Maybe start with adults first. If successful, that would be a way to get it into the schools again. The big question is: How to make it important in their minds?
We will find out soon enough if truth, common sense and decency prevail, or if the forces of darkness somehow manage to wrest control of our nation. Though I am encouraged by, and join you in, your optimism about the outcome, I am disheartened by the fact that millions of our fellow citizens will have voted for Trump. What a terrible indictment of us as a people.
The way forward, as you say, can only be through education. But we will first have to arrive at the understanding that education is not a commodity for sale, it is a birthright. This, of course, requires that we reexamine our basic values: we have, for example, to understand that unfettered capitalism - a system is which the only value that matters is the accumulation of wealth, one in which education, like everything else, is up for sale - is a system that cannot promote freedom and happiness.
That is huge. How textbooks are chosen matters too. Textbooks cater to the larger states. It isn’t profitable to print different ones for different districts or states. That means if TX and FL insist certain things be removed, other states will likely get that version.
Thank you Steven, I haven't paid enough attention to Washington's wisdom. I see something else in his equation "In proportion as the structure of a government gives force to public opinion, it is essential that public opinion should be enlightened." The MAGA hive mind believes itself to already be enlightened, thus seemingly impervious to the world of facts outside the hive; however, many Trump supporters (and the undecided) would benefit greatly from application of the root meaning of education, "to bring forth through questioning." Socrates used open-ended questions to develop critical thinking skills and enable exploration of beliefs and opinions. Combining open-ended questions with non-judgmental listening creates the atmosphere conducive to enlightenment. Our opportunity is to practice this combination as often as possible. For example, virtually all Trump supporters hew to the notion that he was better with the economy, focusing on $1.80/gal gas, 2.75% mortgage rates and lower food cost. We completely missed the opportunity to effectively challenge this errant assumption that underpinned the "are you better off now" mantra. Yes, absolutely a focus on the study of civics is essential; however, practicing the art of education is what triggers activation of the prefrontal cortex, resulting first in the capacity and eventually the desire to think critically. Critical thinking may be anathema to the hive mind, but it's essential to enlightenment. Practicing the art of education is reliant on non-judgmental listening, because that's the space that must be created in order for questions to be received non-defensively.
This is Beschloss’s best column yet in terms of content, timing, and relevance. I disagree, however, with the notion that a 'sizable portion' of Americans don’t understand the urgency. Among my Democratic friends, as well as my Republican and Independent friends, there’s a solid grasp of the seriousness of the situation—though perhaps not all feel the same level of urgency. After 15 years of the Tea Party, followed by Trump and MAGA, we now have a Repub party leader who has effectively "militarized" cynicism in America, amplifying a fear of “the other.” This cynicism feeds into a pervasive sense that “nothing matters,” undermining collective action and hope.
Thank you, Ralph. And I dearly hope I’ve overstated the extent to which Americans don’t grasp this threat to democracy. As for cynicism, I agree; it’s a close cousin of indifference—and a terrible tool to discourage citizenship.
During my six campaigns as an Iowa State legislator in the 1980s and 1990s, I was fortunate to have a close friend on my team who was a PhD psychologist. We often discussed how campaigns could benefit from a deeper understanding of human psychology—people's needs, frustrations, and motivations. While other candidates might pay for such insights, I had the privilege of receiving his advice for free.
One key difference between candidates today is not subject to false equivalencies: one candidate and many in his party genuinely promote a dystopian view of others, prey upon people's worst fears, and thrive on indifference, cynicism, and chaos. This contrast is crucial in evaluating leadership that aims to unite versus those who seek to divide.
It is hard to be indifferent in Iowa with unfavorable laws on abortion, private vouchers, and banned books, coupled with inaction on pipelines and nursing home malfeasances (note Iowa has a Repub controlled trifecta and R federal delegation).
Thank you, Steven, for the words and thoughts of our "two greatest". Sorry to be gross here, but to think that the dickwad running against Kamala Harris rates himself above these two "actual genius" presidents simply nauseates me to illness. That this election is even close speaks volumes about a good portion of our fellow Americans. I certainly agree with your point on civics education, but how, in the name of all that makes sense, did this even happen?? Please, let me awake happy tomorrow morning!
Since public education in the US didn't really start until the early 1800s, most of those who came before were self taught as was the case of Washington and Lincoln. Both were readers, both faced different but difficult times in the maintenance of a free country, united and determined to maintain our unique constitutional democracy.With practically unchecked speed came the age of technology, all the devices and services that we think we could never get along without. Swept away were interests, classes in civics, history. Everything became math, science. When history taught, it became just names, dates, wars. No efforts were made it seems, for teachers to read and teach what made history interesting, alive, real. For students to understand these were real people and events just as those that are happening in their life.
I do not understand how a person cannot read, is satisfied with having only the knowledge that is in their brain at that moment, for the rest of their lives. My grandmother often sat reading a book in her nineties.
In her era, once graduated from 8th grade, one could be a teacher, and so, she was. My father taught history, civics, problems of democracy. I did some student teaching under him which made me see him in a completely different light. His students even hung around after class to talk with him, being late for their next class. I, of course, carried on after them. One time a doctor gave me a definitive book he had written about a medical problem telling me he knew I would read a paper bag if it had writing on it. But I digress from our great presidents. Washington, having lived under a king, understood that should such a scoundrel appear, our experiment would end. Lincoln, suffering life long depression, learned compassion for others and forgiveness. How fortunate we are to have had them. How convoluted we now have a crazy madman full of anger and hate, who considers himself greater than they.
Steven writes: ". . . that President Harris takes Washington’s guidance and expands the study of civics, both in our school and in our communities, and strengthens the nation’s commitment to and belief in the value of education more broadly."
I completely agree with this, however . . . education today has come to represent the chase for ever more dollars. Education has as much importance with respect to our relationship to community and one another, perhaps more. In current times we lament the lack of understanding of our Constitution and Government, a situation easily remedied with Civics being taught in our schools. I remember I had Civics at several times as I progressed through my classes, in the 70s. There was a time when it was thought to be an essential part of the education of our youth . . . today it is too often dropped because it is apparently unrelated to the pursuit of income.
As a parting point . . . it may not generate income, but it is absolutely essential to the functioning of our Democracy for without it everything begins to fray and all apart.
A people who do not understand how their government works is fodder for the ranks of a demagogue. Agreed: As income became the justification for spending money on education the desires of the Chamber of Commerce became paramount. How to churn out more compliant worker bees? Literacy and knowledge took a backseat to certain types of testing.
There is a reason most adults in the US have a literacy rate below 6th grade level. From about the 1980s on a “modern” method of teaching reading was implemented. Teachers were no longer instructed in reading & literacy for their teaching degrees. States embraced contractors & consultants. By the 90s and 2000s it was obviously failing. After a lot of pushback it was modified - “Balanced Reading” with the pretense of using phonics. Now it is being recognized by states across the country as a failure & the “modern” methods are getting the boot. Universities are adding reading & literacy to their teaching curriculums. Mississippi led the way.
At a time when books are being banned will they stick to it? Maybe. It is estimated the US economy loses $2.2 Trillion per year to low literacy. Is that enough to offset the “risk” of a better education & knowledgable public?
True. Except when it is their children or the children of their voters who are mad as hell about it. Moms from what is probably the wealthiest county (and no too diverse) in KY testified at the education committee a couple yrs ago. They brought their children; they cried & they brought binders with data. In response the state literacy center said their data belonged to a 3rd party & could not be released. It was proprietary. They said it could all be explained by the fact that some children don’t learn as well as others.
It was a made for TV hearing. The next month the legislature gave approval for the state dept of ed to cancel the contract with the failed literacy center. They stopped publicly denigrating the Dept of Ed’s program to implement the Science of Reading.
It will be a slow turn around. Our schools are like assembly lines. We’re always adding parts that don’t fit on the model or canceling initiatives. If their amendment to the state constitution to allow public $$ for private ed doesn’t pass they may be forced to do more on the literacy front. Putting in a state budget line item for textbooks & teacher training would be good.
Is it a failure of democracy? Or is it a (current) failure of American vision? Sad that the great American experience should stumble because of sheer intellectual laziness … and revenge.
Yes and yes to this comment by Steven:….
“I would humbly suggest that—if we do indeed survive this current threat to self-governance—that President Harris takes Washington’s guidance and expands the study of civics, both in our school and in our communities, and strengthens the nation’s commitment to and belief in the value of education more broadly.”
💙💙🇺🇸💙💙
Since the right-wingers like to push more and limitations on who gets to vote, they’d probably like my idea of requiring everyone who votes to pass the citizenship test given to newcomers hoping to become Americans. Hell, let them vote if they only get 2/3 of the answers correct. Sample easy question: who said, “we chose to go the moon …snd other things…because they are hard.” (Hint: a relative is running in today’s election)
“Hell” describes it. Sure “right-wingers” would love it - as long as they got to write the questions and administer them.
This was done in the past under the guise of “literacy tests”. The author of the tests was Jim Crow.
I and nearly everyone I know has been involved in getting out the vote via phone banking, letters and postcards to voters and/or knocking on doors. Participation is critical. May Kamala Harris win a huge victory and our democracy prevail over the forces of darkness.
Thank you for sharing with us those powerful, powerful words by our first president, George Washington (with Alexander Hamiltons's input, I gather?) How appropriate they are to today -- and I mean, literally, today. Civics class ceased to be a requirement during my junior year in high school -- 1968. We celebrated: it was "SO boring!" How I wish that I had had that class, and how I hope that it will, after so many long years, become a requirement in schools (public, I suppose) again. Thanks for all you do, Steven. You have been one of my Beacons during these past frightening months.
Thank you for your passion.
Absolutely! Civics lessons for all students and adult citizens. Washington and Lincoln's wisdom, understanding, and devotion to the principles of self governance are in short supply these days. And the GOP, or what remains in its wreckage, has completely lost sight of the sacred nature of our system in their pursuit of dominance. There is no dirty, unethical, mendacious trick they will not use. We need to return to our love of fact and sanity, trumpism has been the opposite of that.
Maybe start with adults first. If successful, that would be a way to get it into the schools again. The big question is: How to make it important in their minds?
Wonderfully well said, Steven.
We will find out soon enough if truth, common sense and decency prevail, or if the forces of darkness somehow manage to wrest control of our nation. Though I am encouraged by, and join you in, your optimism about the outcome, I am disheartened by the fact that millions of our fellow citizens will have voted for Trump. What a terrible indictment of us as a people.
The way forward, as you say, can only be through education. But we will first have to arrive at the understanding that education is not a commodity for sale, it is a birthright. This, of course, requires that we reexamine our basic values: we have, for example, to understand that unfettered capitalism - a system is which the only value that matters is the accumulation of wealth, one in which education, like everything else, is up for sale - is a system that cannot promote freedom and happiness.
And pay closer attention to who writes the text books used in classrooms. thanks Homi.
Very close attention!
That is huge. How textbooks are chosen matters too. Textbooks cater to the larger states. It isn’t profitable to print different ones for different districts or states. That means if TX and FL insist certain things be removed, other states will likely get that version.
https://www.today.com/tmrw/who-chooses-history-textbooks-t190833
Theocracy fans and white nationalists on the rise. What was Hitler’s share of the vote again? 30%? These days election integrity = voter suppression.
Thank you Steven, I haven't paid enough attention to Washington's wisdom. I see something else in his equation "In proportion as the structure of a government gives force to public opinion, it is essential that public opinion should be enlightened." The MAGA hive mind believes itself to already be enlightened, thus seemingly impervious to the world of facts outside the hive; however, many Trump supporters (and the undecided) would benefit greatly from application of the root meaning of education, "to bring forth through questioning." Socrates used open-ended questions to develop critical thinking skills and enable exploration of beliefs and opinions. Combining open-ended questions with non-judgmental listening creates the atmosphere conducive to enlightenment. Our opportunity is to practice this combination as often as possible. For example, virtually all Trump supporters hew to the notion that he was better with the economy, focusing on $1.80/gal gas, 2.75% mortgage rates and lower food cost. We completely missed the opportunity to effectively challenge this errant assumption that underpinned the "are you better off now" mantra. Yes, absolutely a focus on the study of civics is essential; however, practicing the art of education is what triggers activation of the prefrontal cortex, resulting first in the capacity and eventually the desire to think critically. Critical thinking may be anathema to the hive mind, but it's essential to enlightenment. Practicing the art of education is reliant on non-judgmental listening, because that's the space that must be created in order for questions to be received non-defensively.
Thank you, Steven. Your words and wisdom inspire hopefulness from me. I appreciate your dedication to educating us in this very challenging time.
This is Beschloss’s best column yet in terms of content, timing, and relevance. I disagree, however, with the notion that a 'sizable portion' of Americans don’t understand the urgency. Among my Democratic friends, as well as my Republican and Independent friends, there’s a solid grasp of the seriousness of the situation—though perhaps not all feel the same level of urgency. After 15 years of the Tea Party, followed by Trump and MAGA, we now have a Repub party leader who has effectively "militarized" cynicism in America, amplifying a fear of “the other.” This cynicism feeds into a pervasive sense that “nothing matters,” undermining collective action and hope.
Thank you, Ralph. And I dearly hope I’ve overstated the extent to which Americans don’t grasp this threat to democracy. As for cynicism, I agree; it’s a close cousin of indifference—and a terrible tool to discourage citizenship.
During my six campaigns as an Iowa State legislator in the 1980s and 1990s, I was fortunate to have a close friend on my team who was a PhD psychologist. We often discussed how campaigns could benefit from a deeper understanding of human psychology—people's needs, frustrations, and motivations. While other candidates might pay for such insights, I had the privilege of receiving his advice for free.
One key difference between candidates today is not subject to false equivalencies: one candidate and many in his party genuinely promote a dystopian view of others, prey upon people's worst fears, and thrive on indifference, cynicism, and chaos. This contrast is crucial in evaluating leadership that aims to unite versus those who seek to divide.
It is hard to be indifferent in Iowa with unfavorable laws on abortion, private vouchers, and banned books, coupled with inaction on pipelines and nursing home malfeasances (note Iowa has a Repub controlled trifecta and R federal delegation).
Selzers poll picked up this dissatisfaction.
I believe many of our biggest divisions are around how we perceive threats to the future of our country. Most see danger but not in the same places.
Just one example: Some think elections are rigged &/or democracy is bad. Others are worried that we could lose our democratic processes.
https://civilrights.org/2024/10/07/civil-rights-monitor-poll-2024/
Thank you, Steven, for the words and thoughts of our "two greatest". Sorry to be gross here, but to think that the dickwad running against Kamala Harris rates himself above these two "actual genius" presidents simply nauseates me to illness. That this election is even close speaks volumes about a good portion of our fellow Americans. I certainly agree with your point on civics education, but how, in the name of all that makes sense, did this even happen?? Please, let me awake happy tomorrow morning!
Can’t wait to say, President of America, Kamala Harris !!!
Tension
by Lynn Geri
The election has spilled upon us.
From my porch I gaze east, over
hills towards the continental expanse
of my imperfect inspiring nation.
Birds chirp anticipation, deer pass,
the city’s still tranquil. I’m thrilled
at sunrise, enveloped in crisp
autumn air. I take a deep breath,
sigh, chilled with fear this is the year
we lose freedom to bigotry.
Yet, I am filled with hope,
we will still have our country.
Love the History lesson and You. Thank You for your article this morning ☕ and will reStack ASAP 💯👍🇺🇲💙🌊🌊🌊
Since public education in the US didn't really start until the early 1800s, most of those who came before were self taught as was the case of Washington and Lincoln. Both were readers, both faced different but difficult times in the maintenance of a free country, united and determined to maintain our unique constitutional democracy.With practically unchecked speed came the age of technology, all the devices and services that we think we could never get along without. Swept away were interests, classes in civics, history. Everything became math, science. When history taught, it became just names, dates, wars. No efforts were made it seems, for teachers to read and teach what made history interesting, alive, real. For students to understand these were real people and events just as those that are happening in their life.
I do not understand how a person cannot read, is satisfied with having only the knowledge that is in their brain at that moment, for the rest of their lives. My grandmother often sat reading a book in her nineties.
In her era, once graduated from 8th grade, one could be a teacher, and so, she was. My father taught history, civics, problems of democracy. I did some student teaching under him which made me see him in a completely different light. His students even hung around after class to talk with him, being late for their next class. I, of course, carried on after them. One time a doctor gave me a definitive book he had written about a medical problem telling me he knew I would read a paper bag if it had writing on it. But I digress from our great presidents. Washington, having lived under a king, understood that should such a scoundrel appear, our experiment would end. Lincoln, suffering life long depression, learned compassion for others and forgiveness. How fortunate we are to have had them. How convoluted we now have a crazy madman full of anger and hate, who considers himself greater than they.
Steven writes: ". . . that President Harris takes Washington’s guidance and expands the study of civics, both in our school and in our communities, and strengthens the nation’s commitment to and belief in the value of education more broadly."
I completely agree with this, however . . . education today has come to represent the chase for ever more dollars. Education has as much importance with respect to our relationship to community and one another, perhaps more. In current times we lament the lack of understanding of our Constitution and Government, a situation easily remedied with Civics being taught in our schools. I remember I had Civics at several times as I progressed through my classes, in the 70s. There was a time when it was thought to be an essential part of the education of our youth . . . today it is too often dropped because it is apparently unrelated to the pursuit of income.
As a parting point . . . it may not generate income, but it is absolutely essential to the functioning of our Democracy for without it everything begins to fray and all apart.
A people who do not understand how their government works is fodder for the ranks of a demagogue. Agreed: As income became the justification for spending money on education the desires of the Chamber of Commerce became paramount. How to churn out more compliant worker bees? Literacy and knowledge took a backseat to certain types of testing.
There is a reason most adults in the US have a literacy rate below 6th grade level. From about the 1980s on a “modern” method of teaching reading was implemented. Teachers were no longer instructed in reading & literacy for their teaching degrees. States embraced contractors & consultants. By the 90s and 2000s it was obviously failing. After a lot of pushback it was modified - “Balanced Reading” with the pretense of using phonics. Now it is being recognized by states across the country as a failure & the “modern” methods are getting the boot. Universities are adding reading & literacy to their teaching curriculums. Mississippi led the way.
At a time when books are being banned will they stick to it? Maybe. It is estimated the US economy loses $2.2 Trillion per year to low literacy. Is that enough to offset the “risk” of a better education & knowledgable public?
Totally agree with you.
Now if I we can figure out how to convince the skeptics!
Heh . . . their attitude is, “if it costs money we don’t want to do it!” (no matter how beneficial it is to the community)
True. Except when it is their children or the children of their voters who are mad as hell about it. Moms from what is probably the wealthiest county (and no too diverse) in KY testified at the education committee a couple yrs ago. They brought their children; they cried & they brought binders with data. In response the state literacy center said their data belonged to a 3rd party & could not be released. It was proprietary. They said it could all be explained by the fact that some children don’t learn as well as others.
It was a made for TV hearing. The next month the legislature gave approval for the state dept of ed to cancel the contract with the failed literacy center. They stopped publicly denigrating the Dept of Ed’s program to implement the Science of Reading.
It will be a slow turn around. Our schools are like assembly lines. We’re always adding parts that don’t fit on the model or canceling initiatives. If their amendment to the state constitution to allow public $$ for private ed doesn’t pass they may be forced to do more on the literacy front. Putting in a state budget line item for textbooks & teacher training would be good.
Is it a failure of democracy? Or is it a (current) failure of American vision? Sad that the great American experience should stumble because of sheer intellectual laziness … and revenge.