In a world that is rapidly evolving, awareness about civics has shown itself to be crucial in many discussions; however, after surveying an array of students, a significant number of them lack the fundamental knowledge and understanding of how the government functions; specifically, the three branches of government. Although this information fosters participation in the Democratic processes, many young citizens, including a portion of students at Poly, are not able to name or describe the legislative, judicial, and executive branches.
The American Legislative Exchange Council wrote how an annual Constitution Day survey conducted by The Annenberg Public Policy Center showed that 44 percent of adults failed to name all three branches of government and 25 percent could not name a single one. This gap in civics education undermines the foundation of a Democratic society. It raises questions about the effectiveness of the country’s education systems in preparing our future generations for active and knowledgeable participation in government and civics.
The three branches of government — legislative, judicial, and executive — are the foundation of the United States constitutional framework aimed at balancing power distribution. The legislative branch consists of the Congress, which they help craft, debate, and enact laws. Congress is bicameral, meaning it is composed of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Within these two chambers are where representatives and senators introduce bills, consider national issues, and control federal matters.
The executive branch, led by the President, is responsible for enforcing and implementing laws. In addition to the President, the executive branch includes the Vice President, the Cabinet, and other federal agencies that, together, work to administer policies, foreign policies, and oversee the military.
Finally, the judicial branch inspects the laws and ensures that they are both fair and constitutional. Led by the Supreme Court, the judicial branch reviews cases that may challenge the Constitution. Additionally, the lower federal courts handle a variety of both civil and criminal cases.
Together, the three branches operate under the system of checks and balances, designed to prevent any particular branch from gaining an excessive amount of power to protect the Democratic principles the nation was founded upon. Poly Prep History Teacher A.J. Blandford describes checks and balances in more depth, explaining how the “founders were really concerned” about the balance of political power “because they just had fought for a political independence from a monarch for which they had no power.” They essentially wanted “to avoid creating a President who would behave like a king.” For example, the President can veto legislation that was passed by Congress, but Congress can override the veto with a two-thirds majority vote. Additionally, the Supreme Court can decide that laws and executive actions are unconstitutional and invalidate them. These systems ensure a balance of power, maintaining a fair government for the rights of citizens.
Many students today are not uninformed about these fundamental concepts. It reflects a broad disengagement with civics and an inability to evaluate governmental actions. The Washington Post highlights how only seven states require a full year of civics education. An article from Harvard Law mentions how not even 20 states “have implemented a civics test as a requirement for high school graduation.” In addition, a Cornell article mentions how “only 13 percent of eighth graders are proficient in U.S. history, and only 22 percent of those students are proficient in civics, with adults faring little better.”
Leigh Cooper, a teacher who works with young students at the 14th Street Y in New York City, believes schools can do better to educate their students about civics. She said schools should have more open discussions about it regularly. Once these discussions are integrated into the student’s daily lives, they could grow comfortable with the topic of civics. She explains how the lack of knowledge about civics opens up opportunities for young citizens to be vulnerable to misinformation and manipulation.
Sasha Gilyadoff, a Junior at Poly Prep, explained that she did know about the three branches of government but admitted that she had learned about it from research one month prior. Although many schools, including Poly Prep, touch upon the three branches in middle school, many students shared that they forgot it as they got older and learned more in their high school classes. Gilyadoff suggests that posters around Poly could be helpful to educate students about the three branches. She believes that the discussions about civics “should be unbiased.” These discussions connect to the issue of a blurred distinction between civics and politics. Politics often involves subjects such as ideologies, beliefs, values, and opinions, which can be controversial in a school setting. The study of civics surrounds the fundamentals of how government works and the rights and duties of citizens.
Sophie Garrick, a Junior at Dalton, said she thinks that the three branches should be introduced in middle school and re-visited in high school to solidify the knowledge. In Poly’s Upper School, students are now taught about civics in a mandatory and one semester-long civics course in eleventh grade.
Civics education has always had issues with being neglected, especially from the 1960s until the 1980s “mainly because of a prevailing assumption that intentional programs would not have significant and durable effects, given the more powerful influences of social class and ideology,” according to a Stanford article.
Emily Gardiner, Upper School dean department chair and director of college guidance, believes “it should be fine to talk about the structures of government, including the three branches, without feeling that you’re veering into politics that’s somehow sensitive. I can think of a lot of situations, real-life situations, where it would be really interesting to think about those three branches in action,” such as learning about examples in a history class.
As the younger generations navigate our complex society, statistics from Cornell and The American Legislative Exchange Council show that it is crucial to have a strong understanding of the fundamentals of the American government. Blandford states, “The more you know about how government functions, the more empowered you feel, the more justified you feel in participating, the more of a sense of responsibility and ownership you feel towards the government.”
