Report of the Joint Legislative Ad Hoc Committee on Civic Education

              REPORT OF THE
JOINT LEGISLATIVE AD HOC
COMMITTEE ON CIVIC EDUCATION
DECEMBER 2005
COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP
Senator Tim Bee, Co-Chair
Representative Jennifer Bums, Co-Chair
Senator Linda Aguirre
Senator Linda Gray
Senator Toni Hellon
Senator Harry Mitchell
Representative Mark Anderson
Representative Andy Biggs
Representative Martha Garcia
Representative David Lujan
Report of the Joint Legislative Ad Hoc Committee on Civic Education
INTRODUCTION
This report summarizes the efforts of the Joint Legislative Ad Hoc Committee on Civic
Education. As required by the committee charge, this report is being submitted to the
President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Governor
for their review and consideration.
PURPOSE
The Joint Legislative Ad Hoc Committee on Civic Education, established jointly by the
President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, was charged
with the following:
1) Study the importance of educating students about citizen involvement in our
government;
2) Promote communication and collaboration among organizations in the State that
conduct civic education programs;
3) Establish a state commission on civic education;
4) The Committee shall make a final report of its findings and recommendations to the
President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the
Governor by December 31, 2005, and shall provide a copy of this report to the
Secretary of State and the Director of the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public
Records.
The Committee is repealed from and after December 31,2005.
MEMBERSHIP
Senate
House
ACTIVITIES
Five members of the Senate, not more than three from the same political
party and one designated as Co-Chair, appointed by the President of the
Senate:
Bee (Co-Chair), Aguirre, Gray, Hellon, Mitchell
Five members of the House of Representatives, not more than three from
the same political party and one designated as Co-Chair, appointed by the
Speaker of the House ofRepresentatives:
Burns (Co-Chair), Anderson, Biggs, Garcia, Lujan
The Committee held two meetings during the past year. The following provides a
summary of each meeting, but please see the attached minutes and handouts for the
Committee discussion and testimony.
November 8, 2005
The first meeting of the Committee began with introductions and a review of the
committee charge and concluded with committee discussion and a tentative date for the
next meeting. There were three presentations given to the Committee:
• Overview on historical perspective on civic education - Lynda Rando, President,
Cross Continent Consulting.
• Overview of the National Campaign to Promote Education - Ted McConnell,
Director, National Campaign to Promote Civic Education.
• Overview of data and current events - Jeff Schrade, Arizona Foundation for Legal
Services and Education.
The following attachments were distributed during this meeting:
• How the American Public Views Congress - A Report Based on the Center on
Congress at Indiana University's 2004 Public Opinion Survey (2004)
• The Civic Mission of Schools (2003)
• Democracy vs. Republic (2003)
December 6, 2005
The second meeting of the Committee began with opening remarks and concluded with
the adoption of recommendations.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The Joint Legislative Ad Hoc Committee on Civic Education adopted a recommendation
on December 6, 2005, for the establishment of a Commission on Civic Education whose
mission is to promote the goal of informed, responsible participation in political life by
competent citizens committed to the fundamental values and principles of the American
system. The Commission will have a focus on civic education and civic engagement, a
focus to include children, youth, college students and adults, a ten year life, the ability to
make recommendations to all levels of government on ideas that will promote and
enhance civic education and civic engagement and the authority to establish working
groups and subcommittees to complete the Commission's duties.
The 13-member Commission will include initial appointments that will set a precedent
that former statesmen, with no future political aspirations, serve on the Commission.
Membership will include three members appointed by the Governor, one member
appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, one member appointed by the
President of the Senate, one member appointed by the Chief Justice of the Arizona
Supreme Court, one member appointed by the Secretary of State, one member appointed
by the Attorney General, one member appointed by the Superintendent of Public
Instruction, two member of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the
House of Representatives, from different political parties and two members of the Senate,
appointed by the President of the Senate, from different political parties.
Interim agendas can be obtained via the Internet at http://www.azleg.state.az.us/lnterimCommittees.asp
ARIZONA STATE LEGISLATURE
INTERIM MEETING NOTICE
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
JOINT LEGISLATIVE AD HOC COMMITTEE ON CIVIC EDUCATION
Date:
Time:
Place:
Tuesday, November 8, 2005
9:00 a.m.
SHR1
AGENDA
1. Introduction of Committee Members
2. Charge of the Committee
3. Historical Perspective - Lynda Rando
4. National Campaign to Promote Civic Education - Ted McConnell, Director
5. Data and Current Events - Jeff Schrade
6. Public Testimony
7. Committee Discussion
8. Schedule Next Meeting
9. Adjourn
Members:
Senator Tim Bee, CoChair:
Senator Linda AguirrE'
Senator Linda Gray
Senator Toni Hellon
Senator Harry Mitchell
10/25/05
sp
Representative Jennifer Burns, CoChair
Representative Mark Anderson I
Representative Andy Biggs
Representative Martha Garcia
Representative David Lujan'
Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation such as a sign language interpreter, by contacting the
Senate Secretary's Office: (602)926-4231 (voice). Requests should be made as early as possible to allow time to arrange the accommodatio
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ARIZONA STATE LEGISLATURE
JOINT LEGISLATIVE AD HOC COMMITTEE ON CIVIC EDUCATION
Minutes of the Meeting
Tuesday, November 8,2005
9:00 a.m., Senate Hearing Room 1
Members Present:
Senator Tim Bee, CoChair
Senator Linda Aguirre
Senator Linda Gray
Senator Harry Mitchell
Members Absent:
Senator Toni Hellon
Staff:
Dallas Gold, Senate Education Committee Analyst
Brian Lockery, House Education Committee Analyst
Representative Jennifer Burns, CoChair
Representative Mark Anderson
Representative Andy Biggs
Representative Martha Garcia
Representative David Lujan
Co-chairman Bee called the meeting to order at 9:05 a.m. and attendance was noted.
INTRODUCTION OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Senator Bee introduced the Committee members from the Senate and Representative
Burns introduced the Committee members from the House of Representatives.
CHARGE OF THE COMMITTEE
Dallas Gold, Senate Education Committee Analyst, explained the charge of the
Committee being the following points:
• Study the importance of educating students about citizen involvement in
our government.
• Promote communication and collaboration among organizations in the
State that conduct civic education programs.
• Establish a State commission on civic education.
• The Committee shall make a final report of its findings and
recommendations to the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the
House of Representatives and the Governor by December 31, 2005, and
shall provide a copy of this report to the Secretary of State and the
Director of the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records.
Senator Bee explained that he, Representative Burns, Representative Anderson, and
Senator Gray, along with several other non-legislative members have been working on
this issue for about three years as part of the Congressional Conference on Civic
Education. He stated that the Ad Hoc Committee is part of the plan for Arizona to move
forward in this area. He said that information was provided by some outstanding
national speakers, in addition to information on the historical perspective.
PRESENTATIONS
Historical Perspective
Lynda Rando, President, Cross Continent Consulting, distributed a handout, How
the American Public Views Congress (Attachment A) and explained the statistics found
therein. She also referenced the 1918 report published by the Commission on the
Reorganization of Secondary Education of the National Education Association. The
report came to be known as the "Seven Cardinal Principles of Secondary Education."
The principles that were set forth by this commission were health, worthy home
membership, command of the fundamental processes, vocation, civic education, worthy
use of leisure and ethical character. Ms. Rando stated that Horace Mann, known as the
Father of American Education, had an idea of what an educated citizen was about. He
wrote that an educated citizen is one who is not only knowledgeable about the subject,
but informed, skilled, and has actually internalized the meaning of participation and
actively engages in the social and political life of their neighborhood, community, state,
nation, and world affairs. The Congressional Conference on Civic Education brought
together hundreds of policy makers, educational leaders, researchers and stake holders
from all 50 states to explore, discuss, debate and adopt a series of conference
statements that address the urgency of what must and should be done to insure that
civic education is adequately taught in American schools. Ms. Rando stated that as the
statistics show in the booklet she handed out, that the public generally disapproves of
how Congress does their job, largely avoids the political process, and does not
communicate with their representatives in Washington. The results suggest that civic
education programs designed to provide useful information about the role of democratic
institutions such as Congress can foster better-informed citizens. She stated that the
Arizona delegation to the Conference has accomplished over the last two years the
following:
• Expanded its reach to encourage more policy makers, teachers, and community
leaders to work together to raise a level of public awareness of the importance of
teaching civic education and encouraging civic engagement of students in
Kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12).
• Met and gained the support of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Chief
Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court, the Governor's office, and the Secretary of
State's office.
• Expressed support for stronger academic standards for social studies and civics.
• Endorsed the establishment of a Civic's Coalition to develop and administer a
survey instrument to schools and collect data on civic education in our state.
Joint Legislative Ad Hoc
Committee on Civic Education
November 8, 2005
Page 2
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Representative Burns explained that this is the third of five years for the Congressional
Conference and that Congress has placed a high level of importance on civic education.
She said that Senator Bee and she have been reaching out to the different levels to
make them a part and aware of what they are doing and the whole idea is getting
everybody to be a part of it. There are things already going on, but the idea is to bring
everybody together and move forward to make it a big statewide and national effort.
National Campaign to Promote Civic Education
Ted McConnell, Director, National Campaign to Promote Civic Education, stressed
the importance of civic education in Arizona schools. He explained that the goal of civic
education is informed, responsible participation in civic life by competent citizens
committed to the fundamental values and principles of the American Constitutional
Democracy. To be effective, a citizen must acquire not only a body of knowledge and
skills, but also certain dispositions, such as a willingness to listen to the point of view of
others and a willingness to participate at all levels.
Mr. McConnell stated those who founded our free universal system of public education
in this country understood that each generation must be taught the rights and
responsibilities of American Citizenship. Democratic behavior must be taught anew to
each generation. This is the essential civic mission of our schools. It seems today that
we have lost sight of preparing our students for citizenship in favor of preparing them
just to be members of the work force. The government course that remains common
today describes and analyzes government in a more distant way often with little explicit
discussion of a citizen's role. Students do not usually have a government class until
twelfth grade and then often only during the last semester. That is too little too late,
especially when it misses an entire population that is growing in our nation, the
dropouts.
Mr. McConnell said that every state but one has standards that address civic education,
however, all too often these standards contain far more content than the classroom
teacher can cover in the time allowed that subject. Far too many standards stress just
the book knowledge and leave out the instruction necessary to impact students'
dispositions and civic attitudes. Civic education can also be taught through other
courses. It has been said that all emphasis is on math, science, and reading, but if a
person does not vote or participate, the country is in a heck of a fix. The deficiencies
cited are usually a result of actions of policy makers at all levels. Action must be taken
now to engage policy makers and persuade them to provide the time and resources
necessary to restore the civic mission of our schools. The Civic Mission of Schools is a
report that has become the civic service and character education community's
consensus document on how to reverse the slide of civics and how to provide the high
quality civic education to all students. The report identifies six promising approaches to
civic education that research has determined and shown to be effective (Attachment B).
Joint Legislative Ad Hoc
Committee on Civic Education
NOvember 8, 2005
Page 3
Mr. McConnell informed the committee that a very positive development that has
already been mentioned is the advent of the Congressional Conferences on Civic
Education, which is co-hosted by the four leaders of the United States Congress. The
theory behind the Conferences is to bring together policy makers, legislators, State
Board of Education members, Chief State School Officers, local Board of Education
members, with front line educators and Civic Learning professionals and point out the
dangerously low level of civic engagement in our nation and the positive effect civic
education has on civic engagement.
Mr. Connell stated that every delegation that left the Conference has developed a plan
of action and is busy implementing those plans. Mr. McConnell explained that there is
abundant evidence from both research and everyday observations that good civic
learning produces desirable results when students receive sustained and systemic
education, they become more knowledgeable, more interested, and more motivated to
participate in improving the system. There is also abundant evidence that
knowledgeable, skilled and dedicated teachers are the most important factor in
providing a sound civic education for our students. Teachers need adequate
preparation and support to give adequate attention to civic education. Civic education
should be considered a course subject on a level with others such as history, math and
science. Mr. McConnell suggested everyone consider the consequences of not acting
to restore the civic mission of our schools. It would be increased disengagement and
feelings of apathy or alienation on the part of citizens towards the institution of
governess. Mr. McConnell concluded with stating whether a republic or representative
democracy can be called healthy if its citizens are alienated and disengaged.
Senator Gray distributed a handout, Democracy vs. Republic (Attachment C). She
stated that she thinks it should be made clear whether the United States is a republic or
a democracy so there would be no confusion.
Mr. McConnell said that what is most important is that we restore the civic mission of
our schools.
Senator Mitchell explained that all the progress the United States has made in
expanding and including more people into the governmental process should weigh in on
the debate between what is a republic and what is a democracy. However, he stated
that what is important is how many people participate and how to get people to
participate.
Senator Bee stated that the Committee had. two very clear perspectives on this and the
Committee is not about defining republic or representative democracy, it is about civic
education.
Representative Biggs stated that civic education is one of the most important functions,
however, instead the schools are weighed down with the teaching of fluff that is
extraneous to what good public education should be. He stated that it is critical in
Joint Legislative Ad Hoc
Committee on Civic Education
November 8, 2005
Page 4
education to properly label and properly use names to teach children what is important
and vital.
Mr. McConnell said that in classroom instruction it is absolutely essential to teach the
correct facts of history as well as the participatory skills and the disposition and
propensity to participate. He said that the problem is that the schools for a variety of
reasons do not have the time or resources available to provide a robust civic education.
Representative Biggs stated that while working with a professor at Arizona State
University (ASU) on a survey of political science students at the university level, he was
shocked at the low level of political awareness. He stated that for all of the lowering of
barriers of civic education and voting, the voter turnout has dropped considerably.
Senator Mitchell said that with 57% of the public disapproving of the way Congress is
doing their work, it is hardly surprising that the public feels alienated and does not
engage in politics. He said that one key is to provide support, materials, and all kinds of
programs to the classroom teacher. He also said that extracurricular activities and
engaging student participation is vital. He said that people no longer belong to civic
organizations that supported ball clubs, summer programs, and other programs, which
was one way people received some civic education. Senator Mitchell suggested that to
do something about civic education, not only the curriculum, but lesson plans need to
be considered. He said that there is a need for people who are enthusiastic about
coming to the Capitol to think they can make a difference.
Representative Burns explained that what the committee needs to do is look at where
the state is at this point and how to move forward. She said that there is a lot of
spillover from getting kids involved because they then put pressure on their parents to
get involved. She said that a way needs to be found to engage the over eighteen age
group who are old enough to vote but are not doing so.
Data and Current Events
Jeff Schrade, Arizona Foundation for Legal Services and Education, explained his
background growing up in Arizona. He explained that his organization is reaching out to
anyone and everyone to join the collaborative effort to strengthen civic education and
the civic mission of schools in Arizona. He said he is also involved with the Arizona
Civics Coalition that is committed to helping young Arizonans to acquire and learn the
skills, knowledge, and attitudes that will prepare them to be competent and responsible
citizens throughout their adult lives. He said that his organization has been gathering
data to define the state of civic education in Arizona. It is well established that our youth
of today do not possess the political awareness and knowledge of basic concepts. Mr.
Schrade said that the student survey in Arizona will aim to uncover the "why", why civic
knowledge is so low. Another survey will be done to gauge public perception towards
civic education and the general civic engagement of Arizona citizens. He said that the
data should be complete in early 2006 and will be online publicly at www.azcivics.org.
His organization is also conducting separate surveys and focus groups of district
Joint Legislative Ad Hoc
Committee on Civic Education
November 8, 2005
Page 5
administrators and school principals. He explained that so far it is known that civics is
most heavily covered in eighth and twelfth grades. There is virtually no civics taught in
the other grades. He stated that only 38% of the districts surveyed have service
learning programs linked to civics instruction. He stated that 39% of the districts
surveyed say that classroom instruction time devoted to civics, government and
citizenship has been reduced because of standardized exams. Mr. Schrade explained
that there is a great need for more in-service training on civics education. Mr. Schrade
explained that when the data gathering is complete, his organization will plan and
convene a series of community forums across the state where community leaders can
consider the data and develop effective local strategies to improve civic education and
engagement. Mr. Schrade explained that the public policy of strengthening civic
education will have to be supported and implemented by Arizona's 211 school districts,
500 plus Arizona Charter schools and the 200 plus private and parochial schools. He
added that parents and grandparents must be counted as the most influential people on
a person's development as a citizen. Arizona students have shown tremendous
enthusiasm for interesting and interactive civic education programs repeatedly putting
Arizona schools at the top of nationwide academic competitions. Mr. Scrade said that
Arizona's potential as a platform to create exceptional civic programs is excellent.
COMMITTEE DISCUSSION
Senator Gray stated that it has been found that if a student is not participating in
extracurricular activities that they are most likely to drop out of school. Teachers were
asked to give two personal things about each of their students, they pointed out the
troublemakers and the highly academic. The rest of the students were left out. She
explained that a problem that adds to that is the large populations in the high schools.
When you have a large population competing for a small amount of activities, a number
of students will not be able to connect with extracurricular activities.
Representative Anderson explained that these are the same struggles and challenges
that have been dealt with for several hundred years and the only problem will be to stop
dealing with them, so it is very exciting that these things are being addressed. He said
that one of the most important responsibilities of a citizen is to transfer the information
and history of our country to the next generation.
Representative Burns said that she had heard the saying that "The only title in our
democracy superior to that of President is the title of Citizen." She stressed that the
focus of this is not just civic education but also civic engagement. She said it is really
going to take all of us to step up to this and move forward and do it all in a non-partisan
way. Representative Burns said that it is really a matter of getting anybody and
everybody out there to focus on civic education and civic engagement. That means
everyone has to put aside his or her personal agendas to find a way of how to do this
and then move forward to reach as many as possible. She said that she and Senator
Bee would be contacting everyone to get opinions and possible next steps.
Joint Legislative Ad Hoc
Committee on Civic Education
November 8, 2005
Page 6
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SCHEDULE NEXT MEETING
Senator Bee said that a tentative date of December 6 is being considered for the next
meeting.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 10:27 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
~k
Shelley Ponce
Committee Secretary
(Tapes and attachments on file in the Secretary of the Senate's Office/Resource Center, Room 115.)
Joint Legislative Ad Hoc
Committee on Civic Education
November 8, 2005
Page 7
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_ AReport Bqsed on th~ Center on Congress at Indiana University's
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. 29@4 Public Opinion Survey
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Indictna Universit~
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THE CENTEil}. ON CONGRESS AT INDIANA UNIVERSITY
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Ifloomington, IN 47405-4703
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EXECUTIV~SUMMA~IY
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The resu ts 0 te, enter·ocn ongrII~ss at Ind'lana Un'1vers.lty,s 2004 publ'IC opi.n,ion surv.ey proVI'de new eVI'del
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citizens have a deFidedly negativ¢lview of Congress; have a high sense of civic duty, but low levels of civic
engagement; and! rely mainly on ~~Ievision for their information about Congress. Citizens prefer that Congn
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president share r~sponsibility forl~andliJ1», the nation's problems, with Congress taking a more central role 1
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president on domestic policy, but pot oif'roreign policy. This report also provides evidence that education i
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what people kno~ and think aboiyt Congress, where they get their political information, and whether they
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the political process.
This report is based on the first o~ ~n annual series of national public opinion surveys sponsored by the Cen
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Congress at Indialfla University th~lt are designed to provide an understanding of "Congress in the public m
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More than 1,400 t~lephone interyilews were conducted by the Survey Research Center, at the University of I
Berkeley during the period from ~iovember2004 to January 2005. The key findings regarding public appro
Congress are: ! :
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• A solid majoritr, 57 percent ofltihe public, disapproves of the way Congress is doing its job.
• Only 49 perce'!t of citizens thirlk their congressional representatives have their constituents' interests in
mind when vqting on policies rhile more than 63 percent of the public think their representatives havE
special interests in mind whe~lcastingroll call votes.
• While 54 percent of younger 1rericans between the ages of 18 and 34 approve of the way Congress is
doing its job, only 38 percent I~f Americans 35 and older approve of Congress' performance.
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In the are~s ofcivic duty and civic ligagement:
•While over 90 percent of Amei'iFans believe it is their duty to communicate with their representatives in
Congress, onl~ one-fifth of th+~ have actually contacted their House member or one of their Senators.
• A~OU.t 20 perc~nt of the PUbliflgiVeS money to candidates, political parties, or ballot initiatives with mo
gifts In the am.ounts of less thrln $100.
• Over half of the public tries tol tersuade others how to vote.
Regarding where citizens learn abJ&t Congress:
• More America8s get their ne1J about Congress from television than from any other source.
• While 64 perc~ntof Americans frust the national network news, approximately the same percentage tn
cable television's Fox News. Ii
• Both younger and older peop'~ are more likely to use television news as their main source of informatic
about Congress. i I
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On public preferences concerning J~ngressiOnalresponsibility:
•The public prefers that Congr$~sand the president share equal responsibility for handling the nation's
problems. i i
•The public prefers that the prJ~identtake the lead on foreign policy issues such as the situation in
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post-war Iraq and the war on ~~rrorism, and that Congress assumes more responsi.bility for domestic
issues such as education. r '
Chart 1:
CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL
CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL AND
GOVERNMENT SATISFACTION
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OVERAU REPUBLICANS DEMOCRATS UNDER35 OVER 35 a
50
100
Looking at congressional approval by party affiliation, the
survey shows that Americans register more support for
Congress when their party ~s in control of the institution.
Sixty-seven percent of Republicans approve of Congress,
What is startling, however, is that one-third of the survey's
respondents strongly disapprove of Congress, while only
17 percent of the public strongly approve of the House
and Senate's handling of the nation's business.
where people get their information about Congress,
and public preferences regarding how Congress should
handle various contemporary issues. The survey chron­icles
the public's evaluations of Congress, and also aims
to improve our understanding of the components that
make up "Congress in the public mind:'
NOt surprisingly, Chart 1 shows that 57 percent of
the Center on Congress survey respondents
answered the question "Do you approve or disap­prove
of the way Congress is handling its job?" by
indicating that they disapprove of the way the
legislative branch is carrying out its duties. As has long
been known, Americans tend to hate Congress but love
their own congressperson.
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This report summarizes the results ~>fthe Congress survey
that focus on the following topics: ~JngreSsional approv­al,
citizens' understanding of civic d~lty, civic engagement,
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INTRODUCTION 11
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II In his award-winnirg book How Cbhgress Works and
Why You Should cfre, former con~ressmanand Direc­tor
of the Center in Congress at Indiana University Lee
H. Hamilton wrote that"when people are u.~5et about
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Congress, it undermines public conrtlence in
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government and fosters cynicism a~a disengagement:'
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The findings of the qenter on cong1e
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ss survey of public
attitudes about con¥ress and citizen engagement reveal
a public that generally disapproves rf how Congress
handles its job; believes House and D11enate members are
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more likely to have special interests! and not constituent
interests, in mind w~en lawmaking;llnd, as Hamilton pre­dicted,
largely avoid~ engaging in ttr political process.
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The survey reveals t~at a strong maJ~rityof citizens do
not communicate w,th their represJttatives in Washing­ton,
do not volunteer to work for p+tical parties, and get
most of their congrJssional news fr0~ the television set.
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These results are not likely to warm It,he hearts of those
who believe that an :informed, engalded citizenry is
necessary for theArn' en°can expen.1n1nnt to floun°sh.
On the other hand, the survey also llggests conditions
under which citizen~ show a greate~ ~nderstanding of
what Congress does! and increase t1iir civic participation.
The survey shows th,at in nearly all Gises, the more edu­cated
people are, regardless of age,lthe more likely they
are to vot~ in electiQnsand commu~icateabout
politics-both with ~heir represent~tives and their
friends. The results (:llso suggest thJ~ civic education
programs desig~ed~o provide usef~1 information about
the role of democratic institutions Si~Ch as Congress can
foster better-informed citizens. iI
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which has a Repu?lican majorityhboth houses, while 26
percent of Democ~atsapprove. T~'rty-three percent of
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Republicans disapprove of the le~iflativebranch while 73
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percent of Democrats express dis~pproval.
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Meanwhile youngrr people seemi ~o approve of Congress
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more than older p~ople do. Fifty-rpur pei'€ent of those
under 35 approve:ofthe way cong1ress operates, while 38
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percent of those 3~ and older apP'~ove of the way
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Congress does its job. Ii
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Even though a sU9stantiai majoriH of the public disap-proves
of how Co~gress handles r;work, only one-fifth
of the survey resppndents said tha~ they thought their
lives were "just about always" aff+~ed by congressional
decisions. Howevrr, 36 percent offhe public believes
that their lives we~e affected by t~t decisions of Congress
"most of the time"land 39 perceni said that they feel the
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effect of Congressfwork "some of ~~e time:'
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When it comes to congressional rh:embers' motivations
when casting a vote, the public hH a seemingly cynical
view oft~e nation(s lawmakers. VVhile almost half ofthe
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respondents said that members d,filcongress have their
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constituents' inter~sts in mind eitpler "most of the time" or
"just about alway~:'64 percent oHhe survey respondents
said that citizens' ~epresentatives ~ave "special interests"
in mind when ma~ing decisions. II
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CIVIC DUTY AND CIVIC
ENGAGEME1NT ! 1
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urning our a.t.tention to hoi fitizens behave as well
as how they:think people liiilng in a democracy
should behave, we find thati~orethan 80 percent
of the survey respondents say th~~ they voted in the 2004
election. Clearly, many of our res~tndentseither have
faulty memories o'r are embarras,~d about failing to cast
~ !
a ballot in 2004 since just over 70 percent of th,
claim that they are registered to vote in the firs
(and, of course, not all of those registered to vc
actually did!). Regardless, it is impressive that (
four-fifths of the public either voted or at least
they should have voted.
Besides simply voting, there are many other Wi
citizens can participate in the political process.
citizens' generally negative view of Congress, a
extraordinarily high majority of the public beli
they should keep in touch with their elected o·
However, the public less frequently acts in acCt
with their civic views. As Chart 2 shows, 94 per
survey respondents either strongly or somew~
with the statement that "citizens in a democral
responSibility to communicate with their elect
congressional members:' But barely one-fifth I
contacted their House member, less than one­contacted
one of their senators, and less than
percent have ever volunteered to work for a G
political party, or ballot initiative.
Both age and education affect the likelihood c
contacting their representatives. Twenty-four I
people over the age of 35 have contacted thei
representative in the previous year while only
ofthose between the ages of 18 and 34 have (
Similarly, 21 percent of college graduates repc
ing their representative, but only 14 percent 0
only a high school education report having de
When it comes to monetary contributions, on:
percent of the public report giving money to (
campaign, political party, or political action cc
2004. Of those, 8 percent were Democrats ani
were Republicans. Just over 50 percent of the
tors reported giving 100 dollars or less, and 2:
contributors reported giving exactly 1,000 dO
5
Of course, getting information and believing information
are two different things. Ofthose who named television
as their primary source of information about Congress, 29
percent regularly watch Fox News on cable television. Of
those who watch Fox News regularly, 86 percent either
"completely" or"somewhat"trust the information they
receive from this cable network. But only 56 percent of
these Fox News viewers trust the national network news.
For those whose primary source of information about
Congress is a newspaper, 63 percent either"completely"
or "somewhat" trust what they see in print each morning.
How do those sources influence what people know about
Congress? As Chart 3 indicates, more than 78 percent of
the public knew that Republicans would be in the major­ity
in the House and 70 percent were aware that Republi­cans
would be in the majority in the Senate after the 2004
elections. Of those who report that the newspaper is their
main source of information about Congress, 82 percent
knew that Republicans held the majority in the Senate
and 85 percent were clear on the Republican majority
in the House after the 2004 elections. As for those who
Education appears to influence the public's choice of
information, with ?5 percent of those with only a high
school education relying on television for their informa­tion
about Congress, and 21 percent using newspapers
for their information. This contrasts with 44 percent of
college graduates obtaining their information about
Congress from the television while 23 percent say that
they get most of their information about Congress from
newspapers.
23 percent use newspapers as their main source of infor­mation
about Congress. More than 11 percent of citizens
use the Internet as their primary information source to
catch up with Congress and 8 percent listen to the radio.
Fewer citizens talk to others (7 percent) or read news
magazines (2 percent) to get their Congress fix.
II
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Chart 2: Ii
DO CITIZENS CONTACT 'THEIR CONGRESSIOit LAWMAKERS?
I,
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50
100
I·,I ­..
-I
Note; 'Includes respondents who ~someWhat" and "strongly· a9ree;~ Include those who ~somewhat"and -strongly"disagree.
percent 0 f Republ "lCa~ contn'butors redfort gi.V,ing more
than 1,000 dollars, while 33 percent dfJ Democratic
; II
contributors report giving more tha1 r,000 dollars.
J I
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Even though citizens idO not contact fheir representatives
or give money to polijtical causes in Hiph numbers, a
majority of the publi4 do participate lin the political
process through their own social net!rorks. Fifty-six
percent of the survey! respondents s~ent time during the
2004 campai.gn trY,Ini~ to convi.nce peIoI,pIethey knew to
f . I 'd'd I. vote or partlCu ar car I ates or paTis.
f II
SOURCES OFf INFORMATION ABOUT
CONGRESS I II
i I
! I i I Where do peo.,Ple" eva,ualioil of Congress come
from? One place to look for rhe foundations of
public opini;on about Congress is to examine
the sources of information people ul~~ to learn about
Congress. , I
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Television news is far and away the ~ost prominent
source used by the public to get in~lrmationabout the
legislative branch of government. ~hile 47 percent of
the public turn to te!levision for con!wessiOnal.news, only
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EDUCATION 9/11 COMMISSION SITUATION'
RECOMMENDATIONS IRAQ
ECONOMY
Note:The numbers on charts 1-4 may not add up to 100%, due to rounding.
o
20
Chart 4:
PUBLIC PREFERENCES REGARDING WHO IS MOST
FOR HANDLING MAJOR PROBLEMS FACING THE U
80
60
40
Most
Responsible
nation's major problems and issues. Howeve
policy issues, such as the international effort
ism, 67 percent of the public prefers an equa
responsibility between the executive and leg
branches, but 16 percent favors presidential
the terror fight while only 7 percent gave pril
responsibility to Congress. Regarding the pc
situation in Iraq, 54 percent of survey respon
equal handling of the situation from the pre~
gress, 16 percent put the president in the dri
9 percent place Congress upfront. It is intere
percent of the public wanted "someone else"
sible for dealing with Iraq.
On domestic issues, the public prefers that C
a more central role. Regarding education, nE
of the public wants Congress in charge while
percent of citizens give the president primar
About 47 percent prefer that the president a
share equal responsibility for dealing with ec
the rest ofthe public (25 percent) would rat~
else" handle it. When it comes to the econor
gave equal responsibility to the president an
100
OVERALL NEWSPAPERS INTERNET o II TV
II Knew Republicans ,were majority in the House !! II Knew Republicans w, ere majority in the Senate :!1 iI
NOIl!: Respondents who answered "don't know,·"the Democrats." or jbOth parties will be equally represented"when asked
which party would be in the majority following the 2004 elections Wf!rl!: coded as answering incorrectly. · II ,;
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Republican majority in the Senatel Members of the
· II
public who rely onthe Internet fo( their news of Congress · II
fell somewhere in the middle, witT 175 percent reporting
knowledge of the ~. epublican majFlrity in the Senate, and 80
percent in the Hou.se. !
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100
II
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report that television is their primHy source of information
about Congress, 79 percent knew ~hat Republicans were in
the majority in theiHouse, and66 ~rcentwere aware olthe
THE INFLUENCE <;>F CITIZENS' MAIN SP,URCE OF INFORMATION
ABOUT CONGRE~SON CITIZENS' KN1WLEDGE ABOUT CONGRESS
50
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PUBLIC PREFERENCE!S OF
I I II
CONGRESSIONAL-RESPONSIBILITY
I I' II . so we have anidea of what th:~ public thinks of
Congress, how. engaged the ~u.blic is civically, and
· ! I
where the pu!blic gets their iMormation. But what
exactly does the public want con~iessto do? The Center
on Congress survey in 2004 aSked!rrspondents about who
they believed was '.'most responsib~e for handling" the post­war
situation in Iraq, the war on tJrrorism, the economy,
education, and implementing thelrommendations from
the'9/11 Commission. The resultsl9re shown in Chart 4.
! !
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In general, the public seems to pre(er that the president
and Congress take equal resPOnSi~~lity for dealing with the
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As for who should lead the way in i~plementing the
recommendations o;f the 9/11 comr!lIs.s.lon, t he publ'IC
was ambivalent. Eighteenpercent o~ survey respondents
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put the president fir~t, 18 percent hrld Congress up front,
and 56 percent placed equal resPol~ibilityon both.
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WHERE DO WE GO FRIIM HIREit
! " II ' I
, I The findings of this PUb~ic oPTlion,~urvey.suggest
that despite the founding fat~ers intention that
Congress wOl1ld provide the !~ost direct represen-
; Ii
tation of the citizenry, today Ameririans register a very
different view of ho~ Congress op+rtes and how well
it works. Well over half of t.he respondents i~ this survey
disapprove of Congress, with more fran a third strongly
disapproving of its performance. TlTlls fact alone may not
astound many political observers, ~Jt underlying this
decidedly negative view of congresJ lies a strong current
II
of civic responsibility. Indeed, ~ori ,han 90 percent .o~
our respondents believe that cltlzerp~ have a responsibil­ity
to vote and a duty to contact th~ir legislators. These
I
lofty sentiments are in stark contra~t with the fact that
I
barely 60 percent ofthe eligible v01,rs typically turn out
to vote in presidential contests, onlrl20 percent ofthe re­spondents
surveyed reported contnting their represen­tative
in the House, and only 15 perfient contacted one of
their senators. What explains this driiconnect?
i!
The findings presented here point tr several potential
answers. Partisan aff,iliation appear1,1I 0 affect. the publ'IC,s
willingness to give Congress a thunrbs up or a thumbs
down, indicating tha.t Americans mL[~I ter more support
for Congress when their party is in <t~ntrol of the
institution. Clearly, the public's eval~lation of Congress is
part of the larger pojlarization that 9iaracterizes .
co'ntemporary American politics. !!
: I
Education and age also appear to influence the public's
evaluations. Younger people, those under the age of 35,
show more approval for Congress than those over the
age of 35. Respondents with a four-year college degree
are more likely to register support for citizen participation
in a representative democracy, as well as actively partici­pate
by contributing their time and money to political
causes. What do these differences mean? Will these
findings hold over time? If not, what explains changes in
the public's assessment of Congress?
In his book How Congress Works and Why You Should Care,
Lee H. Hamilton wrote that"in a representative democ­racy
like ours, in which Congress must reflect the views
and interests ofthe American people as it frames the
basic laws of the land, it really does matter what people
think about Congress:' Because the public's preferences
lie at the very heart of our representative democracy, it
is crucial that we not only understand what is at the core
of the public's cynicism and disapproval of Congress, but
that we understand how to combat these sentiments.
The findings discussed here represent the first installment
of what will be an annual survey sponsored by the Center
on Congress at Indiana University examining the public's
attitudes toward Congress. The Center on Congress
believes that a regular assessment ofthe public's at­titudes
toward Congress will fill a gap in our general
understanding of the public's perceptions of Congress
and allow us to measure changes in citizens'
understanding and evaluation of Congress across time.
In doing so, the Center on Congress endeavors to provide
the public, Congress, the media, and congressional
scholars with an in-depth assessment of the public's
perceptions, as well as possible solutions to combat the
public's cynicism and disapproval of Congress.
7
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ABOUT THEIAUTHORS
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Edward G. Carmines is Warren o.!dhapman Professor and Rudy Professor of Political Science at Indiana Uni'
He is also the rese9rch director at He Center on Congress at Indiana University. Among his many publicatior
Issue Evolution: Raqe and the Trans~~rmationofAmerican Politics and Reaching Beyond Race, both of which wo
Kammerer Award ~s the best boo~ln Ar1]j,~4:ican politics from the American Political Science Association.
it -:-~k
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Jessica C. Gerrity is a Ph.D. candi11te in political science at Indiana University. Her research focuses on inte
groups' efforts to imfluence the cOfbressional and public debate surrounding policy issues. Her research sUI
eludes a Dirksen Congressional Re~farch Award and a dissertation writing fellowship from Indiana Universit
I,
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Michael w. Wa9n~r is a Ph.D. can~idate in political science at Indiana University. He is a former reporter w~
dissertation resear~h focuses on tft conditions under which partisan issue framing in the media can affect I
opinion. His research is funded bX grants from the National Science Foundation, the Dirksen Congressional
and Indiana University. ! I
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For more than 2?O years, Americans hav~ shared avision ola democracy in which aU titizensunderstaild, appnicia\e,'andengage actively
in civic and political nr"e,ln recentdecabJs, however, ihcreasing numbers of Americansha~~;dise:ri~ag:edfrorr;ti\frCandpolitbijnstit&tions .
such as voluntary associations, religiOu~ ~ongregations, community-based orgahizations, and political and '~leetor~1 activitie~ such as voting
:~:::~'::'n:,:::::::':1~~~~::::::~,::: :"::;,~:,: ;::~:t~~:",~~,~~m:::,~::;~ '.
not be prepared,to participate fUlly in o~r democracy now and when they become adults. . ". " .. '
Civic education shouid help young peb~le acquire and learn to use the skills, knowledge, and attitudes that Wiu prepare them to be competent
, i I . '. .. : . ... , ..... .
and responsible citizens 'throughoutth~ir lives, Competent and responsible citizens: . , "
'I .
are informed and thoughtful; hav~ agrasp and an appreciation of history and the fundamental processes of American democracy; have
an understanding and awareness! df public and' co~munity issues; and have the ability to obtain' inforni~tion, think' critically, and enter i' . . ' .
into dialogue among others with biherent perspectives. " ',. "" ,'. ': "':', .' ., ,", . • .".'. iI . .. . '" '.:',.' .. '"
. 2' .participate in their communities through membership in or contributions to organizations working to' address an ~rray of (1)ltural, social, ! I ' .' ' -'.. .. ' , .
political, and reiigiousinterests ah~ beliefs.
3 act politically by haVing the skillsi, knOWledge, and commitment needed to accomplish pubiic purposes, such as. group problem Solving,
public speaking, petitioning and b~otesting, and voting. . . .' '.' ..... ". ..
i ~
4 have moral and civic virtues suc~ hs concern for the rights and welfare of others, social responsibility, tolerance and respect, and belief
in the capacity to make a differeh~e. ..
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4
Attachment
i I . . Ii.' .• ". . ..•. '.' .
.. It is cr~cial for t~e future h~altr of our democracy that all young pe9p1e; lncIUdingt~q~e.Who are usuaIIY[11arginaUzed,?eknOwledgeable" .'.
engaged in their communities!!and .in;.politics, a.n,d-G,o'mm. ittedto th.e..-]"iub:licg-o-od;.·".,.' ..'. .':. ." . . . . .'. , ,.
i i . ,,; "
II Encouraging the development hf civic skills and attitudes among young peoplehastieen ali important goal of educ~tlon and was the
prima~ impetus for Originall~ ~stabliShing public schools. . .. .' . .
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it Schools can capitalize onl several positive trends related to youth civic engagement, including an increase in the number of young
people involved in communit jservice ~ndVO!unfeeringand in the percenta.ge· of youn.gpeOPle who are tOI~rant a~d .committe~ t~free Sp~eGh. ,
i . . .
II Schools can help addres~ ~isturbing trends related to youth civic engagement,'including a decrease in young people's interest in
political discussion and pu~InIb issues; their tendency to be mo.re.cynical and.'a:lie.n:a'ted fr.om'for,mal'poilt'ics..,m'ore materialistic,a.nd l.ess .'
trustjng; and adecline in t~e,r voter participation rates. .,. .... ". .
'i '
.. Scllool-basedcivic educ~tion is in decline. Most formal ciVic education today comprises only a single semester course on .
government -compared tp las many as three courses in democracy, civics, and government that were co~mon until the 1'960S.
!ll Numerous factors work against even the best intentions educators may have to promote civic engagement:among young
. . i I . ,
people. Tl1ese obstacles inic!ude fear of cr.iticism and litigation if educators address topics that may be considered controversial or
political in nature; pressunlsho meet the goals of high-stakes testing, which now measures reading and mathematics skills (civic
'i .
education is rarely include~): and bUdget cutbacks in extracurricular programs'that help children gain civic skills and attitudes.
1 l
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WHY 7~!S IS A!~ iMPOR1!llNT TIME fURSGHOIH.S TO FOCl.lStH'i CH!ICEDl.lCATiGN .
III Schools are the. only instituti~~s with the capacity and mandate to r~ach virtually eve~y young person in the country. Of all institutions,
schools are the most system~~ically and directly responsible for imparting citizen norms.
!! .'
m: Schools are best equipped t9 ?ddress the cognitive aspects of good citizenship -civic and political knowledge and related skills
such as criticalthinking and !deliberation. . . . .
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II Schoqls are communitiesm ~hich young peoplel~arn to interact, argue,and work !()gether with others, an lmportant1'oundatton
'. f~ f"t'"ti''''h~ 'I! . .."..••.......•...'. '. ..•...'..... ..W,;»~j ..~/ ,-,",L';;:} i
y
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II Many non-school institutions that ,used to provide venues for young people to participate in civic andpoliticalaffairs(suc~ ,,!s political., .. .,.' ,..i.. .. : ! i ' ' .' , '.' :: :; .. ': '. '" .. ; ;.•:; .•:.. ', .. : "".':::;'::" . "'.:' .
parties, unions: nonprofit ass:Ociations, and activist religious denomination$)have 'lost the capacity or will to engage young people, Schools': .. '
..' !I.' ........," :..:..... , ',::,..,.,." ." .,> :';',." .,.' .. ,.:,.:" ..
as major communityinstitu*ns, can help reverse this trend and llavean impactonother institutions (political,economic,religious,
, . : .' " i I . - '" _ :. ", _~ "':"- "":' ;::. '" ',: : _:,-.,' _. . ,'-.- . .' .
.'and fa'mily.).; by"'providing.quiill(tiy,education that i.mprove.s.. young peo.ple.'s,C:ivic.kn,OW'le.d. g.e.,.skills,a..n.d.int,en.tio.ns to v.ote.a.nd..vOlun.teer.
• Forty state coqstitutions mehtion the importance of ciVicriteracyamongdtii~n;',and13 of t~em statethatacentralpu~6se '6f their
educ;1tional system is to prd~ote good citizenship, democracy and free>gove~nment.< ..,' ...; .. .' .'.
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S!X ?PiOfJiISING APP!'Hl!.;U~HE$ iTO Cn.m:E[jUCftTlON
, . .... . ...••.. iI .... '.•. '. '. .' ': .
Research shows that schools can Ijelpto' develop competent and responsible Citizens when they:. ... i I . ". '....•. ' .. , ".......... . '
1 Provide instruction i~ governm~nt, history, law,'and democracy. Formal:instructi~n"i'n u.S.go~ernment, history,anduemocracyincreases
civic knowledge. This is avaluabl~ cloal in itself and may also contribute to young people's tendency to engage ill ~ivjc and political activities
over the long term. However, sCh061~ sh~uld avoid teaching only rote facts about dry'prD~~dwe;. whiqh is unlikelyto benefit mUdentsand
". i!'" ." ." ... ',...... ...... ..
may actually alienate them from politics. , : i
2 Incorporate discussion ofcurrent ~ocal, national, and international issues'and events into the classroom,.particuiarly those that young
. '. i I ..... '. :' .
people vieW as important toth~i1Iives. When young peopie have opportunities to discuss curren~.issues ir1,a~lasS~.O?m.s':tting,th~ytend
to have greater interestin politics, !irflproved critical thinking and communications~kills. more civic knoWledge, and.inore interestin discussing·· .
.. ,. .!. _. .,~ ; . "":.., i I .' .. ....., .,- :' .' ', ' :-::.: ;.:< ,: ::.':..:.:,:: .','. .. -. -..: :,:.-:. ._. . "'. ':.:,: -::',: .
public affairs',out of ~ChooLC~nversations, however; shouid be carefu.lJymoderated Sqthat 'stude~tsJeel welcome to speakfrorn avariety of .'.
perspectives.Jeach~rs need sUPP~~ in broaching controversial issU.es in classroomsSincet~ey~ay risk criticisrn .or sanctio,~siftheY: do so:
Desi~n. andi~p~ementp'rogram~ ~hat,. pr~vide, studentswith th~:Opp::rt~nity~?·:~~PI~w~~t.~~YI~.arn~hr?Ug~,Prrfo.rri.n·gC?nlinun~.
·.. servlce that IS hnkedtothe forr:nal curm;uh.lm and classroom instructIOn. Service programs .are now £ommon mK·12 sChopls.The .
. ' •. : ." i I '..:. . . ", '" .'; .:/.....,... .' ' ,.::
ones that tiest.developengaged citi~ensare linkedto the curriculum; consciously pUr&uecivicplltwmes, rather than seek onlyto[rnprove' '.'
.'.. ~c~d~m1f pe~or~anc~?rto :pro~r~e 'hlgher seIT~~'~~em;ailo~ st~ae~tsto~nHage)h',~~~rii~~u.I~or~nserrou·s pJb,'i~ jiiu,~s~:'~[i~:~tu~'~~ts: .
"'a role1n choosing and. designing their projects; .provide studeQtsl'iithbpportunitiestoreflect.on the service work; allow studentshesPecially" .
.... ~Ider ones ~t~ p~~sue~olitical rJs~on'sestoP~Oblems Conslste~twithlaws ihaf :i~~~ir~ P'Ubli(i~ChOOIS'to be nimpartii~n/~nd;~~:"" ....
.. , .' .•.. i· i . . . ... :. . ..•. ':,.-.:".: .. :' :. '..;.."..... . ,.. ", .,:; :;,.,.,' :..
service-fearningaspart ofa broader Philosophy toward education. not just aprogr;:im .ttJatisadopted fora finite period, in aparticular eourse.
. .. " i· .':.:'i.',i,' •,.,' '..' !'I· .... ' .....•.•..•,,\,;p,." "':' .. .'.:,';'.>""'·"r:"··':'·:'.·:;':" •.•. :::,.;.'::':·S·,'· ,',;.':.';;.,..... '.
· Offer extracurricular activities that provide opportunities for young people to gclinitolvedili .theirscholilsor 'climmunities..t6rigterrn ,
'. ';";""'.'1 I'·:.'.,:···..·,.···· ··,·:···.i I '. ..... .,..... "':;.;" ......,..•:.; ..·...·:·.· ....'·,'...;0".·.,.·:·'·,.;."1"'.:.;:: •••...,:... ':.,.'. ;',.:'., ..... ,'.,.,'.,.'.• ',.,.. .,i'• .•'".".:.. : ,
· studies of Ameriqms show ttj(lt ttiosewho participate in extracurriclilar act)vitiesinhi9tr schoolremain more civicallY engaged than their .
. : .,"; .. :'.... ;:.:'.:.: ... 11 :.... :...... . ":>" -_.-.;'_':-;'.' ...:::.::'.,:<:;.,. :'::\:~;:"'" . ">'f.:~:,:,:".:.; ...,.. ' '.." '.,
contemporaries even: decades late(, Thus, everyone should have opportunities to join.highschOol groups, and such participation should be valued. . . !I . ". ..' ......•. . . .' ......, . .
5 Encourage student participation in school governance. Along tradition of research suggests that {living students more opportunities·to
participate in the management of ~~eir oWn classrooms and schools builds their civic skills and attitudes. Thus, giving students a v~ice ;n
, . i I . ',' . . ..... .. .
. school govemanceis apromisinglVJIay to enc~urage all young people to engage civically.. '
i I ....
6. Encourage students' partiCipatioh in Simulatio~s of democratic processes anllProcedures·. Recent eVidericeiJ1diGatesth~tsimuiations
of voting, ~aIS,legiSlativ~ deliber~tlon, and diplomacyin~Chools can lead to h~ighieried' pOlitical~oWledge' a~d/jnteres~ T~e 'data ~re.'n~t .'
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conclusive; but these approaches!show promise and should be consideredwhen developing programsano curriculum, .'.'
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'. . This report' conchid.e,"s wlth. n.umerb{lIls rec.o. mme.n'(jatibns for sch'ools an.d SGhool'systems.';; state and natio. nal:pblicymakers, coll.e' ges a.nd
universities, researchers, and privkte funders: Following are some majer'recommendations in brief form:
1 Schools should work with stJtl education departm~nts and local school district'officials ttl develop and estabfish civic education ,curricula . .... "': II .' . . :..... . : ;;..:'.', .. . ,.: . . . "•. " .' ..
based 'on combinations of the~ix promising apprOaches noted above. These curricula shoUld be parts ot every stude.nt's school experience'
at every grade l~Vel. I , : iI . . .... .
2 School adminis..trator.'s sho.uildIa·llow and encourage educators to facilitate dis.cussio'.n' s of complex and/.or c.ontroversial.. current events
and issues in the classroom.: I . ..' .. .'. .
•., .. ';,.: .i[ .. ·;·::.· ..' ....:.:', " :•........' .
3 The 'federal govemrnent stlould increaselhe amountof federalfuriding avaHabletostates for clvic€ducat(on, The;govemmerilshOuld: .
.' further cOrisider'~~t~bii~hirig ial newfederale'ntity ~ithresponsibiiityfo~ ci~i~"e~ucat;~~: Je;ha~sa";Nq;ti'6n~(8i~icEdU(;~ti~~':F6J'rid~tlonF .: .•.
.'. Which:.,wouldi,i,o;~missi:o.n.'.r.e·1Je~t rch on civic.e. "du'G. ati"on:,.encoumge':th" e .d, ev.el.b~,me.~..t..o..f••• m, od~IP.rograms.... 'h~I.P'd,esigr.t,a.nd':':" impl.e.m.e.n.t. .
curricula! and s.erVe: as (I nat)Oralcl:e.aringhoUSe on chile educ~tiO~ fprteachers,andschQols acrossth~countf.Y ...'. . ..
'" • '1.'. .'. '.. " '. ....>.. . ." ." . . .. '. .
.Standards 'stibuld'beiiJipiJ~ented for· civi~education.Thiscan·be d~n¢bY1)fnOre freqU~ntly QffB~ingtheNatiOhal Ass'~ssment of·
•• Educational.prOgress's.·.(NAEf~ CiVi~sAssessment:l~ ·~tatesa.:~el(~s;~~ti~~~II~~.~nd;~(2treexami~i~g·§~i~!.~·g ..Aat~.sbc~al"~tudi.e~.~nd:':·
. Civic education: standards wi~ti agoal of .imsuringthat th.epriim[sin'gapproache~Lari(j·Q6alsofcivicBducatiorioutlihed in. this (.eportare
"."~"j:~'·~ibj"h,~'l! r',"pp~ni"~""'" ~"d ,"~,"!';P;Ii~~"': " ',' ," ,', ," " " ' , " .
Schools ofeducalioQshouldstrengthen the civil; dimensions'of pre-service andi!icservic~educationfOrteachers and administrators.
. . f.. ••.• ;.,.:, ': • .' rl: :'..,...... .. "'i':', .. ,.,' .' ii.. '><.;;';""/';';.. :"",:',';:..: .•:: :··:.··T:··,"·';"':··'·;·;"}"·.,·;, ':".:; .
. ThOSeWho.~re..alr:ecrciY .\V~r111gir\~c;h.~ls~~9u,?a,so. ~e.Qff~redt~e.E~ff;n~~i~~~. aCQUi~econtinufn~~~U~~;i?~~rSd~~Sr~(~~e~:~~ ..•:
civic education so that they lc;mbecome more skilled (It inculcatif1Q:the C1Vic'k[loWledge, skills, and attltud~s studentsneedtobecome . . ...'.. Ii' .... . . ..... " ,..... .. .'
responsibleanci ehgagedciti2flOS.· " ." ..' . .' . .' "..'
.. .. I I . .•. .. ,'. ..
6 Researchers shoulddevelJp!and implement morer;gorous stUdi~S' ~nciUdiIl9'IO(lgitudinal TeSearCh)abbUt;effedi;~ service~"~~rn;ng··
. ,I .. . '. .. ,.
and other civic educatiOn a~proaches~ Researchers should also develop Indica10rs for civic knowledge, skills; and' attitudes ateach
. I I .. ". .' :.:" . "' ; .. .
phase of K-12schQoling. :!
7 Funders should supporte~oks tobuild national and state coalitiqnsof educat~rs, policymakers', parents, youngpeop1e,aniH:ommunity
leaders to adJocate for beJefand more civic education in schoois.· .
. . -: 1" i -, - .
This report proVides aframewor~ for creating more effective civic education programs in our schools andrepresents, for the first time,
consensus about this iss~e amHg the nation's leaciing sCholar~ and practi!iOh;ers.We hope tha,tthe concret~ recom~endatiOrisprovided
in this report will help us movelffom rheto~ical expressiOns of concern about youth Civic engagement·toimplementing richer and more' .
comprehensive ciViC'educationjprOgramsthat will not only help schools fulfilltheircivic.missions, but also ensure that yoUng~mericans
have the tools they need topa~i~ipate fully in the political and Civic processes that are thehallmarkof'U.S. democracy. . .
i I . .
LJ
, ,
; i
,:;
7
Attachment
Many Americans today Sl
be unable to define the d
between the two, but the
big difference between a
racy and a republic. That d
rests in the source of a
It may generally be remarked
more a government resembles a
mocracy the more they abound 1
order and confusion. l1 Zephani~
author of pioneering Americ
texts; US Representative; Chie
of the Connecticut Supreme (
Pure democracy cannot subS1
nor be carried far into the
ments of state; it is very su
caprice and the madness of
rage. 1O John Witherspoon, si:
the Declaration of Indepl:
fI1he experience of all foTm.ei
had shown that of all human j
ments, democracy was the mo
stable, fluctuating and Sh011
John Quincy Adams, sixth prl
of the United States of AJ
In democracy... there are COl
tumults and disorders. '" Thel
pure democracy is generally a v
government. It is often the most .
cal government on earth.9 Noah'
In a republic, the general pc
elects representatives who pa:
govern the nation.
A simple democracy... is one
greatest of evils. B Benjamin Rush
of the Declaration of Indepel
A pure democracy operates 1
majority vote of the people. '
issue is to be dedded, the enti
lation votes on it; the majol
and rules.
.. bench outside Independence Halt in Philadelphia. Awoman approacM<! hir
- Quoted in -America's Bill of Rights at 200 Years,- by Chief Justice Wa.neft
Madison.
" .' editor. Boston: Charles C.little and James Brown. 1850; Vol. VI, 484,
ocracy V~
tumult of democ­lit
has] every­
·":despotism.
> ·ld. Thou
virtu­and
and
tition.
opportunity to
in America and
e important, the
that the United
was never to be-wn
accustomed to
"~on is a democracy,
e intention of the
sted us with a re­'
acy.l
er been spectacles
tention; have ever
, le with personal
'of property; and
;'been as short in their
ey have been violent in their
E'4""~"".C' . James Madison, fourth presi­lif:
J7'''':dent of the United States of America.
I:
emember, democracy never lasts long. It
. -wastes, exhausts, and murders itself
ever was a democracy yet that
mit suicide. 3 John Adams,
jent, and second presi­States
of America.
'::::""'hi;'iS demonstrated In the anecdote ~~u~,B~'n
".." ~I:.~i. :Franklin, what have you done for us?" Franklin-Quic~ly
. -:"Jd.eritioIStudjes Quarterly. Vol XXI; No. 3. Summer199~45
:~Alex.ander Hamilton, John Jay, James Madi50n. The Federolisrori
'Letter from John Adams to John Taylor;Aprfl 15. 18t4. Thf'll6rl<5:ofJdhn ~a~s..~ec.im
"Speech on Biennial Elections, delivered January 1]88. Works of'!sher ~m~ .(Boste:m:·T~ ,B.-Wa
sSpeech. -The Dangers of American liberty," delivered-February 1805: Anies.-ibid.. 384;, ..... "':,. '" ,", , ", ,_~,,:
'Gouvemeur Moms, An Oratian Delivered on Wednesday,. Jun~ 29. :l814J at the Request'ota Number"O{.Dtizens, " ". ," " ' I~bmtiori of the Recent DelwelDnCl
and Wiley, 1814: 10, 22. i I . .~~'".~":~~'~':"'\ _:; ::-".:,~,..~,;-
7John Quincy Adams, The Jubilee of the Constitution. ADiKourse Delivered at the Request af the New Yoril: ·HjstoricC!r50c~t)l":In the City ofNew York on TueSday, the
George Washington os President of the United States. on Thursday,. the/30th ofApril. 1789. New York: Samuel Colman,.,,839: 53.
'letter from Benjamin Rush to John Adams on July 21, 1789- The Lette~ ofBenjamin RUSh, L H. Bunerfield, editor. Princ~ton: Princeton University Press for the Amel
'Noah Webster, The Amen"can Spelling'Book: Containing an Easy Sta~~ard Of Pronunciation: Being the First Part Ofa Grommaricallnsr;rute afthe English Language,
Federal Catechism. Boston: Isaiah Thomas and Ebenezer T. Andrews,l'801; '°3.1°4.
.....Lecture 12 on Crvil Society."Iohn Witherspoon, The Worl:s ofJohn ~fherspoon. Edinburgh: J. Ogle, 1815; Vol. VII, 101.
!I
Repub~ic
.~,i; 11I.!'
David Barton is the Founder
and President of WallBuilders.
a national pro-family organiza­tion
which distributes histori­cal,
legal, and statistical infor­mation.
WallBuilders seeks to.
energize the grassroots today
to rebuild that which makes
America strong-its consti·
tutional, moral. and religious
foundations.
Only by understanding the nature of
the American republic's foundation
can citizens begin to effectively protect
it. RJM
As John Adams explained: {D]emocracy
will soon degenerate into an anarchy;
such an anarchy that every man will
do what is right in his own eyes and no
man's life or property or reputation or
liberty will be secure, and every one of
these will soon mould itself into a system
of subordination of all the moral virtues
and intellectual. abilities, all the powers
of wealth, beauty, wit, and science, to the
wanton pleasures, the capricious will,
and the execrable [abominable] crnelty of
one or a very few. 20
A republic is the highest form of
government devised by man, but it
also requires the greatest amount of
human care· and maintenance. If ne­glected,
it can deteriorate into a variety
of lesser forms, including a democracy
(a government conducted by popular,
feeling); anarchy (a system in which.
each person determines his own rules
and standards); oligarchy (a govern­ment
run by a small council or a group
of elite' individuals): or dictatorship
(a government run by a single indi­vidual).
The Founders understood that Biblical
values foimed the basis of the repub­lic
and that the republic would be
destroyed if the people's knowledge
of those values should ever be lost.
fI1he law... dictated by God Himself is,
of course, superior in obligation to any
other. It is binding over all the globe, in
all countries, and at all times. No human
laws are of any validity if contrary to
this. 18 Alexander Hamilton, signer of
the Constitution, first Secretary of the
Treasury.
The Founders echoed that theme:
fI1he ... law established by the Creator...
extends over the whole globe, is every­where
and at all times binding upon
mankind. ... [This] is the law ofGod by
which He makes His way known to man
and is paramount to all human control. 19
Rufus King, signer of the Constitution.
its own policy only if God's revealed
will had not made itself known. For
example, Blackstone's Commentaries
explained: [For] instance in the case
of murder: this is expressly forbidden
by the Divine. ... If any human law
should allow or enjoin us to commit it
we are bound to transgress that human
law. ... But, with regard to matters that
are... not commanded or forbidden by
those superior laws such, for instance, as
exporting of wool into foreign countries;
here the... legislature has scope and op­portunity
to interpose. 16
All [laws], however, may be arranged
in two different classes. 1) Divine. 2)
Human. ... But it should always be
remembered that this law, natural or
revealed, made for men or for nations,
flows from the same Divine source: it is
the law of God. ... Human law must
rest its authority ultimately upon the
authority of that law which is DivineY
James Wilson, one of only six Founders
who signed both the Declaration of
Independence and the Constitution;
U. S. Supreme Court Justice.
America's immutable principles of
right and wrong were not based on the i i
rapidly fluctuating feelings and emo-: .
tions of the people, but rather on what:
Montesquieu identified as the "prin­ciples
that do not change."14 Benjamin.
Rush similarly observed: [W]here there:
is no law, there is no liberty; and nothing!
deserves the name of law but that which i
is certain and universal in its operation i
upon all the members of the· commu- :
nity.1S
According to Founder Noah Webster:
[O]ur citizens should early understand.
that the genuine source of correct repub-:
lican principles is the Bible, particularly i
the New Testament, or the Christian'
religion. 13
The transcendent values of Biblical.
natural law were the foundation of
the American republic. Consider the
stability this provides: in our republic, j
murder will always be a crime, for it is!
always a crime according to the Word!
of God. In a democracy, however, if!
the majority of the people decide!
that murder is no longer a crime,:
murder would no longer be a crime. i
In the American republic, the "prin­ciples
which did not change" and
which were "certain and universal in
their operation upon all the members!
of the community" were the principles i
of Biblical natural law. In fact, so firmly!
were these principles ensconced in the l
American republic that early law books:
taught that government was free to set
A democracy is the rule by majority. ;
feeling (what the Founders described: !
as a "mobocracy" 12); a republic is rule i i
by law. If the source of law for a de-: :
mocracy is the popular feeling of the : ;
people, then what is the source of law·
for the American republic?
"Zephaniah Swift, ASystem ofthe Low:s of the Stote ofConnecticur, Windtla~: John Byrne, 1795: Vol. I. 19.
USee, for example. Benjamin Rush. Letters. Vol. I. p. 498, to John Adams o~ J'anuary 22. 1789.
11Noah Webster. History ofthe United States New Haven: Durrie & Peck. 1832; 6.
"'Quo.ted in ~eorge Bancrott~ History of the Uni~ed State~ from the Discov~~ atche Amedeon ~o".tjnenr. Boston: little. Brown & Co.• 1859. Vol. ~. 24. Mont~~Quieu (t689-.1,?SS) was a'phl1o~opher an~ jurist borr!, in Bord~aull. ~hose
theones, chIefly the separation of powers, inspired portions of the Declaration and the ConstItution. See Baron Charles Secondat de Montesquleu. The Spmt ofLows (Oflltnally pubhshed In France In 1748). Philadelphia: IsaIah Thomas,
1802: Vol. I, pp. 17-23, and passim. ; 1
t)Lener to David Ramsay. March or April 1788. Rush. Letters, Votl. 454. ! I
"Sir William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Lows ofEngland Philadelphia: Robert Bell, 1771;-VoI.I, 42'43.
t1"Of the General Principles of law and Obligation.· James Wilson, The Wdrlck ofthe Honorable James Wilson. Bird Wilson, editor. Philadelphia: Lorenzo Press. 1804; Vol. I, 103'1°5.
"Alexander Hamilton. The Papers ofAlexander Hamilton, Harold C. Syrett~ ~ditor. New York: Columbia University Press. 1961; Vol. I. 87. february 23. 1775, citing Blackstone, Commentories. op. cit.. Vol. I, 41­"
LEtter to C. Gore. February '7. 1820, Rufu, King. Theli,. and Carresponderice af Rufus I(ing, Charles R. King, editar. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, '900: Vol. VI, 276.
JoFrom "An Essay Dn Man's lust for Power. with the Author's (omment in 18d7.- written on August 29. 1763. but first published in 1807. The Papers o{/ohnAdoms. Robert). Taytor. editor. Cambridse: Belknap Press. 1977. VoL I, 83·
,I .
I
Interim agendas can be obtained via the Internet at http://www.azleg.state.az.usllnterimCommittees.asp
ARIZONA STATE LEGISLATURE
INTERIM MEETING NOTICE
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
JOINT LEGISLATIVE AD HOC COMMITTEE ON CIVIC EDUCATION
Date:
Time:
Place:
Tuesday, December 6, 2005
10:00 a.m.
Senate Hearing Room 1
AGENDA
1. Co-Chair Opening Remarks and Roll Call
2. Review of November 8, 2005 Meeting
3. Discussion of Draft Recommendations
4. Public Testimony
5. Adoption of Draft Recommendations
6. Adjourn
Members:
Senator Tim Bee, CoChair
Senator Linda Aguirre
Senator Linda Gray
Senator Toni Hellon
Senator Harry Mitchell
12/1/05
sp
Representative Jennifer Burns, CoChair
Representative Mark Anderson
Representative Andy Biggs
Representative Martha Garcia
Representative David Lujan
Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation such as a sign language interpreter, by contacting the
Senate Secretary's Office: (602)926-4231 (voice). Requests should be made as early as possible to allow time to arrange the accommodatiol
r
ARIZONA STATE LEGISLATURE
Forty-seventh Legislature - First Regular Session
JOINT LEGISLATIVE AD HOC COMMITTEE ON CIVIC EDUCATION
Minutes of Meeting
Tuesday, December 6, 2005
Senate Hearing Room I -- 10:00 a.m.
Chairman Bee called the meeting to order at I0: I0 a.m. and attendance was noted by the
secretary.
Members Present
Senator Gray
Senator Mitchell
Senator Bee, Cochair
Senator Aguirre
Senator Hellon
Members Absent
Speakers Present
Representative Anderson
Representative Garcia
Representative Lujan
Representative Burns, Cochair
Representative Biggs
Lynda Rando, Educational Consultant, representing self
Beth Hebert, Senior Program Director, Young Men's Christian Association Youth and
Government
Jeffery Schrade, Program Director, Civics Coalition
Janice Palmer, Governmental Relations Analyst, Arizona School Boards Association
Dr. Kevin Good, Arizona Foundation for Legal Services and Education
PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Lynda Rando, Educational Consultant, representing self, conveyed that she researched the
different structures of what is called a civics commission in states involved in rejuvenating the
civic mission of schools. The following legislation was passed and enacted:
Commonwealth of Kentucky: The Commonwealth of Kentucky created a committee
whose goal is to determine strategies for enhancing long-term civic engagement and
literacy within the Commonwealth and recommend a plan for improving civic
engagement and literacy before the full Assembly. The committee is comprised of a
diverse range of students, teachers, administrators from the K-16 system through the
education media, civic organizations, and other elected officials. The Committee is
JOINT LEGISLAnVE AD HOC
COMMITTEE ON CIVIC EDUCAnON
December 6, 2005
2
charged with providing a report with its findings and recommendations for future action
to the Secretary of State.
Louisiana: The State of Louisiana established a 22-member Commission on Civic
Education whose purpose includes educating students on the importance of citizen
involvement in a representative democracy and promoting communication and
collaboration among organizations in the state that conduct civic education programs.
The structure is as follows:
• Governor or designee
• Lieutenant Governor or designee
• State Attorney General or designee
• Secretary of State or designee
• President ofthe Senate or designee
• Speaker ofthe House of Representatives or designee
• Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education or designee
• Chairman of the House Committee on Education or designee
• State Superintendent of Education or designee
• President ofthe State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education or designee
• One State Coordinator of the Louisiana Legislator's Back to School Program to
represent the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate
• One State Coordinator of the Louisiana Legislator's Back to School Program to
represent the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker ofthe House
• State Coordinator of Project Citizen
• Executive Director of the Public Affairs Research Council
• Executive Director of the Council for a Better Louisiana
• One member to represent the Louisiana Public Broadcasting System appointed by the
Executive Director ofthe Public Broadcasting Corporation
• One member to represent the League of Women Voters appointed by the League of
Women Voters of Louisiana
• One member to represent Louisiana Press Association and the Association
Broadcasters appointed by the President of each association acting jointly
• One member to represent the Louisiana Center for Law and Civic Education appointed
by the President of its Board of Directors
• One member to represent the Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations
appointed by the Chairman of the Louisiana Association ofNonprofit Organizations
• One member to represent the Louisiana Chapter of the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People appointed by the President of the Louisiana Chapter
of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
• Chairman of the Louisiana Serve Commission or designee
The members of the Commission must elect a Chairman, Vice Chairman, and other
officers that will be determined to carry out its functions. No compensation will be
provided to the members for services, but members may be reimbursed for reasonable
necessary travel and expenses. The commission is to hold at least two meetings per year
and may hold other meetings upon the call of the Chair or the majority of the members.
JOINT LEGISLATIVE AD HOC
COMMITTEE ON CIVIC EDUCATION
December 6,2005
1
The initial meeting shall be called by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the
House of Representatives acting jointly. Staff and facilities needed by the commission to
accomplish its purpose shall be provided by the Legislature from existing resources. The
commission shall be charged with the following:
• Develop and coordinate outreach programs in collaboration with schools to educate
students in the importance of understanding that representative democracy is a process
dependent on reasoned debate, good faith, negotiation and compromise, individual
involvement is a critical factor in community success, and consideration and respect
for others must be shown when deliberating, negotiating, and advocating positions on
public concerns.
• Identify civic education projects in Louisiana and provide technical assistance as may
be needed.
• Build a network of education professionals to share information and strength in
partnerships.
• Develop consultation with entities having representatives on the commission and
others as determined by the commission.
• Develop a clearinghouse which shall be available on the Internet to include but not be
limited to a database of civic education resources, lesson plans, and other programs of
best practices in civic education, a bulletin board to promote discussion on and
exchange of ideas relative to civic education, an events calendar, and links to civic
education research.
• Value and support successful education programs in the state and encourage expansion
of those efforts.
• Prepare and provide an annual report of activities to the Governor and Legislature.
The commission may seek, accept and expend monies from any source including
donations, state appropriations, and federal grants and may seek, accept and use services
from individuals, corporations and government entities.
Ms. Rando indicated to Senator Bee that instructions in the Kentucky legislation are very general
and an appropriation was not included, whereas the Louisiana legislation is fairly detailed and
provides for an appropriation and outside sources of funding.
Rhode Island: The State of Rhode Island established a 17-member commission including
legislators from both parties, teachers, and designees from the Superintendent of
Education and a variety of associations and nonprofits, such as the Historical Society.
The commission will be studying the areas of concern in Rhode Island, furnish advice
and information, and must provide a report of the findings and recommendations to the
Speaker of the House, the Senate Majority Leader, and the Commission of Elementary
and Secondary Education. The commission will meet four times per year and there is no
language preventing an appropriation.
Virginia: The State of Virginia established a commission composed of 23 members,
6 legislative, 11 non-legislative, and 6 ex-officio. The members can receive
compensation and necessary expenses, and funding is derived from the Department of
Education. The commission is empowered to develop and coordinate outreach plans of
3
JOINT LEGISLATIVE AD HOC
COMMITTEE ON CIVIC EDUCATION
December 6, 2005
collaboration, identify civic education programs in the state, and build a network of
professionals. The commission expires on July 1,2008.
Ms. Rando stated that she did not find a sunset law for the commissions established in Kentucky,
Louisiana, and Rhode Island. She understands the State of Massachusetts has a bill that is
expected to pass in the next few days with a 10-year run for the commission and an
appropriation.
Discussion of Draft Recommendations
Cochairman Bums reviewed a handout stating that the mission of the Commission on Civic
Education is to promote the goal of informed, responsible participation in political life by
competent citizens committed to the fundamental values and principles of the American system.
The commission would focus on civic education and civic engagement to include children,
youth, college and adults. The life of the commission would be 10 years. The commission may
make recommendations to all levels of government on ideas that will promote and enhance civic
education and civic engagement. Four options for establishing a commission are as follows:
Option 1: Fourteen-member commission composed of current elected officials and
designated lay members.
• Governor
• Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court
• Secretary of State
• Attorney General
• Superintendent of Public Instruction
• Three members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the
House of Representatives, not more than two shall be from the same political party
• Three members of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate, not more than
two shall be from the same political party
• Three members from other groups to be determined by the Ad Hoc Committee
Ms. Bums commented that it could be difficult to get all of these people together since they are
in office.
Option 2: Same as Option 1, except elected officials could appoint a designee.
Ms. Bums noted that this would address the problem of getting everyone together, but there
would not be as much media attention, focus, or high-profile people.
Option 3: Nine-member commission, initial appointments will set precedent that former
statesmen with no future political aspirations serve on the commission.
• Three members appointed by the Governor
• Three members appointed by the Speaker
• Three members appointed by the President
Ms. Bums said there would still be high-profile people who have the time and commitment.
Very basic and general guidelines would be provided so there is flexibility, but the first time
JOINT LEGISLATIVE AD HOC
4 COMMITTEE ON CIVIC EDUCATION
December 6, 2005
around, appointments would be lined up by the time the legislation passes. The idea is to have
people not necessarily interested in politics and without an agenda, except the commitment to
focus on civic education and civic engagement, who also know a lot about Arizona politics and
have contacts with current elected officials, so there would be some media attention and focus.
Option 4: Ten-member commission, initial appointments will set precedent that former
statesmen with no future political aspirations serve on the commission.
• Two members appointed by the Governor
• Two members appointed by the Speaker
• Two members appointed by the President
• One member appointed by the Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court
• One member appointed by the Secretary of State
• One member appointed by the Attorney General
• One member appointed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction
Ms. Bums said with this option, the members could be former Governors or Teacher of the Year.
The idea is not to require a certain number of members from either political party so people can
be chosen who have the time and willingness to serve.
Regarding the mission, Ms. Burns related that instead of including as much detail as the
Louisiana legislation, the proposed legislation would be fairly general so the commission would
have the latitude to make recommendations and suggestions. That is why recommendations
could be made to all levels of government, such as the city councilor the Arizona Department of
Education. Focusing on children, youth, college, and adults covers the entire spectrum. The
commission could be reconstituted and continued after 10 years, but 10 years provides a certain
amount of time. The commission could have different ideas every year, some short term and
some long term.
Discussion followed among the Members regarding the options, after which the Members
indicated agreement to recommend establishment of a Commission on Civic Education.
Public Testimony (continued)
Beth Hebert, Senior Program Director, Young Men's Christian Association Youth and
Government, stated that Youth and Government is a civics education and leadership
development program for high school students. Civics is part of everyday life and young
children need to be taught how to become informed and engaged citizens. Youth and
Government has a dynamic program that is recreational, experiential, and opens students up to
learning more about how governmental processes work in the state. Participants participate in
local weekly meetings and learn issue development, critical thinking skills, how to research the
Arizona Revised Statutes, public speaking techniques, the processes of parliamentary procedure,
and how a bill becomes law. One weekend each year students from throughout Arizona convene
at the State Capitol and conduct a three-day simulation of Arizona government. The students
elect their own Governor, Attorney General, Speaker of the House, President of the Senate,
Secretary of State, Supreme Court Chief Justice, chief lobbyist, and various other committee
leaders and legislative officers. The students discuss subjects such as taxes, education, crime,
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December 6, 2005
public health and annexation. The most important thing the students learn in the program is how
to advocate for themselves or their community.
Senator Bee commented that there are many outstanding groups with great programs. The intent
is to create a network of communication amongst these organizations and education in order to
establish a strong program in Arizona.
Jeffery Schrade, Program Director, Arizona Civics Coalition, testified that he had an opportunity
to talk a lot about civic education at the Congressional Conference on Civic Education, which
was partly the genesis of ideas for the commission. He cited the names of organizations
involved in the Arizona Civics Coalition:
• Arizona Community Foundation
• Kids Voting Arizona
• State Bar of Arizona
• Arizona State University West School of Education
• Arizona State University Walter Cronkite School of Journalism
• Arizona Council for Social Studies
• Administrative Office of the Courts
• Humanities Council
• State Library and Archives
• City of Phoenix Youth Town Hall
• Maricopa County Community College Center for Civic Participation
• Hugh O'Brien Youth Leadership
• Military Order ofthe World Wars Arizona Youth Leadership Conference
• Community Initiatives YMCA
• Close Up Foundation
• Arizona School Boards Association
• Arizona Historical Society
• Arizona League of Women Voters
Mr. Schrade said these organizations are similar to organizations in other states on civic
education commissions. It is important for the commission members to hear from people on the
ground who are actively involved and impassioned about this change in strengthening civic
education.
Ms. Bums remarked that the commission members would be the idea people, but teachers and
everyone on the ground would actually do the work and make it happen. This could be a great
partnership in moving forward.
Mr. Anderson asked if it would be better to have two people from the Civics Coalition on the
commission. Mr. Schrade responded that it would be good to have two or three people or some
mechanism for representation or communication to avoid the possibility ofbeing disjointed.
Mr. Anderson wondered if the Coalition could hold a meeting to select two delegates to the
commission. Ms. Bums stated that the Attorney General does not have to appoint a former
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December 6, 2005
Attorney General, but could appoint the State Bar President, for example. Senator Gray
remarked that since the Teacher of the Year is probably very busy during that year, perhaps
someone from the Arizona Council of Social Studies could be considered.
Ms. Burns asked if the Members wish to delineate membership more clearly or allow some
flexibility. The plan is to develop a list of people so that before the bill passes a precedent is set
the first time around for who is on the commission. Senator Mitchell said he would like to leave
it open, with suggestions as to the kinds of people the Members believe are important to be
represented.
Mr. Anderson suggested adding a general clause for appointment of two people from the Civics
Coalition selected by the Civics Coalition, opining that it is key to have the group represented
since it has done most of the legwork.
Ms. Burns said there could be a separation of powers problem if the Governor only appointed
one member and the Speaker and President appointed three, so the number of appointments by
the Executive Branch may have to be increased.
Chairman Bee suggested that another option could be to have the Governor appoint three
members, two of which should be selected from the Arizona Coalition, for example.
Janice Palmer, Governmental Relations Analyst, Arizona School Boards Association (ASBA),
stated that the ASBA is very committed to civic education as far as being the foundation of
public schools and wants to be as helpful as possible. If the commission is going to be an
overreaching public relations-type group with high-status people to focus on civic education,
there could be a subcommittee as far as people to actually implement some of the suggestions. If
the Members are considering more of an action-oriented team, some organizations should at least
be considered, such as the State Board of Education since it is the policy-setting body for social
studies standards in which civic education is embedded.
Senator Bee responded that there was a vision of having a high-level high-visibility commission
that would work in conjunction with groups like the Civic Coalition and ASBA. Ms. Palmer said
that makes a huge difference as far as appointments.
Ms. Burns added that the commission of high-profile people could create work groups to focus
on different aspects. She added that she was advised by staff that the legislation cannot
specifically delineate the Arizona Civics Coalition, but would have to be more generic and state
an organization interested in civic education, etc.
Dr. Kevin Good, Arizona Foundation for Legal Services and Education, advised that
commissions he served on in the past were composed of high-power people, but there were also
people who were not members of the commission, but regularly attended meetings and presented
reports as the commission members did not have the time. The Arizona Civics Coalition would
be worker bees. The organization wants somebody who can provide a voice and help put things
in a broader perspective. It is important to make sure both groups hear one another and there is a
built-in structure that is tied.
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December 6, 2005
Ms. Burns stated that the proposed legislation will give the commission the authority to establish
subcommittees.
Adoption of Draft Recommendations
Ms. Burns moved that the Joint Legislative Ad Hoc Committee on Civic
Education adopt a recommendation for establishment of a Commission on
Civic Education whose mission is to promote the goal of informed
responsible participation in political life by competent citizens committed to
the fundamental values and principles of the American system. It will focus
on civic education and civic engagement. The focus is to include children,
youth, college students, and adults. There will be a lO-year life of the
commission. The commission may make recommendations to all levels of
government on ideas that will promote and enhance civic education and
engagement. The commission will have the authority to establish working
groups or subcommittees to complete the commission's duties. The
commission will be a 13-member commission. The initial appointments will
set the precedent that former statesmen with no future political aspirations
serve on the commission. There will be three members appointed by the
Governor and three appointed by the Speaker, two of those Members shall
be legislators, one from each party. There will be three members appointed
by the President, two of such being senators, one from each party. There will
be one member appointed by the Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme
Court, one member appointed by the Secretary of State, one member
appointed by the Attorney General, and one member appointed by the
Superintendent of Public Instruction. The motion carried.
Without objection, the meeting adjourned at 11 :03 a.m.
(Original minutes, attachments, and tape are on file in the Office of the Chief Clerk.)
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Commission on Civic Education
Commission on Civic Education whose mission is to promote the goal of informed, responsible
participation in political life by competent citizens committed to the fundamental values and principles of
the American system
• Focus on civic education and civic engagement.
• Focus to include children, youth, college and adults.
• Ten year life of Commission.
• The Commission may make recommendations to all levels of government on ideas that will promote
and enhance civic education and civic engagement.
Option 1
Fourteen member Commission - composed of current elected officials and designated lay
members.
• Governor.
• Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court.
• Secretary of State.
• Attorney General.
• Superintendent of Public Instruction.
• Three members of the House of Representatives, appointed by the Speaker of the House of
Representatives, not more than two shall be from the same political party.
• Three members of the Senate, appointed by the President of the Senate not more than two shall be
from the same political party.
• Three members from other groups to be determined by Ad Hoc Committee.
Option 2
Fourteen member Commission - composed of current elected officials or their designees and
designated lay members.
• Governor or designee.
• Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court or designee.
• Secretary of State or designee.
• Attorney General or designee.
• Superintendent of Public Instruction or designee.
• Three members of the House of Representatives, appointed by the Speaker of the House of
Representatives, not more than two shall be from the same political party.
• Three members of the Senate, appointed by the President of the Senate not more than two shall be
from the same political party.
• Three members from other groups to be determined by Ad HocCommittee.
Option 3
Nine member Commission - initial appointments will set precedent that former Statesmen, with no future
political aspirations, serve on the Commission.
• Three appointed by the governor.
• Three appointed by the speaker.
• Three appointed by the president.
Option 4
Ten member Commission - initial appointments will set precedent that former Statesmen, with no future
political aspirations, serve on the Commission.
• Two appointed by the governor.
• Two appointed by the speaker.
• Two appointed by the president.
• One appointed by the Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court.
• One appointed by the Secretary of State.
• One appointed by the Attorney General.
• One appointed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Recommendation of the
Joint Legislative Ad Hoc Committee on Civic Education
The Joint Legislative Ad Hoc Committee on Civic Education adopted a recommendation
on December 6, 2005, for the establishment of a Commission on Civic Education whose
mission is to promote the goal of informed, responsible participation in political life by
competent citizens committed to the fundamental values and principles ofthe American
system. The Commission will have a focus on civic education and civic engagement, a
focus to include children, youth, college students and adults, a ten year life, the ability to
make recommendations to all levels of government on ideas that will promote and
enhance civic education and civic engagement and the authority to establish working
groups and subcommittees to complete the Commission's duties.
The I3-member Commission will include initial appointments that will set a precedent
that former statesmen, with no future political aspirations, serve on the Commission.
Membership will include three members appointed by the Governor, one member
appointed by the Speaker of the House ofRepresentatives, one member appointed by the
President of the Senate, one member appointed by the Chief Justice of the Arizona
Supreme Court, one member appointed by the Secretary of State, one member appointed
by the Attorney General, one member appointed by the Superintendent of Public
Instruction, two members of the House ofRepresentatives, appointed by the Speaker of
the House ofRepresentatives, from different political parties and two members ofthe
Senate, appointed by the President of the Senate, from different political parties.