On October 11th, the Nixon Foundation announced updates to its “American Civics Campaign,” revealing plans to raise $45 million to construct a new exhibit hall aimed at revitalizing civic education in American elementary and secondary schools. It has become increasingly evident that the United States is facing critical challenges, with schools neglecting and marginalizing civics education curriculums for over four decades.
According to the Nixon Foundation, a startling fact is that only 5 cents of federal funding per student is allocated to civic education each year, starkly contrasting the $54 invested in STEM subjects per student. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) refers to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics courses.
The disregard for civic education in schools has resulted in a majority of students lacking a basic understanding of American democracy, including important documents such as the Constitution, Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence, as well as the functions of federal, state, and local governments. The influence of social media deeply shapes the understanding of young generations regarding American rights and responsibilities.
Public opinion surveys, including street interviews, indicate that approximately one-third of American adults struggle to name three government departments, and 17% cannot even name a single institution.
According to the Institute for Citizens and Scholars, only 38% of Americans are able to pass the U.S. citizenship test with a score of 60 points.
In May of last year, the National Assessment Governing Board held a meeting and released the Nation’s Report Card for 2022, also known as the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores for American history and civic education. The scores of 8th-grade students across the U.S. continue to decline.
Scores in American history have shown a downward trend since 2014, with only 13% of students reaching or exceeding proficiency levels on the NAEP, while 40% of students fall below basic levels. Between 2018 and 2022, NAEP history scores decreased by 5 points.
In terms of civic education, only 22% of students reached or exceeded proficiency levels on NAEP, with 31% below basic levels. The average scores dropped by 2 points compared to the 2018 test.
The Nixon Foundation emphasized that these results indicate an increasing number of students lacking adequate knowledge of American history and civic education, prompting a pressing need for the government to shift focus towards secondary education, as “understanding American history and civic education is crucial for engaging in society and realizing our ideals.”
The assessment also includes reading and math scores for 4th-grade students, which have also seen a decline, emphasizing the importance of reading and writing skills in all subjects.
In a survey conducted jointly by The Wall Street Journal and the nonpartisan research institution WSJ-NORC at the University of Chicago across more than a thousand people in 50 states, only 38% of respondents believe patriotism is very important, while only 39% consider religion very important. These percentages have significantly decreased compared to when the question was first posed by The Wall Street Journal in 1998, with 70% and 62% respectively considering patriotism and religious faith very important at that time.
Moreover, 80% of respondents believe the U.S. economy is either not good or in poor condition. When asked to predict the economic situation in the next year, 38% believe it will remain the same, while 47% think it will worsen.
When asked whether they have confidence that the next generation’s lives will be better, 21% of respondents express confidence, while 78% indicate they have no confidence.
In December of last year, a survey conducted by the UK’s Daily Mail revealed that approximately 20% of American young people hold a “positive” view of Osama Bin Laden, the mastermind behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
The terror attacks of 2001 resulted in nearly 3,000 American deaths, with 19 terrorists hijacking four commercial airplanes. The attacks led to the collapse of the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center in New York, claiming around 2,600 lives; the third plane targeted the Pentagon, resulting in 125 deaths, while another plane intended for Washington D.C. crashed in rural Pennsylvania after passengers and crew attempted to regain control, with all aboard perishing.
Generation Z, commonly referring to those born around 1997 to 2012, were surveyed, with 8% of participants expressing a positive view of Bin Laden’s “viewpoints and actions.” 23% stated that the terrorist leader’s viewpoints were good but his actions were bad, while 7% responded with “don’t know.”
In May 2011, members of the U.S. Navy SEAL Team Six killed Bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan, ending nearly a decade-long hunt for the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks.
Given the aforementioned circumstances, the Nixon Foundation plans to expand educational exhibition space fourfold, preserving President Nixon’s iconic Marine One helicopter and Presidential Limousine. In addition to a 20,000 square foot special exhibition hall, they will establish an immersive American Civics Center covering 13,000 square feet.
The Foundation aims to impart essential knowledge of American history, democracy, and civic education to students through in-person and online means while meeting the needs of scholars and researchers worldwide.
Several philanthropists in Orange County, including Barbara and Alex Bowie, as well as Charlie Zhang, have generously contributed to the “American Civics Campaign” project, with current donations totaling over $8 million.