Non Civic Education In America

Political socialization is “the way in which individuals acquire the information, beliefs, attitudes and values that help them comprehend the operations of the American political system” (Socialization, Slide 2). In short, this is how Americans get their political knowledge from those four sources. The family plays the biggest role in the knowledge of an individual. Children typically spend the most time with their parents and they learn their parental attitudes. This shapes later of how they will think politically in life. Schools teach us the citizenship skills and democratic norms. Some of these political norms include symbols like pictures of American heroes or the American flag (Erikson and Tedin, 132). Schools shape how the person will use these skills and norms in life. During pre-adult socialization, political knowledge and support for democratic values is very weak among the youth. Only fifty-two percent are aware of religious freedom, while fifty percent say that the government can censor the Internet (Socialization, Slide 7). Another reason of why some citizens would lack political knowledge is according to the minimal effects model. This model believes that voters only pay attention to candidates that they

Political philosopher and social theorist Thomas Sowell has once said, “It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance.” It is inevitable to meet an ignorant person around each corner that one turns. It is up to the victim to either let the ignorant person corrupt him or to let the victim become smarter. One of America’s greatest activists, Martin Luther King, believed that “Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.” With this in mind, “The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all” (Kennedy).

Advanced technology and forms of communication have changed the way we look at our nation. The current political climate and the cultural movement that is happening in our nation is going to go down in history as a revolution. A revolution where news headlines are instantaneously on our phone screens, and thanks to our advanced technology, a whole world of information is a few clicks away. However, despite these advancements in technology, the cultural change in America is often slowed down because there is a general lack of education. In America, education is the one, if not the biggest barriers that economically and institutionally suppress an overwhelming amount of the nation’s adults. Majority of adults in America do not have basic reading and writing skills yet education is still not a priority in America. There is a crucial need for education in America, now more than ever. In my opinion, the only reason for the current political climate in America is the lack of education that brings basic awareness. The solution to what we are witnessing as a nation is an education that makes individuals aware of the reality of our circumstances and allows them to see a perspective from multiple points of views. In this paper, I will present my argument on why education should be made a priority in America.

Political inactivity on the part of young Americans stems from one fundamental source -- a general cynicism of the American political process. This disdain for politics is further perpetuated by a lack of voter education and a needlessly archaic voting procedure that creates barriers to voting where they need not exist. While many of these existing problems can be rectified with relative ease through the implementation of programs such as Internet voting and better voter education, such programs create only a partial solution.

The newest generation, also known as the Millennials, has sparked one of the latest topics of debate and that is voting. Recent examples of young voters excelling political candidates have occurred with Bernie Sanders and even helped bring Barrack Obama into the presidency. These articles by The New York Times delve into the underlying cause of the low turnout rates. Most of these articles place the blame for low voter turnouts on colleges. Colleges are not to blame for these turnouts as they don’t discourage political thinking.

Out of the United State’s hefty population of about 320 million people, only about 68 percent of its citizens meet the voting age requirement. On the other hand, recent voting statistics indicate that only 146 million people are registered to vote, and even fewer of them make it to the polls. As a registered voter, it’s imperative to educate yourself through comprehensive research about the candidates, their views, and how they intend to run the country. Additionally, many sources confirmed my preconceived candidate choices by asserting Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders as the top contenders due to our similar ideals. However, further research shows that for some issues, such as raising the minimum wage, Clinton’s plan of action proved too disadvantageous for my liking. For this reason, coupled with many others,

The people who want to instate mandatory voting need to take into consideration that there are people out their that don't have the same resources as someone of a higher social class. There is a correlation between education and a person’s economic situation. This kind of situation could result in a person having a lack of awareness of topics such as

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the percentage of people between the ages of 18 and 24 that have voted in presidential elections are steadily lower than any other age group (Johnston). What is it about the college age group that has lead to a decrease in their involvement of elections? For Orange is the New Black actress Natasha Lyonne, 37 years old, she is drawn to the polls because of the issue of prison reform (Johnston). This is only one of many examples of the older generation having a personal connection to an issue that drives them to research candidates, fill out the registration forms, and vote. It is because of the college students’ lack of a connection to the issues addressed in elections that has led to low voting rates. To resolve this predicament, a class should be institutionalized at all colleges. For example, there is a class called GOA currently at Xavier University and it is mandatory for all first-year students. It informs students about topics that are not taught in school.

As politics and government becomes more complex and involved, more effort is required to keep up with and understand it. As a result, many Americans have lost touch with current events and happenings. Therefore, when election time rolls around, many people lack enough information to develop an educated opinion and support a candidate with their vote, so they just do not vote at all. This lack of information is also related to the belief that one vote will not matter. People believe that their vote will not count, and are therefore following the news less and becoming out of touch with public affairs and politics (Is the System Broken?”). This lack of information is also more strongly apparent among the younger voting population. When interviewed

Two demographic characteristics associated with voting are age and level of education. Statistics show that the older one is, the more likely they are to participate in voting and other government-related processes. However, in the hustle and bustle of young life, many young people do not vote. Now, with there being more young people than elders, this often relates to low voter turnout. Similarly, those with higher levels of education are more likely to vote than the under-educated. Now, think of this: America is filled with impoverished people that do not have high levels of education. In addition, the US has college as a necessity priced as a luxury; many people simply cannot afford this higher education and (like my friend Ryan) think "I won't vote because I don't know enough to do it."

In this day and age it seems unfathomable that there are so many people that cannot pick up a cereal box and read its contents, or read the operating manual of a toaster oven. Why is it that so many Americans cannot fill out a simple employment application or write a check? Where is the reasonable judgment in electing a President or passing a proposition? Why is it that in a country like America, with free education, are there still many people unable to read, write, or think critically? There may be a slew of reasons for this epidemic of uneducated Americans across this nation based on both facts and opinion. In my opinion, a few contributing factors may be poverty, financial deficit within communities, and government and political contribution.

In this year of 2016 many people of the middle class in the United States are going through a social crisis. Four years have already passed by in the blink of an eye and it is about time to elect a new president. Since president Barack Obama has served the maximum of two terms as president, he no longer holds anymore years of eligibility to serve as the United States of America’s president. In the first few pages of chapter ten social institutions: politics, education, and education it focuses on democracy and what voting in America is like. According to the chapter from a sociologist perspective, democracy is a government that confers power to the people through the election process. The people decide who they think should lead. But many citizens of America votes may differ due to many factors, one of them being every individual’s financial class.

The group that has caused concern in their voting outcome is the young population group that live in rural areas or areas where there is a lack of civil institutions and a low rate of political participation. Stereotypically, the young population tends to vote more liberal than the older, more conservative age groups, but recently the young voters who live in rural areas have defied this trend. The past election saw more than half of the rural youth voting for Donald Trump’s more conservative ideas, while 55% of their urban and suburban counterparts voted for Clinton’s liberal platform (Kawashima-Ginsberg 2017, 1). The term “Civic Desert” has been coined to describe areas of the country where young adults do not have the available resources for education about government, and where there is little exposure to current political issues. These areas see numerous differences in political opinions and usually see more hostile views towards our nation’s government (Kawashima-Ginsberg 2017, 1). These “Civic Deserts” do not have to be in rural areas but about 60% of them are. There is a serious problem that needs to be addressed when young adults are having hostile opinions about our government due to the fact that they simply are not educated or informed enough on various political topics and issues. Their opinions seem more to be based on their feelings of alienation from the government and their environment, instead of their own personal opinions developed by

I feel that the most crucial aspect of being an informed voter involves understanding the major issues and creating an educated opinion on these issues. Group 1 discussed the many issues that are key factors in the upcoming election, such as education standards, environment issues, foreign affairs, immigration, and economic issues. While I have a decent understanding of many of these issues, I found myself forming opinions on issues such as the economy and foreign affairs that I had not previously considered due to a lack of comprehension of the issues themselves. I feel that insufficient knowledge on the issues is what causes many people to feel indifferent about these issues, which is why being educated on political issues is so significant. By understanding more about economic matters such as the repercussions of the economic recession, the debt crisis, and poverty, I feel much more passionately about these issues and am more

When the founding fathers drafted the Constitution their main focus was creating a nation where everyone would be free from the restraints of a controlling government and treated equal. America has always been a nation of freedom, and needs to remain that way. The youth in this country is charged with the task of ensuring that America remains the “land of the free”. Without involvement in politics this is not possible. If youth are to maintain the American ideals of freedom and equality it is imperative that they be involved in politics. Voting every four years for the president, who is more of a figure head than anything else, is simply not enough. Young people need to take a more active role in politics such as running for a political office, local or national. This is the only way they will be able to put their beliefs into action and ensure that America upholds it’s long standing values of freedom and equality. The youth need to start taking action as soon as they are old enough. However, young people need to be educated on politics and be firm in their beliefs before delving into the world of politics. In recent years the youth have shown a trend of disengagement and apathy toward political involvement. According to “The Good Citizen”, a book written by Russell J. Dalton, political analysts and politicians agree that the youth are losing interest in politics and