A myriad of reasons led to the largest voter turnout in United States history this past November, as 257 million motivated Americans fulfilled their civic duties at the polls.
All should feel proud of the increased numbers, but recent data also begs to ask an important question when it comes to voting: Do citizens know the powers and roles of their elected officials they’re voting into office?
While many voters knew their presidential preference going into election day, some paused on the names of those running for other federal, state, and local offices on the ballot.
The public’s general understanding of how American government functions has improved in recent years, but the number of citizens that don’t know the jobs of their representatives is still staggering.
In 2020, a poll by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania found that just 51% of U.S. adults could name the three branches of government. That number, while low, was up significantly compared to the 39% of voters in 2019. In that same poll, 23% of all U.S. adults couldn’t name a single branch of government.
The poll, which is released on Constitution Day (Sept. 14) each year, goes on to gauge the public’s general understanding of the Constitution, Supreme Court, and other essential functions of our government. It doesn’t address important state and local elected positions such as governors, state legislatures, mayors, city councils, and county commissioners.
State Rep. Anthony Cook, R-Cicero, hopes to address the issue of civic ignorance this legislative session.
House Bill 1384, authored by Cook, would require all Indiana schools to dedicate one semester to civics education in either sixth, seventh or eighth grade. The standards for the class would be established by the State Board of Education in conjunction with the Indiana Department of Education and the Indiana Civic Education Task Force.
Many students complain that what they learned in schools isn’t applicable to real life, but that’s not the case when it comes to civics. Civics are taught in social studies classes, but this bill would provide a stronger focus on the subject matter during an important time in a student’s life.
On top of dissecting each level of government, the classes could also touch on current issues (like impeachment trials and elections).
Government is complicated and can be confusing, but it’s essential that we all understand how it works.
Thus far, lawmakers have applauded Cook’s idea. Last week, the House voted 96-1 to advance the legislation to the Senate.
Cook’s bill could be a step in the right direction as we strive to create a better-informed state — something all Hoosiers can get behind.
