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America’s Stunning Lack of History Education

The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation has revealed that its new survey of 41,000 Americans found that only 27 percent of those under the age of 45 nationally were able to demonstrate a basic understanding of American history. Nationally, only four in 10 Americans passed a basic  exam on the topic.

According to the organizations’ president, Arthur Levine, “Unfortunately, the Woodrow Wilson Foundation has validated what studies have shown for a century: Americans don’t possess the history knowledge they need to be informed and engaged citizens.” 

The survey found only 15 percent of American adults could correctly note the year the U.S. Constitution was written and only 25 percent knew how many amendments there are to the U.S. Constitution. Further, 25 percent did not know that freedom of speech was guaranteed under the First Amendment.

“American history education is not working, as students are asked to memorize dates, events and leaders, which the poll results shows are not retained in adulthood,” Levine said. “Based on our research, this is not an issue of whether high school history teachers are adequately prepared or whether kids study American history in school. The answer to both questions is yes. This is an issue of how we teach American history. Now it is too often made boring and robbed of its capacity to make sense of a chaotic present and inchoate future. Instead, knowledge of American history must serve as an anchor in a time when change assails us, a laboratory for studying the changes that are occurring and a vehicle for establishing a common bond when social divisions are deep. This requires a fundamental change in how American history is taught and learned to make it relevant to our students lives, captivating and inclusive to all Americans.”

The survey confirms a deep concern that the American education system is failing, in some cases intentionally so, to provide adequate instruction in U.S. history. The New York Post’s Karol Markowicz  wrote that  “Don’t know much about history . . .,’ goes the famous song. It’s an apt motto for the Common Core’s elementary school curriculum…A 2012 story in Perspectives on History magazine by University of North Carolina professor Bruce Van Sledright found that 88 percent of elementary school teachers considered teaching history a low priority… Van Sledright also found that teachers just didn’t know enough history to teach it. He wrote there was some ‘holiday curriculum as history instruction,’ but that was it.”

A Blaze report noted that George Washington University decided that even history majors did not have to take any courses in American History.

In 2015, ABC’s KSFY affiliate reported that “the South Dakota Board of Education approved new guidelines that do not require high schools to teach U.S. history.”

A Nations Report Card study found that only 18% of eighth grade students are proficient in U.S. history.  Similarly, a worrisome 2014 survey of 1,416 adults recently conducted by the Annenberg Public Policy  Center  found that:

  • While little more than a third of respondents (36 percent) could name all three branches of the U.S. government, just as many (35 percent) could not name a single one;
  • Just over a quarter of Americans (27 percent) know it takes a two-thirds vote of the House and Senate to override a presidential veto; and
  • One in five Americans (21 percent) incorrectly thinks that a 5-4 Supreme Court decision is sent back to Congress for reconsideration.
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Also in 2014, Capitol Times.com quotes a statement by Arizona state legislator Steve Montenegro, a Republican, that “Civics and Social Studies and History are being boxed out of the classroom.”  He notes that “96% of a sample group of high schoolers in Arizona and Oklahoma failed to pass a basic test on citizenship issues.”

In a commentary, William J. Dodwell provides his analysis for the growing exclusion of U.S. history:

“Academia has long been a bastion of the political left…The origin of the malaise derives from the ideological and administrative politicization of public education.  Liberal elected officials and like-minded school administrators embrace identity politics and other forms of political correctness that alter academic content and teaching modalities.  At the college level, professors also promote the progressive agenda… In the primary and secondary schools, teachers might not be as ideologically motivated but are controlled by their left-leaning administrative authorities, that is, superintendents and principals… The radical departure from traditional curricula and academic standards linked to the institution of political correctness in the schools and colleges raises serious questions as to educational purpose. Has the left deliberately diluted education in its self-interest… Education authorities have curtailed or eliminated the teaching of civics and American history such that many children do not even know who George Washington was.  Daniel Henninger writes in The Wall Street Journal, June 11, 2015, about the College Board’s revision of the Advance Placement examination for U.S. history.  The changes recast the subject in a framework of ‘different contexts of U.S. history, with special attention given to the formation of gender, class, racial and ethnic identities…”

Thomas Jefferson once wrote ““If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.” The lack of instruction in American history is a clear, present, and immediate threat to the health of the U.S.

Illustration: Battle of Bunker Hill (Smithsonian Institution)

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America’s Schools Flunk Civics, Part 2

Both Democrats and Republicans have justifiably complained about the stunning failure of America’s educational system to provide adequate instruction in history and civics. But who is to blame? We continue our examination of the crisis.

A Center for American Progress study notes that “Civic knowledge and public engagement is at an all-time low…While the 2016 election brought a renewed interest in engagement among youth,4 only 23 percent of eighth-graders performed at or above the proficient level on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) civics exam, and achievement levels have virtually stagnated since 1998.5 In addition, the increased focus on math and reading in K-12 education—while critical to prepare all students for success—has pushed out civics and other important subjects.”

While both leftists and conservatives have noticed the troubling lack of knowledge regarding American history and civics, the pronounced trend towards the use of education for leftist indoctrination may well be to blame. A study by the National Association of Scholars  reveals that “A new movement in American higher education aims to transform the teaching of civics…What we call the “New Civics” redefines civics as progressive political activism. Rooted in the radical program of the 1960s’ New Left, the New Civics presents itself as an up-to-date version of volunteerism and good works. Though camouflaged with soft rhetoric, the New Civics, properly understood, is an effort to repurpose higher education.

“The New Civics seeks above all to make students into enthusiastic supporters of the New Left’s dream of ‘fundamentally transforming’ America. The transformation includes de-carbonizing the economy, massively redistributing wealth, intensifying identity group grievance, curtailing the free market, expanding government bureaucracy, elevating international “norms” over American Constitutional law, and disparaging our common history and ideals. New Civics advocates argue among themselves which of these transformations should take precedence, but they agree that America must be transformed by “systemic change” from an unjust, oppressive society to a society that embodies social justice.”

The studies findings include:

  1. Traditional civic literacy is in deep decay in America. Because middle schools and high schools no longer can be relied on to provide students basic civic literacy, the subject has migrated to colleges. But colleges have generally failed to recognize a responsibility to cover the basic content of traditional civics, and have instead substituted programs under the name of civics that bypass instruction in American government and history.
  2. The New Civics, a movement devoted to progressive activism, has taken over civics education. “Service-learning” and “civic engagement” are the most common labels this movement uses, but it also calls itself global civics, deliberative democracy, and intercultural learning.

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  3. The New Civics movement is national, and it extends far beyond the universities. Each individual college and university now slots its “civic” efforts into a framework that includes federal and state bureaucracies, nonprofit organizations, and professional organizations. Universities affiliate themselves with these national organizations’ progressive political goals.
  4. The New Civics redefines “civic activity” as “progressive activism.” It advertises progressive causes to students and uses student labor and university resources to support progressive “community” organizations.
  5. The New Civics redefines “civic activity” as channeling government funds toward progressive nonprofits. The New Civics has worked to divert government funds to progressive causes since its founding in the 1960s.
  6. The New Civics redefines “volunteerism” as labor for progressive organizations and administration of the welfare state. The new measures to require “civic engagement” will make this volunteerism compulsory.
  7. The New Civics replaces traditional liberal arts education with vocational training for community activists. The traditional liberal arts prepared students for leadership in a free society. The New Civics prepares them to administer the welfare state.
  8. The New Civics shifts authority within the university from the faculty to administrators, especially in offices of civic engagement, diversity, and sustainability, as well as among student affairs professionals. The New Civics also shifts the emphasis of a university education from curricula, drafted by faculty, to “co-curricular activities,” run by non-academic administrators.
  9. The New Civics movement aims to take over the entire university. The New Civics advocates want to make “civic engagement” part of every class, every tenure decision, and every extracurricular activity.”

Appropriate, unbiased education in the essentials of American history and civics is vital to the health, and indeed, survival of the United States as a constitutional republic of free citizens.  It’s a topic that must not be ignored.

Photo: Smithsonian Institution

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America’s Schools Flunk Civics

The excessive discord among American political factions, and the rejection of traditional  American values by a sizeable minority, may be fueled by the stunning inadequacy of the public education system, particularly in the teaching of civics and history. A fatal lack of knowledge about the meaning of the unique U.S. Constitutional form of government and the growing absence of historical memory warps the national dialogue.

Leftists and conservatives alike have worried about this issue. But what is to blame?

A Forbes article by George Leef reports that “A good many educators take seriously the idea that teaching is a political activity and accordingly feel justified in using their classrooms as platforms for spreading their social, economic, and philosophical beliefs. They want to act as “change agents” who will improve the world…Most of those educators have been imbued with a leftist cast of mind – hostile to capitalism, private property, and anything that stands in the way of their utopian visions of a just society brought about through government power. Instances like the recent ones at UC Santa Barbara (where a professor physically attacked a student who was peacefully protesting abortion) and Eastern Connecticut (where a writing professor went off on a rant about how evil Republicans are) are pretty common.”

Jonathon Cole, writing in The Atlantic, notes that “While there surely are many varied causes for the current American political situation, one among those is the relative ignorance of basic American history…and what some refer to as “civics” among a large sector of our population. It is testimony to the failure of the country’s education system that a high percentage of the voting-age population is simply ignorant of basic facts—knowledge that is necessary to act reasonably and rationally in the political process. This void isn’t limited to those with little education or those without significant professional achievements. It is telling, for example, that in 2009, 89 percent of those who took a test on civic knowledge expressed confidence they could pass it; in fact, 83 percent would have failed.”

The American Bar Association has long worried about this issue.  In 2011, Mark Hansen, writing in the ABA Journal stressed that “Parents traditionally worry about what their children are learning in school, but it’s what those students are not learning that’s even more unsettling.”

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The Education Commission of the United States  conducted a comprehensive survey on the teaching of civics. Finn states that “We’ve known for a while—thanks to the National Assessment and other measures—that American primary-secondary students aren’t learning a heckuva lot of civics… NAEP assessed civics in 2006 and found that fewer than a quarter of high school seniors could supply a satisfactory answer to a question about the means by which citizens can change laws. uCenter surveyed American adults in 2014 and found that only 36 percent could name the three branches of the U.S. government…”

A 2017 study by the Annenberg Public Policy Center found that “Many Americans are poorly informed about basic constitutional provisions, according to a new national survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center…More than a third of those surveyed (37 percent) can’t name any of the rights guaranteed under the First Amendment; Only a quarter of Americans (26 percent) can name all three branches of government. ‘Protecting the rights guaranteed by the Constitution presupposes that we know what they are. The fact that many don’t is worrisome,’ said Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) of the University of Pennsylvania…”

That research is echoed by The Brookings Institute:  that asks “…do America’s young people have the tools they need to assess candidates for public office and influence the policy process? The statistics say no. According to a new book edited by David Feith, young Americans know little about the Bill of Rights, the democratic process, or the civil rights movement. Three of every four high school seniors aren’t proficient in civics, nine of ten aren’t proficient in U.S. history, and the problem is aggravated by a lack of civic education at the university level.”

The Report Concludes Tuesday, May 29.

Photo: Smithsonian Institute

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Hollywood’s Other Scandal Part 2

The New York Analysis of Policy and Government concludes its review of  China’s growing control over Hollywood, and how this impacts upon the very survival of American culture.

In May, Small Wars Journal’s  Darren E. Tromblay outlined the issue of China’s use of Hollywood. “China has a well-established respect for information warfare.  Chinese companies have made a variety of acquisitions in the United States that it can leverage to influence U.S. decision-making.  While certain aspects of this buying spree – telecom and media purchases – have made national headlines and prompted U.S. government inquiries, China’s entry into – and consolidation of its holdings in – the entertainment field provide a vector that has not been sufficiently scrutinized…Since 2012, Chinese entities have made a significant push into the U.S. film production and distribution industry.  Chinese involvement in this area creates two primary concerns.  The first of these is that, by gaining control of distribution, China can effectively diminish the impact of films that it deems to be objectionable to Beijing’s interests.  China may take offense at any number of themes – ranging from portrayals of the country as an aggressor to glorification of protest and civil disobedience – that have filled U.S. movie screens.  A second, complementary, concern is that China will develop the resources to produce content with thematic elements supportive of a “China solution”.  Sympathetic, non-Chinese-produced, portrayals have already entered American theaters (one need look no further than the recent Disney nature flick, “Born in China”) – it is entirely plausible that Chinese producers will be able to capitalize on these sentiments with their own content.”

In the broad marketplace of ideas, it could be speculated that American audiences should be able to see through Hollywood’s sellout to Chinese censorship.  The problem is that the ability to do so is hampered by a U.S. education system that has deemphasized the teaching of history and civics, and that has adopted anti-American curriculums that are, at times, even more hostile (and inaccurate) than those portrayed by China or other hostile regimes.

A National Association of Scholars report   on the issue of public education’s “New Civics” outlines why young Americans are already primed to be susceptible to foreign propaganda that portrays America as an evil nation. It found that:
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“What we call the  ‘New Civics’ redefines civics…Rooted in the radical program of the 1960s’ …Though camouflaged with soft rhetoric, the New Civics, properly understood, is an effort to repurpose higher education. The New Civics seeks above all [dedicated] to …elevating international ‘norms’ over American Constitutional law, and disparaging our common history and ideals…Because middle schools and high schools no longer can be relied on to provide students basic civic literacy, the subject has migrated to colleges. But colleges have generally failed to recognize a responsibility to cover the basic content of traditional civics, and have instead substituted programs under the name of civics that bypass instruction in American government and history.”

A Federalist study agrees. “…a retired AP teacher named Larry Krieger took a look at the new APUSH [Advanced Placement U.S. history] guidelines that had started to circulate. He has examined the AP tests for decades because he coaches for the exams (and, not incidentally, has won awards from College Board for his AP teaching). What he saw alarmed him. He teamed up with American Principles Project fellow Jane Robbins, who is nationally known for her incisive criticism of Common Core…’The new Framework inculcates a consistently negative view of the nation’s past. For example, the units on colonial America stress the development of a ‘rigid racial hierarchy’ and a ‘strong belief in British racial and cultural superiority.’  Third, they noted that the new framework ignored pivotal figures and events in favor of less-important individuals and events that reinforce a leftist narrative of U.S. history: “It excises Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, and the other founders from the nation’s story. George Washington’s historical contributions are reduced to a brief sentence fragment noting his Farewell Address. Two pages later, the Framework grants teachers the flexibility to discuss the architecture of Spanish missions, suggesting it merits more attention than the heroes of 1776.” Krieger also conducted a meticulous dissection of the anti-American themes and anti-knowledge gaps in the extensive new curriculum framework. These include emphasizing exploitation, racial conflict, and economic determinism, and omitting the Pilgrims, all Revolutionary War battles, Alexis de Tocqueville, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and much more.”

Emmet Tyrell, editor of the American Spectator,  has repeated an oft-heard refrain: “Culture trumps politics.” From the anti-American bias of the nations’ educational system to the new reign of Chinese values in our entertainment, the United States is in danger of losing its identity within a generation.

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Hollywood’s Other Scandal

The biggest story in Hollywood surpasses even the Weinstein scandal.

Recently, a rather boring, third rate science fiction film, Geostorm, opened. It featured an absurd plot, miscast actors, and a woeful script.  The movie’s premise was that an American official plotted to use advanced weather control technology to wipe out enemy nations, even though no war was underway.

Why should you care? That basic concept, that the U.S. is a malevolent nation, is becoming increasing common, both on television programs and feature movies.  It is not a coincidence that these concepts have become increasingly prevalent as Hollywood increasingly is financed by China. NBC’s  Ronan Farrow reports that “If you got to a movie theater right now, there’s a pretty good chance that the film you see will have been partially financed in China.” Beijing has not been subtle about using its monetary muscle to induce the famously “for sale” chieftains of Tinsel Town to spread its propaganda.

Business Insider notes that “Chinese outbound capital has begun to have substantial influence in Hollywood. Hollywood is increasingly a destination for media investment by Chinese companies in individual projects, in US-based offices, and even entire studios. Alibaba reportedly invested in the 2015 Hollywood film “Mission: Impossible—Rogue Nation.” The China Film Group has been linked as an investor to the record-breaking “Furious 7” movie. Chinese entertainment and technology firm LeTV established its US offices in Los Angeles in 2015. In April 2015, Chinese film studio Huayi Bros. made an agreement with American motion picture company STX entertainment to co-produce and co-distribute 12 to 15 films. In January 2016, the Dalian Wanda Group acquired American studio Legendary Pictures, making it the first Chinese firm to own a Hollywood studio. Rather than made in China, Hollywood studio productions will also increasingly be made by China—or rather, by Chinese companies investing in Hollywood.”
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The Washington Post’s Ana Swanson  has written that “China has never been shy about its desire to acquire “soft power” – the kind of cultural and economic influence that can’t be wielded by military might. And Hollywood has often been a partner in its project…These deals have sparked concern over whether China’s expanding influence in Hollywood could lead to more pro-Chinese propaganda in U.S. films. The Chinese government tightly controls media content, and Hollywood studios have been known to alter films to feature China or the Chinese government in a more flattering light to gain access to the country’s lucrative film market…”

Last year, the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee expressed concern about foreign media entities “which may receive funding and/or direction from a foreign government with the intent to serve propaganda goals and censor content in the United States.”  Its basic finding that to appease China, and in the hopes that its films will be allowed by Beijing censors to be shown in the lucrative Chinese market, Hollywood is following Chinese censors guidelines in producing films.

A Report  by the U.S. China Security Review Commission found that “China’s strict regulation of entertainment imports, including foreign films, violates the country’s World Trade Organization (WTO) commitments, as determined in a 2007 WTO decision calling for China to open its film market to foreign films. After years of noncompliance and inaction, China partially opened its film market in 2012 following a deal with the United States. The deal allowed for the import of 34 films each year—up from the previous limit of 20 films—in exchange for a temporary suspension of further U.S. WTO actions against China’s film importation policies. During Chinese President Xi Jinping’s September 2015 visit to the United States, the Motion Picture Association of America and China Film Group reached two new film agreements, which could increase market access for foreign films in China. Based on recent history, however, promises that China will further open its film market should be viewed skeptically. Chinese box office sales have increased alongside China’s standard of living, resulting in China surpassing Japan as the world’s second largest film market (behind the United States) in 2012. If global film market growth rates remain consistent over the next few years, many experts expect China to surpass the United States as the largest film market in the world as early as 2018. Hollywood relies on China’s film market for revenue, but the process to get films into China is arduous due to strict and opaque regulation of film imports. China’s regulations and processes for approving foreign films reflect the Chinese Communist Party’s position that art, including film, is a method of social control. As a result of these regulations, Hollywood filmmakers are required to cut out any scenes, dialogue, and themes that may be perceived as a slight to the Chinese government. With an eye toward distribution in China, American filmmakers increasingly edit films in anticipation of Chinese censors’ many potential sensitivities.”

The Report Concludes Tomorrow.

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American Revolution Finally Receives Attention

The New York Analysis of Policy & Government has frequently expressed concern regarding the lack of education in the proud history of the United States. In particular, the extraordinary sacrifices and the profound ideals that led to America’s creation have not been adequately taught to the youth of the nation. It was, then, greatly satisfying to learn that an institution dedicated to the American Revolution was in the process of being formed. We asked the staff of the Museum of the American Revolution to describe their institution. They prepared this exclusive article in response.

 Nearly a century in the making, the Museum of the American Revolution will open to the public in spring 2017 in the heart of historic Philadelphia – the headquarters of the American Revolution.

The Museum experience takes visitors on a chronological journey from the roots of conflict in the 1760s to the rise of armed resistance, and from the bold Declaration of Independence of 1776 through the long years of warfare that achieved victory. The exhibits also examine the challenges of creating a new nation and the Revolution’s enduring legacy for people around the globe.

Through the Museum’s distinguished collection of original historic artifacts, visitors will have the opportunity to will explore and engage with the remarkable story of the American Revolution. One of the premier collections of its kind, it includes several thousand objects that span the scope of the Revolutionary War, from General Washington’s Headquarters Tent and a number of his personal belongings, to an impressive assortment of period weaponry, soldiers’ and civilians’ personal accoutrements, fine art, and printed works and manuscripts.

The collection began more than a century ago when a history-minded minister in Valley Forge raised funds from around the nation to purchase the original tent that George Washington used as his command center during the Revolution. It was the beginning of a rich and diverse collection that continues to grow. These treasures are now in storage, waiting for a permanent home within the Museum.

In addition to original artifacts, the Museum will use immersive galleries, dynamic theaters and large-scale tableaux to bring to life the events, people, and ideals of the founding of the United States and inspire a deep appreciation of the importance of the struggle that created American democracy.

Immersive experiences include a gallery featuring a full-scale replica of Boston’s Liberty Tree, where the first stirrings of revolt were discussed and debated; the recreation of an Oneida Indian council house, where the tribe’s leaders made their decision to join the American cause; the Battlefield Theater, where visitors will experience the sensation of being on the Continental Army’s front line of battle, facing a British assault; a recreation of Independence Hall in disarray during a British occupation in Philadelphia; and a large model of an 18th-century privateer ship that visitors can board.
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A dedicated theater will house General Washington’s Headquarters Tent – one of the most iconic surviving artifacts of the Revolution – which served as both his office and his sleeping quarters throughout much of the war. It was within the folds of this tent that decisions were made that changed the course of history. The tent will be presented as part of a multimedia presentation exploring Washington’s leadership.

Whether stepping into an Oneida Indian council house, or examining the 1773 volume “Poems on Various Subjects” by Phyllis Wheatley, America’s first published black female poet, museum visitors will appreciate the diversity of people and opinion that contributed to America’s founding.

The culminating museum experience will be the Legacy Theater, where visitors are invited to reflect on their new understanding of the struggle to create the first modern democracy, and the ongoing responsibility to perpetuate the ideals of America’s original “greatest generation.”

The Museum, now nearing completion, rises three stories above the street, encompassing 118,000 total square feet of permanent and temporary exhibit galleries, theaters, education spaces, collection storage, a café, a retail store, offices, and a welcoming lobby. The internationally recognized firm of Robert A.M. Stern Architects created a landmark design for the state-of-the-art facility in a style that reflect and honors the rich history of the neighborhood.

Located just steps away from Independence Hall, Carpenters’ Hall, Franklin Court, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the Revolution, the Museum will serve as a portal to the region’s many Revolutionary sites, sparking interest, providing context, and encouraging exploration. It will enrich the existing heritage community and make Philadelphia the most engaging and authentic destination for those interested in discovering America’s founding.

The Museum is a private, non-partisan, and non-profit organization. Group tickets are now available and can be purchased by calling 267-858-3308. Individual tickets will be available in January 2017. For more information about the Museum, or to join the mailing list, visit www.AmRevMuseum.org or call toll-free 877-740-1776.