Informed electorate crucial to preserving democracy

[ronpaul4pres]

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-civics29forumpnoct29,0,6397665.story

"...40 percent of Florida adults cannot explain the separation of powers or name the three branches of government..." :eek:

[RSLudlum]

Quite pitiful when my daughter could explain it 2 years ago in the 5th grade.


edit: just found this included in another article; "and 67 percent of Americans cannot name one of their U.S. senators." source (http://74.125.45.104/search?q=cache:VCTacFy65vsJ:www.portfolio.com/news-markets/local-news/orlando/2008/10/02/florida-league-of-cities-launches-civics-program+40%25+florida+adults+%22separation+of+powe rs%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=us)

[ronpaul4pres]

Quite pitiful when my daughter could explain it 2 years ago in the 5th grade.

The article suggests more effort and money will go into teaching civics, but I don't think it's so much a learning problem as it is a lack of desire. RSLudlum shows how simple it is to understand, which leads me to believe too many people just don't care to learn civics. I'm sure there are plenty of those that could explain the separation of powers and branches of government but are equally apathetic.


All: who here has been very successful at combating this apathy and what can you teach the rest of us?

[RSLudlum]

Well with the poor public education system it takes extra effort by informed parents (who can't afford private education) to suppliment/correct the schooling their kids get in the gov't institutions. But contrary to popular belief it really isn't that hard of a task to ask/look over what your kid is being taught in school and incorporate it into talk around the house, whether its actually sitting down and going over reading/homework, doing chores, meals, or even watching TV (make TV an active activity versus a passive one; ask questions/comment on the 'programming' ;) )

off topic but first example on how I go about teaching my kid on a day to day basis:
It's really not that hard. This past summer my daughter was trying to come up with ideas where she could make some money during the day bc. she was going to Disney World in October with her Aunt. One of her ideas was selling flowers around the neighborhood (although she ended up walking my brother's dog everyday for a couple of bucks.) But her mentioning flowers prompted me to mention the Tulip Mania phenomenon and I told her she might be interested in finding out what it was. After reading a little on the Tulip Bulb crisis, she has a basic understanding on what the 'housing bubble' is about.

Apply the same approach with the roadside campaign signs for different offices while driving. "What's the difference between Senator and President...etc?"

It's really not that damn hard. Many Americans just believe they have to go to work and pay the bills and daddy government will take care of the rest of it.

[ronpaul4pres]

...contrary to popular belief it really isn't that hard of a task to ask/look over what your kid is being taught in school and incorporate it into talk around the house...

Great point!

[lynnf]

we are doomed!


lynn

[jdmyprez_deo_vindice]

One problem I constantly ran into during the campaign was that people were quite happy being ignorant. People in my area just do not want to hear about politics, they just want to watch their nascar and cheer for someone on American Idol. Stupidity here is rewarded while intelligence is avoided like the plague. I place the majority of the blame on them but I also place some blame on the school systems who do not even teach history or civics anymore. I honestly have no faith in humanity anymore. With a few exceptions, I would almost swear that the last pocket of intelligent Americans left on this planet are on this forum and in this movement.