Professor Hill is a man after my own heart. The level of national civic ignorance is not only appalling, it’s frightening. I have published my own articles on this very same subject. https://patimes.org/civics-lost-no-apparent-priority-education/ . I’ve even approached our local K-12 system about the problem and suggested programmatic methods that brings a greater focus on governance and a sense of civic curiosity back into the classroom. Not an easy conversation. Let’s just say that the reality of professional and institutional silos are still alive and well. Gaining a true sense of our unique form of representative democracy, and our own individual roles in it, has to be conveyed at a very early age. The once a year student government day at city hall is just not enough. I know. I get these students years later as they enter graduate programs in public policy and public administration. Let’s just say the lack of intrinsic knowledge in the purpose, legal and administrative basis of governmental systems is a real problem. These are students wanting to go into public service. What about those that don’t??
Paul T. Hill
Founder – The Center on Reinventing Public Education
Research Professor – The University of Washington Bothell
Former Nonresident Senior Fellow – The Brookings Institution
The Scholarly Participant 
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