What Every Student Should Learn From Civics and Government — The Education of a Citizen
A collaboration between Lewis McLain & AI (4 of 4 in a Series)
If literature teaches us how to think,
and history teaches us where we came from,
and economics teaches us how choices shape the world,
then civics and government teach us how to live together in a free society.
When I was young, civics felt like a recitation of facts — three branches, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights. But I didn’t understand the deeper purpose or the tremendous responsibility that citizenship carries. I didn’t see that democracy is not self-sustaining. It requires informed people, disciplined judgment, and a shared understanding of how government actually works.
Years later, I came to realize that civics is not a list of facts to memorize — it is the operating manual for freedom.
This essay explores the essential civic knowledge students should learn, why it matters, and why it may be the single most endangered — and most important — subject today.
1. Understanding the Constitution — The Blueprint of American Government
Every student should know what the Constitution actually does.
At a minimum, students should understand:
- Separation of powers
- Checks and balances
- Federalism (power divided between federal and state governments)
- Individual rights
- Limited government
- Due process and equal protection
These aren’t abstract ideas. They’re the safeguards that prevent:
- tyranny
- abuse of power
- unequal treatment
- political retaliation
- the erosion of liberty
Students should know why the Founders feared concentrated power. They should understand the debates between Hamilton and Jefferson, the compromises that made the system possible, and the principles that still hold it together.
A civically educated student knows what the government can do, what it cannot do, and what it should never be allowed to do.
2. How Laws Are Made — And Why It’s Supposed to Be Hard
A free people should know how laws move from idea to reality:
- committee
- debate
- amendments
- compromise
- bicameral approval
- executive signature
- judicial review
Students should understand why the system has friction. The Founders designed lawmaking to be deliberate, slow, and thoughtful — not impulsive. This protects the nation from sudden swings of emotion, political fads, or the passions of the moment.
When students understand the process, they also understand:
- why gridlock happens
- why compromise is necessary
- why no single branch can act alone
- why courts exist as an independent check
This is how civics grounds expectations and tempers frustration.
3. Rights and Responsibilities — The Moral Core of Citizenship
Civics is not only about rights; it is also about responsibilities.
Students should understand:
- free speech
- free press
- freedom of religion
- right to vote
- right to assemble
- right to due process
But they should also learn:
- the responsibility to vote
- the responsibility to stay informed
- the responsibility to obey just laws
- the responsibility to serve on juries
- the responsibility to hold leaders accountable
- the responsibility to treat fellow citizens with dignity
A functioning democracy depends as much on personal virtue as it does on institutional design.
4. Local Government — The Level Students Understand the Least
Ironically, the level of government that affects daily life the most is the one students know the least about.
Students should understand:
- cities, counties, school districts
- zoning
- local taxes
- police and fire services
- transportation systems
- water and utility infrastructure
- public debt and bond elections
- local boards and commissions
- how a city manager system works
- how budgets are created and balanced
Local government is where the real work happens:
- roads repaired
- streets policed
- water delivered
- development approved
- transit planned
- emergency services coordinated
- property taxes assessed
A civically educated adult understands where decisions are made — and how to influence them.
5. How Elections Work — Beyond the Headlines and Sound Bites
Every student should understand:
- how voter registration works
- how primaries differ from general elections
- how the Electoral College works
- how districts are drawn
- what gerrymandering is
- how campaign finance operates
- the difference between federal, state, and local elections
They should learn how to evaluate:
- candidates
- platforms
- ballot propositions
- constitutional amendments
- city bond proposals
- school board decisions
Without civic education, elections become personality contests instead of informed deliberations.
6. The Balance Between Freedom and Order
Civics teaches students that government constantly manages tensions:
- liberty vs. security
- freedom vs. responsibility
- majority rule vs. minority rights
- government power vs. individual autonomy
These are not easy questions.
There are no perfect answers.
But a well-educated citizen understands the tradeoffs.
For example:
- How far should free speech extend?
- What powers should police have?
- When should the state intervene in personal choices?
- When does regulation protect people, and when does it stifle them?
Civics teaches students how to think through these issues, not what to believe.
7. Why Civics Matters Even More in the Age of AI
Artificial intelligence has changed the public square. It has amplified the need for civic understanding.
AI magnifies misinformation.
A civically uneducated population is easy to manipulate.
AI can imitate authority.
Only an informed citizen knows how to verify sources and test claims.
AI accelerates public emotion.
Civic education slows people down — it teaches them to evaluate before reacting.
AI makes propaganda more sophisticated.
Civics teaches how institutions work, which protects against deception.
Democracy cannot survive without an educated citizenry.
AI is powerful, but it is not responsible. Humans must be.
This is why civics — real civics — is urgently needed.
Conclusion: The Education of a Self-Governing People
History shows that democracies do not fall because enemies defeat them.
They fall because citizens forget how to govern themselves.
Civics teaches:
- how power is structured
- how laws are made
- how rights are protected
- how communities are built
- how leaders should be chosen
- how governments should behave
- how citizens must participate
If literature strengthens the mind,
and history strengthens judgment,
and economics strengthens decision-making,
then civics strengthens the nation itself.
A free society is not sustained by wishes or by luck.
It is sustained by people who understand the system, value the responsibilities of citizenship, and guard the principles that keep liberty alive.
That is what civics is meant to teach —
and why it must remain at the heart of a complete education.
Let's Talk About It, Lewis! 