ACTA Vice President of Policy Michael Poliakoff Speaks to Alaska’s Senate Education

Washington, DC—On March 25, 2015 ACTA Vice President of Policy Michael Poliakoff testified before Alaska’s Senate Education Committee on the importance of civic education. Below are excerpts from his remarks.  

“Learned institutions ought to be favorite objects with every free people. They throw that light over the public mind which is the best security against crafty and dangerous encroachments on the public liberty. What spectacle can be more edifying or more seasonable than that of liberty and learning, each leaning on the other for their mutual and surest support? Thus, civic education must aim to build a basic understanding of America’s institutions of government. No student should leave high school without a strong foundation in the history of the United States and the development of its institutions. Our nation’s Founders were well aware that the lifespan of liberty is unlikely to be long without well-informed, participating citizens. 

“Despite this necessity, free institutions throughout the country are threatened by a plague of ignorance and under-education in civic matters. Only 38.4% of voters can correctly name the term lengths of the representatives they elect. Only 26% of 18–29-year-olds can correctly identify Condoleezza Rice as the Secretary of State; only 15% know that Vladimir Putin is the president of Russia. 

“Many states are introducing legislation to address this critical knowledge shortfall. Texas, Georgia, and Nevada all have legislation which requires students who attend public universities to take a course on United States history or government . . .  Arizona and North Dakota have recently passed laws mandating that students pass examinations showing civic literacy prior to graduation. Alaska would do well to consider these policies when trying to address this issue at its own institutions.” 

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