American students' lack of basic civics knowledge alarms education advocates

Education advocates are urging stronger national civics standards as new data highlights gaps in students’ understanding of American government ahead of a federal assessment update.

Every four years, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) administers a civics test to students in grades 4, 8 and 12. The most recent results of the "Nation's Report Card," released in 2022, found just 22% of eighth graders were proficient, while 31% scored below basic. That marked a decline since its 2018 assessment, in which 27% scored below basic and 23% scored at or above the proficient level.

Similar gaps were found beyond K-12 education. The American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) in 2024 surveyed more than 3,000 undergraduate students with the goal of "assessing their grasp on basic facts about our nation’s history and government." The survey revealed that 60% of students did not know the term lengths of members of Congress.

In 2024, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation found in a survey of registered voters that 70% failed a basic civics literacy quiz. The assessment covered topics such as the three branches of government and the number of Supreme Court justices. The foundation said that just half of respondents "were able to correctly name the branch of government where bills become laws. "

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As officials at the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB) look to update the 2018 Civics Assessment Framework, which will shape how civics knowledge is measured nationwide, Defending Education is urging it to make changes that will ensure the next generation of voters is properly educated on how the country functions.

"The primary problem is that most high school graduates know very little about our American government, our political institutions, and our traditions. And so when these individuals get old enough to vote, they're doing so with not having the type of foundation that they need to make informed decisions in the voting booth," Defending Education Director of State Affairs Terry Stoops told Fox News Digital.

Defending Education is calling for the NAEP exam to focus more heavily on students’ knowledge of the Constitution, the structure of government and core founding principles behind the U.S. government. The organization said that questions on foreign affairs should assess what students know about specific constitutional mandates.

Stoops explained that one of the major challenges is the varying approaches in different states, which he said has contributed to a lack of accountability.

A 2024 Hoover Institution report found that eight U.S. states — Alaska, Delaware, Kansas, Maine, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wyoming — required neither a civics course nor a civics test for students to receive a high school diploma. Additionally, the institute noted that just four states — Idaho, Louisiana, Virginia, and West Virginia — require a full-year civics course and passing of a standard civics test.

In comments submitted to the NAGB ahead of the NAEP civics assessment framework update, Defending Education President Nicole Neily said her organization urges the NAGB to "reject consultants and reviewers from organizations that openly support identity politics and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives."

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Stoops also spoke about the impact that increasingly politicized classrooms, particularly amid the rise of DEI initiatives, have had on U.S. students' lack of civics knowledge. He said that in recent years, classrooms had been "hijacked by activists" who are more interested in trying to "indoctrinate" students than educate them.

"So, this wave of activism we've seen in a lot of these classes is particularly troubling because rather than students learning the basics about American government, they're learning how to be activists and they're learning how to carry signs with witty slogans for the service of groups and individuals that are trying to instill political change. They're basically pawns in someone else's game," he told Fox News Digital.

Given the politicization of classrooms, Defending Education has recommended that the NAEP framework eliminate questions on "action civics," arguing that "encouraging civic participation without an adequate understanding of American political institutions produces little more than public displays of self-assured ignorance." The conservative organization pointed to the anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) walkouts that took place this year.

"The NAEP Civics Assessment is a necessary, often sobering snapshot of public school students’ understanding of our fundamental constitutional rights and their readiness to exercise those rights as responsible and informed citizens. As long as civic education remains a core function of public education, the NAEP Civics Assessment will remain a critical tool for ensuring that our public schools are fulfilling their responsibilities," Neily wrote.

Stoops warned that there were tangible risks to not fixing civics education, including a lack of critical thinking among voters.

"All it takes are individuals that don't have those critical thinking skills to begin undermining our really core institutions," Stoops said. "So, I think that the very republic that we have is at stake if we continue to produce citizens that don't think critically about these very, very important issues."