The lack of political and civic education in the United States is shockingly low.
According to a study done by the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation in 2024, “more than 70% of Americans fail a basic civic literacy quiz on topics like the three branches of government, the number of Supreme Court justices and other basic functions of our democracy.”
It is extremely scary to think that our own people who could potentially vote in our elections can’t name the fundamentals of our governmental system.
While much of this can be blamed on our failing education system and lack of support for that education system from our legislators, we can’t ignore the fact that many American Citizens simply don’t want to learn about these issues either.
According to a poll conducted by Pew Research Center in 2023 “Nearly two-thirds of adults, 65%, say they always or often feel exhausted when they think about politics these days.”
While this is understandable, that does not mean that we can simply ignore them.
As college students, we are an especially influential age group in politics.
Many of us are diverse in backgrounds and demographics and will be the future leaders of our country.
However, we can’t influence the political system if we don’t even know the basics of how our government works.
This is why we must start to learn more about our political and governmental systems here in America and even outside of America.
Even if you are not a political science student, you should still try to take a few political science courses.
You should pay attention during the lecture, and try to retain the information past the final.
Being able to understand our political culture and our governmental system will allow you to function better within it.
These systems don’t go away just because you are ignorant of them, they continue to exist and evolve with or without you.
It is better for you to understand them so you aren’t confused the next time you read a news headline about decisions our leaders make and how it will impact you.
According to an article from Inside Political Science in 2025, “When people are politically aware, they are more likely to hold their government accountable. They can question policies, demand transparency, and push for ethical practices from their leaders.”
This is especially important here in Arkansas, where we are defined by our more traditionalistic political culture of the same families staying in power for decades while the average citizen keeps out of politics.
By becoming more aware of our political systems, we can slowly start to change that culture.
While keeping up with politics and making it a huge part of your life might not be for you, it is still good to have a basic understanding of how our systems work.
Since many of us are either about to enter the voting age or have already voted multiple times, this knowledge is crucial in making sure we are well-informed voters.
Seeing ballot measures the next time you go to vote might not be so confusing if you gain just a bit of knowledge about how our voting system works.
Overall, there’s no harm in learning more about the way our government works and can help yourself and our society as a whole.
