Civic Learning Round-Up: November

In this series, Citizens & Scholars compiles the best recent articles, reports, and research from around the civic learning field. Stay up-to-date on the latest news, trends, and developments in efforts to build effective citizens. 

New Report: Americans’ Civics Knowledge Drops on First Amendment and Branches of Government

After two years of considerable improvement, Americans’ knowledge of some basic facts about their government has fallen to earlier levels, with less than half of those surveyed able to name the three branches of government for the 2022 Annenberg Constitution Day Civics Survey.

The article highlights 5 key findings: 

1. Less than half of U.S. adults (47%) could name all three branches of government, down from 56% in 2021 and the first decline on this question since 2016.
2. The number of respondents who could, unprompted, name each of the five freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment also declined, sharply in some cases. For example, less than 1 in 4 people (24%) could name freedom of religion, down from 56% in 2021.
3. Over half of Americans (51%) continue to assert incorrectly that Facebook is required to let all Americans express themselves freely on its platform under the First Amendment.
4. But large numbers recognize other rights in the Bill of Rights and the veto process.

Read the report.

Youth Civic Development 

• Voter Registration Isn’t Enough, Youth Organizations Say | Teen Vogue

• Rock the Vote addresses importance of youth voting in midterm election  | The News Record

• Our Vote Counts rally works to motivate, inspire young Rockford voters to take to polls | Rockford Register Star

• Youthful Voters Like This Could Have An Impact on The 2022 Mid-Term Election | Ark Valley Voice 

• While more young voters are registered in Oklahoma, the rate of their registration is lower than 4 years ago | Tulsa World 

• “Young people are fed up”: Inside the fight to defend young voters | Salon

• In A Post-Roe World, Here’s What First-Time Voters Are Fighting For | Refinery 29

• First-Time Voters in the 2022 Midterms Share Their Election Experience | Teen Vogue

• Opinion: What Pundits Get Wrong About Low Turnout Among Young Voters | Times of San Diego

• How Many Gen Zers Voted In The 2022 Midterms? This Is Great | DNYUZ

• Youth Vote Could Be Key In Too-Close-to-Call Arizona Governor’s Race | Yahoo News

• ‘It feels pretty nice’: Idaho’s first-time voters cast their ballots | Idaho Statesman

• The Nation’s Youngest Voters Put Their Stamp on the Midterms, with Climate Change Top of Mind | Inside Climate News

• Youth Voter Turnout in the 2022 Midterms Delivered Key Wins for Democrats | Teen Vogue

• Gen Z turned out for the midterms — and may have inspired one young organizer to run for office | Lehigh Valley News

Higher Education & Campus Life 

• Pushing Their Peers to the Polls | Inside Higher Education 

• Students, remain civically engaged year-round | The Temple News 

• Leadership Berkeley Completes Community Class Project | CRBJ BizWire 

• West High students host civics panel with local leaders ahead of midterms | Madison.com

• Vote Oswego encourages college students to practice civic duty | Oswego County News Now

• The Barriers Of My Mississippi Student Voter Experience | Forbes

• Combatting Confusion: College Students Push To Make Voting Access Easier After Facing Midterm Barriers | Milwaukee Independent

• College students had a tough time voting in the midterms. Now they are pushing for a change in policy | Business News

Community & Workplace Civic Engagement 

• History Center partnering with museums for civic empathy project | Herald Standard

 Civic Learning Field 

• People support civics and civics supports democracy | Office of Citizen 

• Politicians fail to adhere to the Constitution | The Daily Cougar 

• The Failure of a Public Philosophy | The New Republic