One cannot sit down and listen to Rev. Shuttlesworth, or to those who marched or walked into the ... more One cannot sit down and listen to Rev. Shuttlesworth, or to those who marched or walked into the 16 th St. Baptist Church without being emotionally connected to the movement. However, the feelings are bittersweet, and I fear greatly that we are returning to a time of segregation in education. This is seen throughout the nation and especially in Kansas City, Missouri, where the percentage of African Americans majority in area schools has risen since the end of court ordered desegregation from 65% to over 80%. We are seeing an ever-increasing resegregation of our schools. I fear that the dream of Brown v. Topeka Board and Martin Luther King may be slipping away.
You can now view the document associated with this citation by clicking on the "View Documen... more You can now view the document associated with this citation by clicking on the "View Document as HTML" link below. ... We analyze the content of 12 top candidates' speeches, websites and debates to obtain their positions on 30 topical issues, on non-issues (campaign finance ...
From October 2007 to May 2008, VoteHelp.Org helped over 200,000 people match their political pref... more From October 2007 to May 2008, VoteHelp.Org helped over 200,000 people match their political preferences to those of 12 leading republican and democrat presidential candidates. This paper details the effort that went into the creation of the website, including analysis of ...
The purpose of this study was to identify predictors for important measures of political engageme... more The purpose of this study was to identify predictors for important measures of political engagement on a range of participatory skills and political attitudes in an emerging democracy, Bosnia and Herzegovina, among seventh-and eighth-grade students, half of whom had participated in a civic education program. A sample of over 1,400 students from four cantons were surveyed on measures of political skills, participation and attitudes. Drawing from theory and research, I developed hypotheses for predictors of these scales and analyzed the data using hierarchical linear modeling. In this sample, comprised primarily of Catholic and Muslim youth, civic education and active teaching proved significant predictors for nearly all scales measuring political skills and attitudes conducive to participatory democratic citizenship. Gender was also a significant predictor across most scales, which indicated that girls were less skilled and felt less efficacious than boys. Students belonging to minority ethnic groups within classrooms scored lower across some measures, as did those coming from less privileged backgrounds. Significant interaction effects revealed that Bosnian Croats made greater gains in some instances than Bosniac students. Previous Research on Civic Education and Predictors of Political Engagement Does research validate civic education as an effective tool to promote reasoned political participation? The answer seems to be yes, if it is well implemented (Approaches to Civic Education: Lessons Learned 2002). Instructional methods are significant predictors of change. Research on fourteen-year-old students in twenty-eight countries found that
This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. Min... more This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. In a battery of five open-ended response questions derived from the American National Election Studies, 60% of We the People... students answered all five questions correctly, whereas only 16.5% of a corresponding national sample of adults scored similarly. We the People... students also outscored the original American National Elections Studies sample, whose respondents ranged in age from 18 to over 80 years, by 28%. Various longitudinal studies have shown that political interest and support is declining among America's youth (Sax, Astin, Korn and Mahoney, 1997). The Center's study found that students who participate in the national finals competition of the We the People... program show less cynicism toward facets of American politics and government than a corresponding national sample of students possessing similar sociodemographic qualities. In addition, compared with a representative national sample of college freshmen, We the People... students place more importance on keeping track of political affairs, influencing the political structure, community leadership, helping others in difficulty, and developing a meaningful philosophy of life. From these findings, the Center infers that students who participate fully in the We the People... program are more likely than nonparticipating students to become active, engaged, and compassionate citizens, as well as to develop a greater propensity to show support for democratic institutions and processes.
In this paper, we present preliminary voter turnout exit poll data reported on younger political ... more In this paper, we present preliminary voter turnout exit poll data reported on younger political cohorts in the 2008 presidential elections. The overall trend is that youth are turning out to vote at higher levels than in previous elections, and that they are becoming more liberal. Next, we report on a sample of youth who took part in a rigorous civic education high school program, We the People; the Citizen and the Constitution. The 300 We the People alumni demonstrated great interest and engagement in the political process. They clearly distinguished between the two parties by providing policy and ideological stances. Presidential candidates, especially Obama, reached out to younger voters in the 2008 election. However, being contacted during the campaign did not sway alumni's decision to turn out or to vote. Young voters were mobilized through their cell phones and their online networking sites, and were able to use a wide variety of online sources to gather information on candidates. The majority of alumni expressed optimism about the future of the nation, grounded primarily in the political institutions and the resourceful spirit of Americans.
The "We the People... The Citizen and the Constitution" program is an instructional program on th... more The "We the People... The Citizen and the Constitution" program is an instructional program on the history and principles of U.S. constitutional democracy for elementary, middle, and high school students. The program is based on curricular materials developed by the Center for Civic Education. At the high school level, classes may choose to enter a formal competition structured as simulated congressional hearings, which are excellent for testing students' knowledge of U.S. democracy, with the brightest classes advancing from congressional, district, and state competitions to the national finals. Twenty-one of the 51 classes that competed at the 2001 national finals in Washington, DC, were randomly selected to participate in the survey (n.345). Findings reveal that, compared with various representative national samples, students participating in the "We the People" program national finals competition possess more knowledge of U.S. democratic institutions and processes. This paper reports on the survey results and is divided into the following parts: (1) "Introduction and Summary of Findings"; (2) "Sampling and Methodology"; (3) "'We the People...' Participant Political Knowledge"; (4) "'We the People...' Participant Political Attitudes"; (5) "Student Feedback on the 'We the People...' Program"; (6) "Conclusion"; (7) "References"; and (8) "Attachment A (Survey Instrument) ." (BT) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.
... Civic Education and Youth Turnout in the 2008 Presidential Election: Data from Engaged Citize... more ... Civic Education and Youth Turnout in the 2008 Presidential Election: Data from Engaged Citizens We the People Alumni Suzanne Soule [email protected] Jennifer Nairne [email protected] Paper prepared for the Western Political Science ... Smith Aaron and Lee Rainie. ...
What does the 2008 U.S. presidential election tell us about the emerging political cohort? Data c... more What does the 2008 U.S. presidential election tell us about the emerging political cohort? Data collected over time demonstrate a clear life-cycle effect, whereby younger voters, especially those who are less well-educated, participate at lower rates than do voters at later life stages
... Civic Education and Youth Turnout in the 2008 Presidential Election: Data from Engaged Citize... more ... Civic Education and Youth Turnout in the 2008 Presidential Election: Data from Engaged Citizens We the People Alumni Suzanne Soule [email protected] Jennifer Nairne [email protected] Paper prepared for the Western Political Science ... Smith Aaron and Lee Rainie. ...
You can now view the document associated with this citation by clicking on the "View Documen... more You can now view the document associated with this citation by clicking on the "View Document as HTML" link below. ... We analyze the content of 12 top candidates' speeches, websites and debates to obtain their positions on 30 topical issues, on non-issues (campaign finance ...
From October 2007 to May 2008, VoteHelp.Org helped over 200,000 people match their political pref... more From October 2007 to May 2008, VoteHelp.Org helped over 200,000 people match their political preferences to those of 12 leading republican and democrat presidential candidates. This paper details the effort that went into the creation of the website, including analysis of ...
Center for Civic Education, 5146 Douglas Fir Road, Calabasas, CA 91302; E-mail: ([email protected]); Web site: (http://www.civiced.org/)., Dec 1, 2000
This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. Min... more This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. In a battery of five open-ended response questions derived from the American National Election Studies, 60% of We the People... students answered all five questions correctly, whereas only 16.5% of a corresponding national sample of adults scored similarly. We the People... students also outscored the original American National Elections Studies sample, whose respondents ranged in age from 18 to over 80 years, by 28%. Various longitudinal studies have shown that political interest and support is declining among America's youth (Sax, Astin, Korn and Mahoney, 1997). The Center's study found that students who participate in the national finals competition of the We the People... program show less cynicism toward facets of American politics and government than a corresponding national sample of students possessing similar sociodemographic qualities. In addition, compared with a representative national sample of college freshmen, We the People... students place more importance on keeping track of political affairs, influencing the political structure, community leadership, helping others in difficulty, and developing a meaningful philosophy of life. From these findings, the Center infers that students who participate fully in the We the People... program are more likely than nonparticipating students to become active, engaged, and compassionate citizens, as well as to develop a greater propensity to show support for democratic institutions and processes.
Conference sponsored by the Center for Civic Education and Bundeszentrale fur politische Bildung ... more Conference sponsored by the Center for Civic Education and Bundeszentrale fur politische Bildung 0 "A man may possess a vast knowledge with regard to the workings of our social and political machinery, and yet be absolutely untrained in those things which make a good citizen." (Arthur Hadley, 135) "People, regardless of their age or generation, are more likely to participate in public life if they have the motivations, skills, resources, and opportunities to do so. To the extent that young people of any generation are encouraged and assisted to develop these motivations, skills, resources, and opportunities through family discussion and parental modeling, formal and informal school programs, outreach by nonprofit and political organizations, the medial and the like, they are more likely to respond by becoming engaged." (Zukin et al. 2006, 203).
One cannot sit down and listen to Rev. Shuttlesworth, or to those who marched or walked into the ... more One cannot sit down and listen to Rev. Shuttlesworth, or to those who marched or walked into the 16 th St. Baptist Church without being emotionally connected to the movement. However, the feelings are bittersweet, and I fear greatly that we are returning to a time of segregation in education. This is seen throughout the nation and especially in Kansas City, Missouri, where the percentage of African Americans majority in area schools has risen since the end of court ordered desegregation from 65% to over 80%. We are seeing an ever-increasing resegregation of our schools. I fear that the dream of Brown v. Topeka Board and Martin Luther King may be slipping away.
You can now view the document associated with this citation by clicking on the "View Documen... more You can now view the document associated with this citation by clicking on the "View Document as HTML" link below. ... We analyze the content of 12 top candidates' speeches, websites and debates to obtain their positions on 30 topical issues, on non-issues (campaign finance ...
From October 2007 to May 2008, VoteHelp.Org helped over 200,000 people match their political pref... more From October 2007 to May 2008, VoteHelp.Org helped over 200,000 people match their political preferences to those of 12 leading republican and democrat presidential candidates. This paper details the effort that went into the creation of the website, including analysis of ...
The purpose of this study was to identify predictors for important measures of political engageme... more The purpose of this study was to identify predictors for important measures of political engagement on a range of participatory skills and political attitudes in an emerging democracy, Bosnia and Herzegovina, among seventh-and eighth-grade students, half of whom had participated in a civic education program. A sample of over 1,400 students from four cantons were surveyed on measures of political skills, participation and attitudes. Drawing from theory and research, I developed hypotheses for predictors of these scales and analyzed the data using hierarchical linear modeling. In this sample, comprised primarily of Catholic and Muslim youth, civic education and active teaching proved significant predictors for nearly all scales measuring political skills and attitudes conducive to participatory democratic citizenship. Gender was also a significant predictor across most scales, which indicated that girls were less skilled and felt less efficacious than boys. Students belonging to minority ethnic groups within classrooms scored lower across some measures, as did those coming from less privileged backgrounds. Significant interaction effects revealed that Bosnian Croats made greater gains in some instances than Bosniac students. Previous Research on Civic Education and Predictors of Political Engagement Does research validate civic education as an effective tool to promote reasoned political participation? The answer seems to be yes, if it is well implemented (Approaches to Civic Education: Lessons Learned 2002). Instructional methods are significant predictors of change. Research on fourteen-year-old students in twenty-eight countries found that
This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. Min... more This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. In a battery of five open-ended response questions derived from the American National Election Studies, 60% of We the People... students answered all five questions correctly, whereas only 16.5% of a corresponding national sample of adults scored similarly. We the People... students also outscored the original American National Elections Studies sample, whose respondents ranged in age from 18 to over 80 years, by 28%. Various longitudinal studies have shown that political interest and support is declining among America's youth (Sax, Astin, Korn and Mahoney, 1997). The Center's study found that students who participate in the national finals competition of the We the People... program show less cynicism toward facets of American politics and government than a corresponding national sample of students possessing similar sociodemographic qualities. In addition, compared with a representative national sample of college freshmen, We the People... students place more importance on keeping track of political affairs, influencing the political structure, community leadership, helping others in difficulty, and developing a meaningful philosophy of life. From these findings, the Center infers that students who participate fully in the We the People... program are more likely than nonparticipating students to become active, engaged, and compassionate citizens, as well as to develop a greater propensity to show support for democratic institutions and processes.
In this paper, we present preliminary voter turnout exit poll data reported on younger political ... more In this paper, we present preliminary voter turnout exit poll data reported on younger political cohorts in the 2008 presidential elections. The overall trend is that youth are turning out to vote at higher levels than in previous elections, and that they are becoming more liberal. Next, we report on a sample of youth who took part in a rigorous civic education high school program, We the People; the Citizen and the Constitution. The 300 We the People alumni demonstrated great interest and engagement in the political process. They clearly distinguished between the two parties by providing policy and ideological stances. Presidential candidates, especially Obama, reached out to younger voters in the 2008 election. However, being contacted during the campaign did not sway alumni's decision to turn out or to vote. Young voters were mobilized through their cell phones and their online networking sites, and were able to use a wide variety of online sources to gather information on candidates. The majority of alumni expressed optimism about the future of the nation, grounded primarily in the political institutions and the resourceful spirit of Americans.
The "We the People... The Citizen and the Constitution" program is an instructional program on th... more The "We the People... The Citizen and the Constitution" program is an instructional program on the history and principles of U.S. constitutional democracy for elementary, middle, and high school students. The program is based on curricular materials developed by the Center for Civic Education. At the high school level, classes may choose to enter a formal competition structured as simulated congressional hearings, which are excellent for testing students' knowledge of U.S. democracy, with the brightest classes advancing from congressional, district, and state competitions to the national finals. Twenty-one of the 51 classes that competed at the 2001 national finals in Washington, DC, were randomly selected to participate in the survey (n.345). Findings reveal that, compared with various representative national samples, students participating in the "We the People" program national finals competition possess more knowledge of U.S. democratic institutions and processes. This paper reports on the survey results and is divided into the following parts: (1) "Introduction and Summary of Findings"; (2) "Sampling and Methodology"; (3) "'We the People...' Participant Political Knowledge"; (4) "'We the People...' Participant Political Attitudes"; (5) "Student Feedback on the 'We the People...' Program"; (6) "Conclusion"; (7) "References"; and (8) "Attachment A (Survey Instrument) ." (BT) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.
... Civic Education and Youth Turnout in the 2008 Presidential Election: Data from Engaged Citize... more ... Civic Education and Youth Turnout in the 2008 Presidential Election: Data from Engaged Citizens We the People Alumni Suzanne Soule [email protected] Jennifer Nairne [email protected] Paper prepared for the Western Political Science ... Smith Aaron and Lee Rainie. ...
What does the 2008 U.S. presidential election tell us about the emerging political cohort? Data c... more What does the 2008 U.S. presidential election tell us about the emerging political cohort? Data collected over time demonstrate a clear life-cycle effect, whereby younger voters, especially those who are less well-educated, participate at lower rates than do voters at later life stages
... Civic Education and Youth Turnout in the 2008 Presidential Election: Data from Engaged Citize... more ... Civic Education and Youth Turnout in the 2008 Presidential Election: Data from Engaged Citizens We the People Alumni Suzanne Soule [email protected] Jennifer Nairne [email protected] Paper prepared for the Western Political Science ... Smith Aaron and Lee Rainie. ...
You can now view the document associated with this citation by clicking on the "View Documen... more You can now view the document associated with this citation by clicking on the "View Document as HTML" link below. ... We analyze the content of 12 top candidates' speeches, websites and debates to obtain their positions on 30 topical issues, on non-issues (campaign finance ...
From October 2007 to May 2008, VoteHelp.Org helped over 200,000 people match their political pref... more From October 2007 to May 2008, VoteHelp.Org helped over 200,000 people match their political preferences to those of 12 leading republican and democrat presidential candidates. This paper details the effort that went into the creation of the website, including analysis of ...
Center for Civic Education, 5146 Douglas Fir Road, Calabasas, CA 91302; E-mail: ([email protected]); Web site: (http://www.civiced.org/)., Dec 1, 2000
This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. Min... more This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. In a battery of five open-ended response questions derived from the American National Election Studies, 60% of We the People... students answered all five questions correctly, whereas only 16.5% of a corresponding national sample of adults scored similarly. We the People... students also outscored the original American National Elections Studies sample, whose respondents ranged in age from 18 to over 80 years, by 28%. Various longitudinal studies have shown that political interest and support is declining among America's youth (Sax, Astin, Korn and Mahoney, 1997). The Center's study found that students who participate in the national finals competition of the We the People... program show less cynicism toward facets of American politics and government than a corresponding national sample of students possessing similar sociodemographic qualities. In addition, compared with a representative national sample of college freshmen, We the People... students place more importance on keeping track of political affairs, influencing the political structure, community leadership, helping others in difficulty, and developing a meaningful philosophy of life. From these findings, the Center infers that students who participate fully in the We the People... program are more likely than nonparticipating students to become active, engaged, and compassionate citizens, as well as to develop a greater propensity to show support for democratic institutions and processes.
Conference sponsored by the Center for Civic Education and Bundeszentrale fur politische Bildung ... more Conference sponsored by the Center for Civic Education and Bundeszentrale fur politische Bildung 0 "A man may possess a vast knowledge with regard to the workings of our social and political machinery, and yet be absolutely untrained in those things which make a good citizen." (Arthur Hadley, 135) "People, regardless of their age or generation, are more likely to participate in public life if they have the motivations, skills, resources, and opportunities to do so. To the extent that young people of any generation are encouraged and assisted to develop these motivations, skills, resources, and opportunities through family discussion and parental modeling, formal and informal school programs, outreach by nonprofit and political organizations, the medial and the like, they are more likely to respond by becoming engaged." (Zukin et al. 2006, 203).
Uploads
Papers by Suzanne Soule