Justice Gorsuch Raises Concerns About Civic Literacy Decline
Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch has sounded the alarm regarding the serious drop in civic literacy among students across the United States. This alarming trend, he believes, ultimately spurred him to co-author a new children’s book aimed at teaching youngsters about the foundational principles of America.
In a recent conversation with Fox News Digital, Gorsuch discussed his book titled “Heroes of 1776: The Story of the Declaration.” He created it to confront the notable decline in civics education and historical awareness, not just in children but also in adults.
He noted that only around 13 percent of today’s eighth-graders are familiar with American history, while just 22 percent have any understanding of civics. Moreover, he pointed out that nearly 60 percent of adults would struggle to pass the citizenship test. Gorsuch expressed that these statistics are deeply reflective of the current situation and served as inspiration for his book.
Widespread Concerns About Civic Knowledge
Gorsuch remarked that he and his co-author, Janie Nitze, have been discussing the troubled state of civics education in the nation for some time. He indicated that she prompted him to take action. “You’ve been complaining for a long time about the state of civics education in this country,” she said. “She’s absolutely right,” he admitted, prompting him to put his thoughts into a tangible project.
Years before his Supreme Court nomination, Gorsuch had already been pushing to enhance civics education for youth. Recently, he cited former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor as a significant influencer for his book. O’Connor, renowned for starting a civics education nonprofit after her tenure on the bench, has often highlighted the growing issues in civics education.
“As she left the court, she reflected that there is a problem with civics education in this country,” Gorsuch noted, adding, “And for various reasons, it’s just not taught anymore.” He emphasized the notion that the U.S. is a nation based on ideas, not race or religion, and questioned how we can pass down these values if younger generations are unaware of their significance.
Highlighting Young Contributions to History
In 2019, Gorsuch revealed that only one-third of Americans could name all three branches of government, calling this a troubling trend since the branches are designed to check each other’s powers.
He remarked, “Without this separation of powers, the promise of freedom is just words on a page.” Now, Gorsuch hopes to convey this crucial message to younger audiences through his book. He aims to inspire children by showcasing how individuals their age contributed to shaping the nation during its formative years.
According to Gorsuch, young people have historically played prominent roles, citing examples of teenagers who participated in wars or served as spies. “We wanted to inspire young people, and that was a big part of it,” he explained.
Gorsuch underscored that the importance of civics education transcends political divides on the Supreme Court. He asserted that all nine justices agree on the significance of learning American history. “If you polled nine of us in a room, the one thing we would all agree on is the importance of learning American history,” he affirmed. “How else are you going to go about this? Someone has to run the zoo.”
