Civic Education

by Richard G. Niemi, Jane Junn

This book is based on the most extensive assessment to date of civic knowledge among American youth - the 1988 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Civics Assessment. The authors first document how much students know about a wide range of political and civic topics; then demonstrate differences in civic knowledge among students grouped according to race, gender, type of school, amount of instruction, and other characteristics of individuals, schools, and homes; and finally develop and test a theoretical model to explain the cognitive process by which students learn about politics. The authors conclude by suggesting specific changes in the style and emphasis of civics teaching.