America’s common understanding of its history and civic institutions is fractured and fading. Our education system should be preparing each generation of citizens to participate in this democratic republic.
Survey research shows that most Americans pay little attention to politics and lack basic civic knowledge. This is true even among those with college degrees. In a democratic republic, it is vital that citizens comprehend their system of government and how they may fully engage with it.
The way forward is clear. A renewal of civic education can reverse America’s civic literacy crisis by ensuring that students gain basic knowledge of our history and government. Colleges and universities, lawmakers, students, and parents must work together to confront the crisis and reverse course.
In this spirit, ACTA is celebrating the 250th birthday of our country in 2026 by redoubling its efforts to push for robust civics education nationwide. Between now and July 4, 2026, ACTA will be introducing a series of national initiatives designed to promote civics as the centerpiece of the core curriculum in higher education.
In June 2024, ACTA surveyed over 3,000 college and university students on basic knowledge of American history and government. We found that significant numbers of college students graduate without even a rudimentary grasp of America’s history and political system. View the survey results to learn more about this disturbing knowledge gap. The survey builds upon ACTA’s decades-long analysis of civic literacy trends, including our groundbreaking original report, Losing America’s Memory: Historical Illiteracy in the 21st Century.
View Survey Results60
%60% of students failed to identify the term lengths of members of Congress.
44
%44% of students incorrectly identified Thomas Jefferson over James Madison as the “Father of the Constitution.”
37
%37% of students correctly identified John Roberts as the chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.
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