Alarming Statistics: Americans and Civic Knowledge
One in three Americans cannot name the three branches of government. Only 11% can name two of the three branches of government. Also, 16% cannot name any branch of government. (1) Why should you care?
The Role of Citizens in a Representative Government
Since We the People run the government by electing representatives to do our work in legislatures, this is alarming. What if voters don’t know the obligations of the Legislative, Executive, or Judicial branches of government? Ignorance is not and never has been bliss. This is how our freedoms get used against us.
Misconceptions About the Powers of Government Branches
If Americans do not know that the President cannot make laws (executive orders are not laws), or that the House and Senate are not responsible for enforcing the laws they pass, or that the Judicial Branch of the government does not change laws (it can overrule a law if it conflicts with the Constitution), then elected officeholders in effect run their lives—and yours. This was not the design or the desire of our Founders.
The Dangers of Concentrated Power
Our Founders rejected the concentrated power of single-person rule. Historian Bill Federer likened this type of rule to a gang. All the power is invested in a single leader. These gang leaders in world governments had names like “Emperor,” “King,” “Sultan,” “Kaiser,” “Chairman,” “Il Duce,” “Czar,” etc. I think you get the idea.
How the Constitution Prevents Abuse of Power
The Framers of the Constitution designed our government to check and balance itself through three branches: Legislative, Executive, and Judicial. By dividing power, our government avoided a gang leader. No one branch gets all the power by design.
The Importance of Civic Education for Freedom
Freedom is not fed by ignorance. If we don’t know how our government is supposed to work, we leave the door open for other countries or “bad actors” to misuse it. Our rights can be quietly eroded. What actions might you take to guard our freedom?
This is Common Sense Civics and Citizenship.🇺🇸
(1)https://www.asc.upenn.edu/news-events/news/third-americans-cannot-name-three-branches-government
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