I am amazed at how little people know about the workings of government.

[drray23]

Even here on DU where we are interested in politics way more than the average citizen, we still have people not clear on what is required for various things such as impeachment and removal or how a bill is passed, what the speaker of the house or senate minority leader can actually do. How many posts did we have about how the democrats are not stopping this or that or doing this or that ignoring that its not possible unless you actually have the votes or control the chambers ?

Imagine what it must be in the general public that does not follow politics closely. Its a major issue for our country. Civic lessons need to be put back in school.

[Cirque du So-What]

1. My jaw hit the floor recently

when I saw an OP asking, in all seriousness, whether rump could fire Mike Pence.

[Irish_Dem]

2. We used to have to take American history, government classes, etc.

Even some of our sitting congressional members don't know much about the US government.

Civics classes should be required, along with science classes.

[exboyfil]

7. Who actually remembers their Civics when they are in their 30s and beyond

I was just complaining to my daughter about forgetting again the order of the Presidents when I was trying to describe the 1876 Presidential election.

And there are things that are not clear. Like who actually gets a vote on the 25th Amendment. Also that amendment is written poorly in my mind as I try to reason out the timetable.

Also House and Senate rules do change over time so what is the clock on considering impeachment and then sending it over to the Senate?

[Ms. Toad]

26. Those are details -

but everyone ought to know that Trump has no power to fire an elected official.

That level of ignorance - even among politically engaged members of DU is appalling.

[njhoneybadger]

11. But they keep up with QAnon.

[beachbumbob]

3. the decades long effect of home schooling , religious schooling and private schooling has done all

this

[mobeau69]

15. Public schools and state legislatures aren't exempt from the failure either.

[whathehell]

4. I absolutely agree about Civics going back into the curriculum..

It 'disappeared' during the Reagan adminstration.

[Geechie]

5. One word

Actually, it's an acronym:
STEM

For years, education has been all about
STEM!!!
STEM!!!
STEM!!!
STEM!!!
STEM!!!
STEM!!!
STEM!!!
STEM!!!
STEM!!!
STEM!!!
STEM!!!
STEM!!!

Oh, wait a minute, why doesn't anybody understand civics or history anymore?
Hmmm.... couldn't possibly have seen this coming, could we?

[haele]

12. Useful Drones. Enough logic to do the math required for STEM, not enough for them "librul" arts.

Why should anyone learn ethics, philosophy, sociology/history, symbolic logic/rhetoric, or, heck, any of the arts? That's just dilettante stuff that doesn't make money (unless you're a musician or grifter).
People who study things like that are either elitist or lazy, donchaknow?

Haele

[lame54]

6. Can Trump pardon himself?

[njhoneybadger]

8. I'm guilty, It would be helpful to have some kind of cheat sheet for the basics.

I usually look things up if I don't know.

[Make7]

9. At least after the inauguration, we will have a President that knows something about it. (n/t)

[Bettie]

10. Impeachment and removal is not

a really common thing, so it makes sense that people are foggy on it. As with how new states are added.

Everyone should understand how a bill becomes a law.

We need civics taught in schools as a required course again. I think early GenX was the last group to have that.

[Wellstone ruled]

13. Worst thing in Education that happened

was,Civics Study was removed from Public School Education Curriculum. Government Ignorance has been on roids since.

[mikeysnot]

14. And republicons leverage this ignorance to push their agenda

to enrich themselves and their billionaire sugardaddy's

[mikeysnot]

16. FYI my son took civics last year

in his Junior year at a Chicago HS. So some schools still offer it, and it was mandatory to take for graduation.

[Wednesdays]

20. Compare that to the curriculums of the places where the capitol terrorists came from

Like rural Arkansas, etc.

[tblue37]

17. Trump's ignorance of government procedures is why he was so infuriated that Pence

wouldn't do what Pence was entirely powerless to do. It's like getting mad at him for refusing to flap his arms and fly.

[malchickiwick]

18. I teach Poli Sci 101 at the nearby college. About 1/3 of my students are "politically literate"

coming in. But even among those who are not, most are very engaged politically by the end of the semester. Of course, getting young people interested has been a bit more difficult during COVID-induced distance instruction, but my students are very interested to learn how the government is designed to function, and why it so often gets derailed, etc.

[demmiblue]

21. My state has a civics requirement for graduation.

Civics, Citizenship or Social Studies High School Graduation Requirements

Three units including one credit in United States history and geography, one credit in world history and geography, ½ credit in economics, and ½ credit in civics.

A high school in this state which offers 12 grades shall require a 1-semester course of study of 5 periods per week in civics which shall include the form and functions of the federal, state, and local governments and shall stress the rights and responsibilities of citizens. A diploma shall not be issued by a high school to a pupil who has not successfully completed this course. This requirement shall not be applicable as a graduation requirement for a high school pupil who has enlisted or been inducted into military service.

http://ecs.force.com/mbdata/mbstcprofancg?rep=CIP16ST&st=Michigan

[SWBTATTReg]

22. Why are you amazed? A lot of people don't know how to write a decent letter, or do other ...

things that require some kind of, eh, knowledge and learning. And remember, not all go to school either. How are you going to reach them? Sure you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. This is the same thing with these people. Moaning and griping about poor job opportunities etc., and they blame everybody else but themselves. We saw a big chunk of them in Wash. D.C. What were they thinking that they were going to do, once they invaded the chambers of Congress? Overthrow all of the laws or what, hold hostages and demand that trump be reinstated?

[modrepub]

23. Is It Stupidity

or just an utter lack of admitting you don't know? The amount of information on any topic can be immense so it wouldn't be unusual to be slightly ignorant on some aspects. You rarely hear anyone say, I'm not sure, when in reality it's probably an accurate assessment.

The problem sometimes isn't too much knowledge, but too little combined with not enough sense to admit when you don't understand something.

[LizBeth]

29. And that is my fail because I have no issue at all not knowing something. I know so much, I

cannot know everything and do not expect to. I readily say I do not know so I can get the correct info and move on.

Like, you tell me your name and five minutes later I will tell you I do not know. I already have so much stuffed in this brain, that name is not going in.

[DEbluedude]

24. No need to imagine. We're witnessing it firsthand.

[Ms. Toad]

25. Yup. I worked really hard not to make a snarky comment yesterday

in response to a question that any 5th grader paying reasonable attention in their history/civics/government lessons should have been able to answer.

[PoliticAverse]

27. What's really frightening is that some of those people are actually in government. n/t

[LizBeth]

28. If you have the answer share. I am old. I have forgotten more than I can believe and cannot always

pull u0p every bit of info I learned over the years. BUT... I do ask when something happens and always appreciate when someone shares information with me, nicely, without snark but simply to educate me.