Rebecca Burgess has a paper at AEI titled "To transmit or transform the republic? Citizenship, civic education, and the `cords of [constitutional] affection."
Key points:
- Although US public opinion about America and the principles for which it stands are mixed, this seemingly schizophrenic attitude is probably not that surprising given the large, diverse, and liberal character of the republic today.
- This state of affairs calls for some clarifying reexaminations of how an education in citizenship is thought to benefit and perpetuate the American regime.
- Understanding civic education as transmitting or transforming the regime changes the purpose, shape, and content of a civics curriculum.
- Ultimately, even in a rights-based social compact order informed by “reflection and choice,” a robust citizenship involves not only a set of intellectual principles but also emotions or passions that are not readily quantifiable.
