Secretary of state works to improve people's knowledge of government
Here is a pop quiz for Civics 101. Just for fun, see how you do.
1. Who represents you in the U.S. House of Representatives?
2. Who is the top elected official in county governments in Kentucky?
3. How long is the term of a state senator in Kentucky?
4. If you live in a city, who is your mayor?
5. Name the two U.S. senators from Kentucky.
If you know the answer to all five of the above questions, count yourself in rare company. Only a minority of adults can correctly answer more than two of those questions.
Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson is trying to change that.
Since his 2003 campaign for the office that oversees all elections in Kentucky, Grayson has made increasing knowledge about how federal, state and local governments work a central theme. And his efforts are getting results - although not as much as he had hoped.
At one time, civics was a required course for all Kentucky school students, but that requirement has taken a back seat to other, more demanding academic courses. As a result, students are graduating from high school with little knowledge about how government works. That's not good for democracy.
So far, Grayson said he's also been focused on increasing awareness and convincing people that the issue needs more attention. In the works is an online “virtual high school course” aimed at helping high schools and parents who teach their children at home. It could also provide teachers with an extra outlet for professional development opportunities.
Many efforts are focused on increasing young peoples' knowledge of how government works and getting them in the habit of voting, he said. Boosting the ongoing “Kids Voting” program could help in increasing voter turnout, Grayson said.
While most kids are exposed to civics at some level, many are taught about the federal government, but few learn in-depth details about state government and even less about local government, Grayson said.
“Most kids don't get very much,” Grayson said. “It varies from district to district and even within a district. Most kids are getting a semester or less of material - very few kids are getting a year's worth.”
The problem is not limited to children. Many adults cannot name many of their elected officials and have no idea whether their city's governing body is a council or commission. As a result, there is much misinformation about what governments can - and cannot - do.
We applaud Grayson for his efforts. As part of an industry that closely follows the actions of governments, we recognize their importance and worry about how little interest many people have in their government.
By the way, the answers to the five questions above are (1) Geoff Davis if you live in the Fourth District (which most of our readers do) or Hal Rogers if you live in the Fifth District; (2) the judge-executive; (3) Kentucky state senators are elected to four-year terms with half the Senate being elected every two years; (4) if you live in Ashland, your mayor is Steve Gilmore; (5) Jim Bunning and Mitch McConnell, both Republicans, represent Kentucky in the U.S. Senate.