Link civic education, good government
It's hard to see a downside for the state in improving what young people know about our government and how it is supposed to work.
A work group lead by Secretary of State Trey Grayson and Chief Justice Joseph Lambert earlier this week released a report on how to improve civic literacy and engagement, particularly among young people.
The group's work was spurred by data showing that young people are increasingly ignorant of some of the basic concepts of our governing system and less likely to vote or otherwise participate in civic life.
The recommendations include creating a Kentucky Center for Civic Excellence that will design curriculum and other educational programs to help raise the level of civic understanding.
This is all admirable. Democracy works better when more people are involved, and the quality of involvement is sure to be better when people understand how government works, what it can and cannot do and what they have a right to demand of it.
The trouble is that even well-informed citizens will lose interest when they think their involvement doesn't matter or that people in power, or who hope to be, are lying to them. This is doubly true for young people.
Nothing creates cynicism like political corruption.
Corruption, for the purposes of this discussion, is broadly defined to include using lies, half-truths, false issues and empty rhetoric to obtain office, as well as stealing and cheating once in power. It will breed apathy in a majority and opportunism in a minority of citizens.
If you look at it that way, Kentucky leaders could promote civic engagement by passing tough ethics laws and enforcing them vigorously. Campaigners could engage the public by discussing real issues, talking about hard decisions and accepting spending limits.
Another report on civic engagement released this week adds depth to the picture. The National Conference on Citizenship, a non-profit created by Congress, reported that high school dropouts are much less likely than better-educated people to vote, trust government or do volunteer work. The report noted that the gap in "civic health" between the upper and lower classes in this country is widening.
This is particularly alarming in a poor state like Kentucky. Government officials who curry favor with voters by looking the other way rather than collecting taxes that support schools, or settle for economic development that adds low-paying and likely temporary jobs, are working to reduce the voting rolls.
Civic education is important, but it's meaningless without good government.