National Standards for Civics and Government

The National Standards for Civics and Government were developed by the Center for Civic Education with support from the U.S. Department of Education and The Pew Charitable Trusts. Three thousand individuals and organizations participated in the two-year project to identify what students should know and be able to do in the field of civics and government when they complete grades 4, 8, and 12.

The content standards are organized around five significant questions:

  1. What are civic life, politics, and government?

  2. What are the foundations of the American political system?

  3. How does the government established by the Constitution embody the purposes, values, and principles of American democracy?

  4. What is the relationship of the United States to other nations and to world affairs?

  5. What are the roles of the citizen in American democracy?
The Standards have been endorsed by civic and professional groups, drawn praise in the press and in the Congressional Record, and are being used by states and local school districts throughout the country. The United States Information Agency (USIA) is distributing an international edition of National Standards for Civics and Government to other nations through U.S. embassies and United States Information Service agencies throughout the world.

“Most remarkable in [the Standards] is the consensus reached around one vital axiom—that students must become informed citizens to perpetuate democracy and become effective participants in our system of government.”

The Honorable Mark O. Hatfield, U.S. Senate

“National Standards for Civics and Government offers a solid framework for teaching students about the ideas that underlie American democracy...and for conveying to students an appreciation for democracy and the steps necessary to sustain it. [This] will be an invaluable document.”

Albert Shanker, President, American Federation of Teachers

“[A]s I looked through [National Standards for Civics and Government] I thought to myself how wonderful it would be if all students in America could leave high school with a firm grasp of the material covered by these standards and a commitment to responsible, informed and active participation in our democracy.”

The Honorable Jeff Bingaman, U.S. Senate

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