(preliminary) examination of data that helps illuminate what students have learned (and
not learned) in the class.
This paper begins with a brief discussion of democratic citizenship, focusing on
the need for an informed citizenry and on current trends in American public opinion and
political behavior. I then discuss the evolution of my American government simulation
and its focus on cultivating the civic competency of my students, including a description
of what I mean when I refer to civic competence. Following a discussion of the
simulations themselves, I discuss my data and methods and then present my results. I
conclude by summarizing my findings and discussing their implications.
21
st
Century Citizenship, American Style
At its very nature, democratic government poses a critical dilemma. Democracy
is commonly defined as government by the people; ideally, a democratic government acts
on the preferences and in the best interests of the people (noting that the two are often not
the same). Thus, democratic government appears to require an informed citizenry
capable of articulating its interests and of using the instruments of government to pursue
policy that meets those interests.
However, from the very beginning of mass-based studies of political opinions, a
central finding has emerged regarding the lack of knowledge citizens possess. Over half
a century ago, Berelson, Lazarsfeld and McPhee (1954) wondered how democracy
survives: "Individual voters today seem unable to satisfy the requirements for a
democratic system of government outlined by political theorists." Summarizing this
literature twenty years later, Philip Converse (1975, p. 79) noted that "The most familiar
fact to arise from sample surveys is that popular levels of information about public affairs
are, from the point of view of the informed observer, astonishingly low." Contemporary
results showing more people can name the finalists on American Idol than can name the
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, to take just one example of pop culture trumping
politics, contribute to the popular perception that political knowledge levels are
dangerously low.
Perceived problems in American democracy run even deeper than concerns about
low levels of knowledge. Publication of Robert Putnam's Bowling Alone (2000) added
2
Convention