Basic civics knowledge goal of this legislation

While love of country is still very much the dominant sentiment in the United States and certainly within the state of Idaho, such patriotism does not always translate into a love of our political and civic traditions and the history of the institutions that make our country unique. In fact, study after study seems to suggest that an astonishing percentage of citizens don't have a basic knowledge of civics that enables active participation as a citizen. As such, we find that key measures of citizen engagement - most notably voter participation - are in decline.

In November 2014, voter turnout in Idaho's general election fell to 38 percent of the voting age population, the first time that turnout had fallen below 40 percent. On the eve of his retirement, longtime Secretary of State Ben Ysursa called the figure "abysmal," noting the need to reverse the trend and citing various efforts that his office undertook during the past several decades to drive broader voter participation. While such efforts have been laudable, I believe we need a multi-pronged effort to spur more citizen engagement, which needs to begin long before young people turn 18 and become eligible to vote. That's why I'm focused on turning our attention to civics education in the schools.

The Idaho Legislature, like nearly 20 legislatures from around the country, is considering a bill (S1071) that would require our students to pass a civics test - similar to the test administered to residents looking to become naturalized citizens in the U.S. - to graduate from high school. The test, which asks questions such as, "What are the first 10 amendments to the Constitution called?" and "Who does a U.S. senator represent?" covers foundational elements of our country's history and system of governance. Each year, tens of thousands of immigrants from every corner of the globe study for and pass (at a very high rate) the civics test on the path to becoming a naturalized American citizen. We should expect nothing less from our young people.

Some have suggested that the test reflects a watered down version of a robust civics education. We feel the content covered in the test is, indeed, the minimum knowledge that we should expect of any American and that the questions themselves serve as an entry point for richer classroom discussions about the workings of government and news that students might be reading or hearing about.

An effective and comprehensive civics curriculum, implemented at the local level by school districts, should make passing such a test a breeze for most students. More importantly, though, by setting a baseline for civics knowledge as a graduation requirement, we send the powerful message to our young people that we want them to understand how we govern ourselves in this country so that they can use that knowledge to actively uphold both their rights and responsibilities as citizens.

If you support this small but meaningful step toward a more engaged citizenry and a more informed electorate, please urge your legislators to support Senate Bill 1071.

Sen. Jim Patrick is a Twin Falls Republican.