Urgent Need for Civics Education in Tennessee
The Institute of American Civics, housed in the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs, conducted a statewide survey this spring examining civic knowledge and participation by Tennesseans.
The survey report says its results lead to two obvious conclusions: “It is crucial that Tennesseans develop a higher level of civic knowledge, and the process will not be easy. Strong efforts will need to be made at the K-12 level, in universities, and in the general public across the state.”
Key findings include:
- Only about half of respondents knew that Tennessee has a state constitution.
- Fewer than half of respondents said they know who their state legislators are, and only around one-third said they knew their county commissioner or city council member.
- Nearly half of respondents said they were somewhat or extremely worried about their reputation being harmed by a political opinion they post on social media or say at work, and a third said they were less likely to discuss politics with friends and family than 10 years ago.
