Unfortunately, the findings of the civics assessment are deeply troubling.

About 35 percent of American high school seniors lack even a basic understanding of the system of constitutional government of the United States. These young citizens, who score below the basic level in civics set by the Governing Board, do not comprehend the principles of American government, its structure of checks and balances, and the interplay of its political parties and interest groups.

Preparing our youth to be responsible members of a democratic society is one of the most important missions of American education. We cannot be content when so many young voters are so poorly prepared.

According to today’s report, while two-thirds of the seniors do have a basic understanding of American government, just 26 percent have reached the proficient level, which indicates they have a good understanding of how governments and constitutions work and the ability to apply what they’ve learned to concrete situations. This is the standard set by the National Assessment Governing Board for the solid academic performance we believe all students should attain. According to the NAEP results, three-quarters of American 12th graders fall short of that standard.

To be sure, the Board's standard for proficiency is high. But it is not unreasonable. It expects students to have a sure grasp of the facts of American government and the principles of American democracy, and then to apply these facts and principles in taking and defending positions on particular public issues. Surely, this is an ability all informed citizens ought to have—not just to say what they like or don't like, but also to marshal some evidence and logic to explain their position and try to persuade others.

For a democracy like ours to flourish, it is crucial that citizens are prepared to participate in making decisions through rational discussion and debate—rather than by force, emotional appeals, or manipulation. At election time, we want our citizens to be well informed, thoughtful, and reflective. Yet, only about one-quarter of high school seniors reach the standard of proficiency that means they are well prepared for these responsibilities.

The Governing Board's standards for grades 4 and 8 are scaled back to reflect curriculum and expectations at those grades. Overall, the percentage of students meeting the various standards is comparable to those at grade 12—and comparably disappointing.

Are students and schools doing better in civics than they did ten years ago? Unfortunately, the limited trend data that was part of the 1998 assessment won't be reported for another few months. But the results we do have—both the overall profile of performance in terms of achievement levels and the percentage answering particular questions correctly—give serious cause for concern.

For example, among 12th graders:

• Only 25 percent are able to list two ways in which the American system of government is designed to prevent absolutism and arbitrary power.
• Only 45 percent know that the President and the State Department have more authority over foreign policy than either Congress or the courts.
• Only 36 percent know that the Supreme Court used the 14th Amendment to the Constitution to invalidate state laws that segregate public schools, and only 58 percent know that one important impact of the Court's 1954 Brown decision was to give the federal government greater influence in a policy area that had been dominated by states and municipalities.

• Only 35 percent know that the number of electoral votes for each state is based on its representation in Congress.
• Only 22 percent could figure out in a multiple-choice question that one thing that labor unions, civil rights groups, and business associations all have in common is that they try to influence public policy, rather than that they all "share the same ideas" or are funded by the federal government or pay taxes.

• Sixty-five percent do know that the primary purpose of the Bill of Rights was to limit the power of the federal government. Conversely, 35 percent do not understand this central point about America's constitutional development.
• When asked to explain two ways that a democratic society benefits from active citizen participation in politics, just nine percent could give two acceptable answers, another 43 could give one acceptable answer, and the remaining 48 percent gave trivial or wrong-headed answers or didn't answer at all.

The same difficulty in applying knowledge and using it for particular questions or in particular situations shows up again and again on NAEP assessments—in science and math, as well as in U.S. history and civics. In all these subjects, the Board's standard for proficient achievement requires that students take a next step of not only knowing quite a bit about the subject, but also of being able to use their knowledge to analyze a situation, solve a problem, or give a cogent explanation. It is at this level—of analysis, reasoning, and applications—that far too many students fall short.

In a democratic country, such as our own, when this problem appears in civics education it is cause for particular concern. As Lincoln said, the United States is a government "of the people, by the people, and for the people." We must all be concerned when a substantial proportion of our young people—our new generation of voters—do not understand clearly how America's government works and cannot articulate and apply its constitutional values.

As the 10th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall reminds us, America's democratic structures and values are immensely attractive around the world. But many of our own young people do not understand them. An assessment such as this should promote the improvement of education by demonstrating that more must be done—through a strengthened civics curriculum and higher standards—to make sure that all our young people are better prepared for their roles as citizens and voters.