“It is the citizens of our nation who must preserve our system of government and we cannot forget that.”

Sandra Day O’Connor
Associate Justice, retired
United States Supreme Court

Click to learn more about Sandra Day O'Connor

New Evidence on Trickle-Down and Trickle-Up Influences in Civic Education and Engagement uses K-12, birth, and voting records for over 580,000 students to compile descriptive evidence on how trickle-down and trickle-up socialization influences civic engagement.

READ THE FULL POLICY BRIEF HERE

Group of adult students communicating with each other

“You have citizens who don’t understand how government works and they’re kind of soured on it. All they do is criticize. They have no idea that they can make things happen.”

Sandra Day O’Connor
Associate Justice, retired
United States Supreme Court

Click to learn more about civil discourse and its role in public policy

Group of adult students communicating with each other

“You have citizens who don’t understand how government works and they’re kind of soured on it. All they do is criticize. They have no idea that they can make things happen.”

Sandra Day O’Connor
Associate Justice, retired
United States Supreme Court

Click to learn more about civil discourse and its role in public policy

Mature volunteer organizing donations in boxes while working at humanitarian aid center.

"Do the best you can in every task, no matter how unimportant it may seem at the time."

Sandra Day O’Connor
Associate Justice, retired
United States Supreme Court

Click to learn more about civic engagement

Welcome to Civics for Life

Civics for Life is the multigenerational online resource center for civics education, civil discourse and civic engagement. Through our free online learning platform, Civics for Life addresses the knowledge gap of countless Americans who did not receive civics education during their school years. Now there is an easily accessible site for adult civics education and lifelong learning.

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New Evidence on Trickle-Down and Trickle-Up Influences in Civic Education and Engagement

Families play a big role in shaping political identities, but the details of how this happens are less ...
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Civics for Life Quarterly Issue 2

Civics for Life Quarterly, Issue 2

The story often told is that rural America is in decline, and that rural Americans are resentful of ...
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Issues and Answers: The Economy: Inflation, the Fed, and You

The Economy: Inflation, the Fed, and You

Inflation in America is happening for the first time in forty years. Why have prices gone up and ...
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How to Engage in Civil Discourse

How to Engage in Civil Discourse

Civil discourse is an active pursuit: participants should be actively respectful, open, friendly, and generous. Good faith is ...
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Civics Education

Our educational resources are developed to explain more than just fasts. Understanding the "why" of civics drives our ...
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Civil Discourse

Without civil discourse, a vibrant and productive civil society cannot exist; a representative democracy presupposes that its members ...
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