[Note: If
the reader has taken up reading this blog with this posting, he/she is helped
by knowing that this posting is the next one in a series of postings. The series begins with the posting, “The Natural Rights’ View
of Morality” (February 25, 2020, https://gravitascivics.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-natural-rights-view-of-morality.html).
Overall, the series addresses how the study of political science has
affected the civics curriculum of the nation’s secondary schools.]
This blog is currently attempting to provide the reader a
sense of what image of governance and politics the best-selling government
textbooks present to high school students.
This posting will rely on Magruder’s 2013 edition. In that edition, Magruder’s veers
toward providing a set of inserts that instruct students about how to perform
various engaging practices in relation to their local political community,
including the local government.
These inserts are entitled Citizenship
101 and while the feature was dropped by the 2019 edition, it does give the
reader a taste of how an establishment publication treats political engagement
when it chooses to address this topic. Before starting, the reader might
ask how inspiring the effort is or how likely students are, upon reading the
material, apt to engage themselves with local political action.
Each insert is dedicated to a different
topic: debates, evaluating leadership, juries, letters to the editor,
political campaigns, political roots and attitudes, polls, television news programs,
using the internet, volunteering, and writing to public officials. Perhaps
the reader can add to what should be included, such as organizing a “grass
roots” campaign.
Each insert takes up about half a page
(the entry might take up the entire page, but a lot of the space is taken up
with a photo or titling, leaving a good deal of empty space). Given the
font size and spacing of its usual text material, the information in these
inserts would take up a good deal less than half a page if it were presented as
part of the usual text. The format is the same for all individual inserts.
That format begins with a quote or an
overall description. Then there is an
introduction to the topic, followed by a list of things to do in order to
perform some action in relation to the topic. For example, the list for
evaluating leadership has three steps: “decide what factors are most
important to you;” “match the skills to the job;” and “compare their
qualifications.” For each step, there is a short “how to” explanation to
help the student accomplish the step.
Are these topics written in such a way
as to bolster or enable social capital[1]
or are they written to promote self-interest agendas as those would be more in
line with a natural rights perspective? This writer is disappointed that
these entries are given such small emphasis, but some of the topics are related
to social capital. They are: letters to the editor, political
campaigns, political roots and attitudes, volunteering, voting, and writing to
public officials.
Next is a closer look at the six of the
twelve topics this writer feels should be highlighted, although whatever one
finds in these entries, they are a very small part of this book. That
alone conveys the notion that what they contain is not considered sufficiently
important.
This review begins with the insert
topic of “Writing a Letter to the Editor.”
The institutionalized practice of local newspapers dedicating space,
usually on their editorial pages, to letters from their readers is a way to
encourage average citizens to voice their opinions, knowledge, and beliefs
about current public issues. It promotes
active, public-spirited citizenry.
So, how does Magruder’s treat this topic?
The insert begins with a sample letter to an editor:
Editor:
Regarding
the article on additional budget cuts to public education (“Government Proposes
Slashing School Funding,” May 9), I believe that every penny spent is a
necessary investment in the future of this community. As a junior at Westfield High School, I know
that these cuts would place students’ futures in greater jeopardy. Last year 15 percent of the teaching staff
and 10 percent of all elective courses were eliminated due to severe reductions
in funding. These cuts ultimately
impacted the quality of our education, and that is a sacrifice this town should
not be willing to make again.
-Thomas
Grey, St. Clairsville[2]
This letter couldn’t
be a better example of lobbying.
Take
a public policy that negatively affects your interests, manipulate the pitch so
as to provide a general welfare angle, and use language that denotes a concern
for the community. Interesting is the
fact that textbook funds come out of the same pot of money as those funds
affecting the budget cuts referred to in the letter. Couldn’t another example been used?
Anyway,
this writer believes this example to be well within the guidance of the natural
rights construct – a construct that promotes self-interest. This judgement is further supported by the introduction: when writing a letter to the editor choose a
topic that “affects you” – this
writer’s emphasis – “and your community.”
Notice the advice does not use the word “or” between “affects you” and
“your community.”
The
rest of the insert lists steps one should take in writing his/her letter: briefly summarize the issue, explain one’s
position, make a suggestion, and identify the writer of the letter. Given this advice, there would never be
letters from middle class citizens about, for example, the plight of the poor
or what we should do about undocumented citizens or the space program. Why?
Because these sample issues are too far removed from a typical middle or
upper-class individual or community.
In
short, in terms of writing to the editor, Magruder’s
is far less than a promoter of community development. It basically presents the topic as just
another way to help students get what they individually deem to be their
self-interests. That is, it is addressed
with little concern for motivations stemming from a more communal perspective.
A more directly related topic to
community welfare or one that advances social capital is “Volunteering.” This insert begins with a call to volunteer
by President George W. Bush. A few
organizations are mentioned as well as the federal government’s efforts to
facilitate volunteering. This includes USA Freedom Corps that acts as an
information distribution service and as a connector between non-governmental
organizations and citizens interested in volunteering.
The insert informs the reader that
while 20% of young people engage in some sort of volunteering, the overall
number of people volunteering has decreased.
The description does mention several sorts of activities that volunteers
perform such as tutoring and maintaining hiking trails. This information is presented in a
matter-of-fact tone without any real effort to sell this “obligation.” The information includes – as with the other
inserts – a list of steps that an interested party should follow to hook up
with a volunteering effort.
They are: make a list of interested activities, seek
out opportunities in potential organizations that might recruit those
interests, and make contact by emailing or calling. As for seeking out opportunities, apparently
teachers are a source of information to help a student find an appropriate
organization or, in addition, a student can research using the Internet to find
opportunities. In making contact, the
student is warned that he/she might need a resume or references.
The opinion here is that the insert
could do a lot more to encourage this “opportunity.” It could present case studies of actual
volunteers. It is a topic that should be
given a lot more space. Part of the
insert mentions how the system depends on volunteers to provide services that
are important but are not mandated by law or covered by government programs. Perhaps a discussion about whether government
should or should not provide some of these services might be suggested.
In any event, the whole topic is
treated as something quite inconsequential.
While the overall text benefits from having something about
volunteering, it does not warrant the judgment, “well done.” As a vehicle to promote social capital, Magruder’s effort on this topic does not
reach even the level of adequacy. This
review of these inserts will continue with the next posting, but the reader can
already ascertain the general efficacy of them in encouraging social capital
among a young audience.
[1] Social capital
is a societal quality characterized by
having an active, public-spirited citizenry, egalitarian political relations,
and a social environment of trust and cooperation. See Robert D. Putnam, Bowling Alone: The
Collapse and Revival of American Community (New York, NY: Simon &
Schuster, 2000).
[2] William McClenaghan, Magruder’s American Government (Florida Teacher’s Edition) (Boston,
MA: Prentice Hall/Pearson, 2013), 631.
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