“Strengthening civic engagement is one of the core missions of the Hatch Foundation,” said Orrin Hatch, Chairman Emeritus. “And who better to help lead us in this effort than David Davenport? David is a nationally recognized scholar who has dedicated the latter part of his career to improving civic education. His research will bring much-needed attention to the civics crisis and help move the national conversation on this issue in a positive direction. We have big ambitions for this project, and David is just the man to help us meet them.”

“Many of our country’s greatest challenges—from lack of civility to declining faith in institutions—are merely symptoms of a larger problem: a crisis in civic education,” said Davenport. “The success of the American experiment hinges on the strength of our civic education programs.  That’s why I am proud to partner with the Hatch Foundation on a special project that will not only identify the origins of this crisis but propose actionable solutions to restore civic virtue.”

The Foundation’s report will outline the scope and scale of the civics crisis and examine its root causes, including lack of emphasis on civic education in public school curricula and lack of testing on the subject. It will likewise examine the connections between poor civic literacy and low rates of civic engagement, rising support for socialism, and declining faith in institutions. In addition, the report will highlight best practices in states that are leading the way in civic education and outline policy strategies to help our nation’s leaders improve civic knowledge and understanding across the board.