The Educated Reporter: For Students, Shutdown Offers Lessons in How Not to Run a Nation

The Educated Reporter: For Students, Shutdown Offers Lessons in How Not to Run a Nation:

For Students, Shutdown Offers Lessons in How Not to Run a Nation

With the partial shutdown of the federal government well into its second week, it’s reasonable to ask what lessons students might be absorbing from the actions of Congress – or lack thereof. Peter Levine, director of the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning & Engagement (CIRCLE) at Tufts University, told me the political stalemate might translate into a short-term “teachable moment” for a class on government. But in the long run, it’s a less-than-ideal curriculum.

“What we’re seeing now is so at odds with what we teach in civics classes that it’s going to cause cognitive dissonance,” Levine said. He added that students already know there's a disconnect between what they're being taught about how U.S. government is supposed to function and the realities of current events. And the shutdown only contributes to that gap, he added. (For more on how the shutdown is impacting public education, Education Week's Alyson Klein is tackling the tough questions for the Politics K-12 blog.)

Levine’s organization recently convened a commission to examine civic learning and engagement among young people, leading to a new report released today at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The Commission on Youth Voting and Civic