Informed Patriotism & Participatory Civics Lesson

1.  Informed Patriotism and Founders’ Vision  

In his 1988 farewell address, President Ronald Reagan stressed the importance of a concept he termed “informed patriotism.” To him, this referred to a national pride rooted in understanding the nation’s ideals and principles, emphasizing knowledge of history, and recognizing the importance of civic engagement. Like the Framers, President Reagan understood the fragility of freedom and believed informed patriotism was essential for the survival of the constitutional republic.

According to a journal entry by Maryland delegate to the Constitutional Convention, James McHenry, on the last day of the convention, a woman approached Dr. Benjamin Franklin and asked, “Well, Doctor, what have we got? A republic or a monarchy?” Franklin answered, “A republic if you can keep it.” The Framers understood that this newly created nation truly was a “great experiment.” Everything hinged on “We the People.” While these first three words of the U.S. Constitution reflect the concept that the people grant the government its power, these words also reflect the idea that democracy is a process. Individuals and groups must hold the nation and its government accountable to the ideals expressed in the founding documents and remain engaged in the quest for a “more perfect union.”

At times, the Framers were weary of this revolutionary design: a government where political power rests with the people and not a monarch or parliament. They knew that just the framework laid out on paper was not enough to ensure liberty. In writing about “the only point on which [Washington] and I ever differed in opinion,” Jefferson wrote, “was, that I had more confidence than he had in the natural integrity and discretion of the people.” However, Jefferson also recognized that civic education and historical knowledge were key to fostering democracy and preventing tyranny. In a 1789 letter, Jefferson wrote, “Wherever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government.”

2.  The Role of Citizens in Addressing Issues at Various Levels of Government  

Citizens play a central role in setting public policy at all levels of government. Consent of the governed in a constitutional republic requires active and consistent participation of citizens. The thoughts, feelings, and priorities of constituents must be made known to the representatives elected to govern. Oftentimes, citizens pay more attention to national government policies and participate in elections for national offices. However, as a result of the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and federalist system, large amounts of authority for public policy setting rests with state and local governments. 

While the enumerated powers of the national government impact some areas of public policy, the policies that most directly affect the day-to-day lives of citizens are mostly directed by the government at the state and local levels. These policies may be in the areas of education, emergency services, infrastructure, parks and recreation, taxes, and more. Various local and state agencies are tasked with identifying issues/problems, developing solutions, and setting policies for implementation. While voting is perhaps the most basic and central act of citizenship, the voting booth is simply where citizen participation begins rather than ends. Active citizenship requires that citizens continually work to stay informed and involved. Our constitutional republic relies on citizens to engage in civil discourse with their elected representatives, providing feedback and ideas on how to best address issues of importance to them. To do that, it is essential for citizens to understand the powers and responsibilities of every level of government to ensure they are interacting with the correct level to address an issue. They must also have knowledge of the structure, function, and processes of the branches of government.  

3.  Tools of Political and Civic Engagement

Remaining politically and civically engaged is a central tenet of citizenship. While citizenship carries with it certain obligations, such as obeying laws, paying taxes, and defending the nation if called upon, it also comes with responsibilities to participate and contribute to the common good. Civic engagement is a key component to preserving or reforming institutions within our constitutional republic. Civic engagement occurs when individuals or groups work to address a public concern in order to benefit their community, state, and/or nation. Through civic engagement, citizens may advocate for change or advocate to prevent a change from occurring. Within the structures of our governmental system and the rights afforded to citizens in the U.S. Constitution, there are numerous legal methods that can be used to promote social and political change. They are outlined in the table below.

4.  Senator Bob Graham, Representative Lou Frey, and Civic Education  

In 2010, Florida implemented a comprehensive reform effort targeting civic education in the state through the Justice Sandra Day O’Connor Civic Education Act. For many years before that landmark effort, former Florida congressional leaders Bob Graham (a Democrat) and Lou Frey (a Republican) collaborated in a patriotic, bipartisan push to help Floridians understand the importance of civic education and informed patriotism. This bipartisan effort was important. Both Graham and Frey consistently argued that civics was not a Republican or Democratic issue, but an American issue. As Americans, they felt that we had a responsibility to ensure that every generation got a practical, informative, and engaging experience in school that helped them develop into passionate participants in civic life. Both Bob Graham and Lou Frey sought to model what they believed. 

Lou Frey’s career was dedicated to the youth of America. Throughout his time in Congress (1969-1979), he sought to involve future citizens in government. Indeed, his co-authored 1969 report,  Youth of America: Congress Looks at the Campus, supported what would become the 16th Amendment. This granted 18-year-olds the right to vote; the report also supported draft reform, expansion of various student loan programs, opposition to repressive legislation against colleges where protests against the Vietnam War took place, and establishment of a Commission on Higher Education. Representative Frey also established a high school intern program where more than 300 students from his district, who were elected by their peers, came to Washington for seven days to learn firsthand about their government. After his time in Congress, Lou Frey remained committed to engaging with students and teachers about government, through speaking engagements, collaborations with institutions and colleagues, and multiple symposia hosted through his namesake Lou Frey Institute at the University of Central Florida. 

Like Lou Frey, Bob Graham was dedicated to the importance of youth civic engagement and civic education in general. As a state legislator, Florida’s 38th governor, and later as a United States Senator (1987-2005), Graham followed a path of leadership and engagement as a civic role model. He believed wholeheartedly in the importance of bipartisanship, willing to work with members of both political parties to ensure progress for the nation. His ‘Workdays’ became a popular aspect of his campaigns at multiple levels of government. These workdays, where he would work a job that connected him more closely to the lives of the typical Florida citizen, garnered him a great deal of support and demonstrated to us all how engaging with one’s neighbors and fellow citizens can help us understand each other. Ultimately, Bob Graham worked more than 900 different jobs, ranging from factory worker to tomato picker, in 109 cities and across five states during his political career. Prior to retiring from the U.S. Senate, he led the investigation into the causes of the attacks of September 11th, 2001. Following his retirement, he established the Bob Graham Center for Public Service at the University of Florida. The Graham Center provides opportunities for active civic engagement for college students across Florida and beyond. This fulfills Senator Graham’s vision of active civic engagement for every generation of citizen. 

To help with the passage of what would become the Justice Sandra Day O’Connor Civic Education Act, Representative Frey and Senator Graham drew on their strong legacy in bipartisan collaboration and civic engagement. With one shared voice, and with the support of educators and leaders across the state, they convinced the Florida legislature that civic education mattered. This bipartisan push culminated in the two men leading the effort to bring retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor to Florida to speak to a joint session of the state legislature on why this bill mattered, and on the effort of Bob Graham and Lou Frey needed to make a difference. The bill passed overwhelmingly in both houses of the Florida Legislature and was signed into law by Governor Charlie Crist. And with that, Florida became one of the first states in the nation to mandate high-quality civic education in middle school, along with the high-stakes assessment that accompanies it. All because two men worked together to address a problem they saw, and drew on their experience as advocates of bipartisanship and informed patriotism to make it happen.