80% of Americans Demand More Civic Education Ahead of 250th

A new national poll reveals that 80% of American adults believe the country places too little emphasis on civic education, marking a rare consensus across age, party, and geography. The survey, conducted by Hart Research Associates and Public Opinion Strategies for NBC News and sponsored by More Perfect and the Daniels Fund, polled 3,000 adults nationwide. The findings come as the United States approaches its 250th birthday, with confidence in institutions at new lows. More than half of respondents said the country places “much too little” emphasis on civic education, while 29% said “somewhat too little.” Just 13% said the current level is about right. The poll also found that 78% of adults agree the “American Dream” is harder to achieve than a generation ago, and that majorities see more uniting than dividing Americans across lines of gender, race, and immigration status.

John Bridgeland, co-founder of More Perfect, a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to advancing democracy, called the results a “wake-up call to educators and policymakers.” Hanna Skandera Grady, President and CEO of the Daniels Fund, emphasized that people are “hungry for the tools to participate in their democracy.” The poll highlights a growing movement already underway, including the National Civics Bee, which has expanded to all 50 states; iCivics, reaching 9 million students annually; the National Constitution Center's Civics Quest; and 44 Presidential Centers collaborating for the first time on civic education. More Perfect's In Pursuit initiative has generated nearly a million views with essays on every U.S. president and first lady, ahead of a PBS documentary set for October 2026.

To learn more about More Perfect's work, visit joinmoreperfect.us. The survey underscores a clear demand for civic knowledge and engagement as the nation's 250th anniversary approaches, with answers already emerging from local communities across the country.