激情快播

Fall 2021聽触听By Nicole Dudenhoefer聽鈥�17

Serving jury duty.聽Reciting the Pledge of聽Allegiance. Running聽for public office.聽Celebrating your 18th聽birthday by casting your first ballot.聽Mounting an American flag above聽your front porch. Making your voice聽heard at protests and marches.聽Whether it鈥檚 all these actions, a聽combination of some or something聽more, what makes an engaged聽citizen?

The answer 鈥� according to聽experts from , an organization dedicated聽to promoting civic education and聽action 鈥� is rooted in a simple,聽guiding principle: Engaged citizens聽are knowledgeable about their聽country鈥檚 history and current聽events.

鈥淭he first important thing is聽to become knowledgeable about聽the system in which we live,鈥� says聽Terri Susan Fine, associate director聽for the institute and a professor聽in .聽鈥淜nowledge should come before聽action so that a person knows why聽they鈥檙e acting, what they鈥檙e acting聽about, what the policy options are聽and what the government response聽options are before they take action.鈥�

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鈥淲e have the right聽as citizens to engage聽with our leaders, and聽it鈥檚 important that聽we practice that at聽the college level and聽[beyond].鈥�

Stephen Masyada, director of 激情快播鈥檚 Lou Frey Institute

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To promote civic education聽among college students, Florida聽Gov. Ron DeSantis recently聽expanded a civics literacy statute.聽Since 2018, students at public聽universities in Florida have been聽required to pass a 100-question聽civics test or to take an American聽history or U.S. government course 鈥斅爓ith some exceptions for those who聽produced passing scores on exams聽in relevant high school courses.聽Now students must complete both聽requirements.

鈥淲e have the right as citizens聽to engage with our leaders, and it鈥檚聽important that we practice that聽at the college level and [beyond],鈥澛爏ays Stephen Masyada, director聽of 激情快播鈥檚 Lou Frey Institute. 鈥淚t鈥檚聽important that [students] really聽take what they鈥檙e learning from聽these requirements, and they do聽something with it.鈥�

College students are required聽to demonstrate knowledge of the聽U.S. Constitution, as well as other聽founding documents and how聽they鈥檝e shaped the functions of聽U.S. institutions, basic principles聽of the American republic, and an聽understanding of the impact of聽landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases.

In a 2021 survey among U.S.聽adults, 44% could not name all聽three branches of government,聽according to the Annenberg Public聽Policy Center of the University of聽Pennsylvania.

鈥淓lections will happen, and聽policies will be made, with or聽without an educated populace,鈥澛燜ine says. 鈥淚t is better to have an聽informed and active citizenry to be聽engaged in these processes to.聽ensure that the public holds聽government accountable in a聽democracy.鈥�

Who is a Citizen?

About 93.3% of those living in the聽U.S. are either naturalized or native-born聽citizens, according to U.S.聽Census Bureau data from 2019. But聽it鈥檚 important to note that the very聽idea of who is and is not a citizen has聽changed significantly over time.

鈥淲hen our Declaration of聽Independence was adopted in 1776,聽and then in 1788 when the U.S.聽Constitution was ratified, the only聽individuals who were considered聽citizens by law and tradition were聽white male property owners of a聽certain age,鈥� says Masyada. 鈥淭he聽Dred Scott v. Sanford Supreme聽Court case [of 1857 determined]聽that African Americans could not聽be citizens, but then of course we聽have the 14th Amendment [in 1868],聽which really expanded the concept聽of citizens by essentially giving聽citizenship to African American聽men [and establishing the concept聽of birthright citizenship]. But聽it wasn鈥檛 until 1924 that Native聽Americans were actually considered聽full-fledged U.S. citizens, so who is聽considered a citizen has changed聽quite a bit over time.鈥�

Prior to the 14th Amendment,聽the Naturalization Act of 1790 was聽established to grant naturalized聽citizenship to free white men who聽had lived in America for the past聽two years. But even after the 14th聽Amendment, naturalization was聽prohibited for certain racial and聽ethnic groups on a systemic level,聽such as the Chinese Exclusion聽Act of 1882. The first federal law聽to target an ethnic group, the act聽halted Chinese immigration for聽10 years, with few exceptions, and聽made current Chinese residents聽ineligible for American citizenship.

Today, an estimated 44.9 million聽foreign-born people live in the聽United States, representing聽13.7% of the total U.S. population,聽according to the most recent data聽from the American Community聽Survey. Approximately 23.2 million聽foreign-born individuals in the U.S.聽are naturalized citizens, representing聽more than half of the foreign-born聽population in 2019.

But regardless of someone鈥檚聽citizenship status, it鈥檚 important聽to remember that there are rights聽guaranteed to anyone living in聽America 鈥� and engaged citizens聽should respect these rights for all聽individuals.

While some rights, such as the聽right to vote, serve on a jury or run聽for office, are limited to U.S. citizens,聽neither the original Constitution聽nor the Bill of Rights make any聽mention of citizens, Fine says.聽This means the rights established聽in those documents, such as the聽right to protest and due process,聽are guaranteed to all individuals聽regardless of citizenship status. The聽one exception for noncitizens is that聽they may be deported, such as if they聽are convicted of a crime.

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鈥淔or me, the best citizens are those who are engaged with the community around them.鈥�

Stephen Masyada

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鈥淲hat a lot of people don鈥檛聽realize is there are sort of two聽concepts of citizenship, and we聽have to understand how they鈥檙e聽different,鈥� Fine says. 鈥淥ne concept聽of citizenship relates to engaging聽within a democratic environment.聽The other concept of citizenship is聽a legal classification, differentiating聽between those who are and are聽not U.S. citizens. Understanding聽the difference between those two聽concepts of citizenship is very聽important because I think that聽there are some groups in our聽country today who look to make聽distinctions among groups of.聽individuals on the basis of their聽citizenship and legal status 鈥� as聽if the ones who are not legally聽citizens don鈥檛 have rights, when聽in fact the Constitution enshrines聽those rights.鈥�

Active Civic Engagement

Whether by birthright or聽naturalization, citizens making the聽most of their responsibility within聽America ultimately comes down聽to each individual. While some聽choose to run for office, including聽political science grad Rep.聽Amber Mariano 鈥�17, who serves聽District 36 in New Port Richey,聽and marketing alum Rep. Carlos聽Guillermo Smith 鈥�03, who serves聽District 49 in Orange County 鈥斅燼s well as six other Knights who聽won their districts in the Florida聽Legislature in 2020 鈥� most people聽do not.

More often people prefer to聽vote for elected officials, which聽History Professor Scot French聽says is important to do not just for聽presidential elections but state聽and local ones, as well. Voting in聽elections was considered the most聽crucial quality of a responsible聽citizen in a 2018 Pew Research聽Center survey. While 161 million聽U.S. citizens voted in the 2020聽election 鈥� marking the highest聽turnout ever 鈥� political figures聽and activists often emphasize that聽voting is just one component of聽active citizenship.

鈥淭here鈥檚 more to citizenship聽than just 鈥� voting once a cycle or聽once a year,鈥� says Masyada. 鈥淔or聽me, the best citizens are those who聽are engaged with the community聽around them.鈥�

This involvement covers a range聽of activities, including serving聽on a community committee,聽volunteering with a local nonprofit聽or schools, starting an organization聽to serve a need in your area, and聽contacting local officials to address聽issues, among other actions.

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鈥淓ngagement tends to swell when there are periods when people believe that their rights are not being protected.鈥�

Terri Susan Fine, associate director of 激情快播鈥檚 Lou Frey Institute

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鈥淭here鈥檚 a formal, legal definition聽of being a citizen of a state or the聽nation,鈥� French says. 鈥淏ut there鈥檚 also聽an understanding of citizenship as a聽feeling of belonging 鈥� a sense that we聽are connected to our fellow citizens,聽even though we are not related by聽blood.鈥� What activates citizenship,聽he says, is a belief in this larger聽community 鈥� real or imagined 鈥斅燼nd a willingness to contribute to聽the civic good.

But that feeling of belonging can聽sometimes be difficult to recognize聽when stances on political and social聽issues vary for a multitude of reasons.聽With the rise of social media, some聽argue that Americans are more聽divided than ever, and sometimes聽disagreements on issues can spark聽active civic engagement.

鈥淚t鈥檚 human nature that when聽things are going well, we tend not to聽say anything, but when things are not聽going well, we tend to complain,鈥� Fine聽says. 鈥淲hen it comes to government,聽complaints are much more numerous聽than compliments. People expect聽certain things to be protected, so聽engagement tends to swell when聽there are periods when people聽believe that their rights are not being聽protected.鈥�

Masyada also notes that聽disagreement has long been part of聽American history 鈥� it鈥檚 just more聽widespread now. A recent 激情快播 study聽even found that disagreements and聽controversial opinions circulated聽online twice as fast to twice as many聽people. In part, the United States鈥櫬爐hree-branch government was聽adopted by the Founding Fathers聽in recognition that disagreements聽are inherent to political issues,聽thus requiring a system of checks聽and balances so no entity holds聽too much power to constantly聽overrule the viewpoints of others.聽When considering the qualities of聽a good citizen, 61% of participants聽recognized respecting the opinion聽of others who disagree as essential,聽according to a 2018 Pew Research聽survey.

鈥淎s a nation, we鈥檝e always struggled聽to really resolve our differences聽without ramping up the anger at each聽other,鈥� Masyada says. 鈥淏ut I think聽at our core though, Americans do聽want to get along, and we understand聽that we鈥檙e all in this together. We鈥檙e聽so passionate about our beliefs and聽our visions for what it means to be in聽America and to be an American that聽we tend to [clash].鈥�

Higher Education Leads to Higher Civic Engagement

Aside from recent civic requirements,聽those who obtain a degree in higher聽education often engage in processes聽that make them more civically聽engaged. Individuals who have聽earned at least a bachelor鈥檚 degree聽tend to vote more often compared聽with those who have not earned a聽bachelor鈥檚 degree.

Voter turnout in the 2020聽presidential election for those with聽a bachelor鈥檚 was 77.9%, according to聽the Pew Research Center. In 2019,聽激情快播 was designated a voter-friendly聽campus by NASPA, Student Affairs聽Administrators in Higher Education,聽because of its initiatives to register聽and encourage students to vote.聽Washington Monthly magazine also聽ranked 激情快播 as the 20th Best Public聽College for Voting this year.

鈥淚t is showing that students聽are getting more engaged,鈥澛�Dana毛 Rivera-Marasco 鈥�15,聽communications and community聽outreach coordinator for the Orange聽County Supervisor of Elections,聽stated in a 2020 激情快播 Today story聽about the university鈥檚 high turnout at聽its voting precinct. 鈥溂で榭觳� was showing聽strong turnout this entire election聽cycle, which was very promising.鈥�

It鈥檚 easy to see how a college聽experience can help people become聽more civically engaged. From聽opportunities available to serve聽in student government roles to聽volunteering across campus, being聽involved with extracurricular聽activities that emphasize service聽to others can spark a lifelong聽interest in your community, which聽Masyada and Fine have emphasized聽as an important quality of civic聽engagement.

Course material, such as the聽government and American history聽subjects covered in classes required聽for Florida college graduates,聽certainly provides insight that can聽help individuals make informed聽political decisions. But reading聽comprehension, critical thinking and聽analytical writing skills, and exposure聽to diversity are other tenets of higher聽education that help foster a capacity聽to care about the world around us and聽take action.

鈥淚鈥檝e seen a shift in teaching from聽not really engaging students to a聽focus on informing them so they聽could be more active in the world聽around them, including politics,鈥� says聽Yovanna Pineda, associate professor聽of history. 鈥淗igher education provides聽theoretical academic background聽and allows teachers and students聽to develop an understanding of the聽practical side of subjects. Higher聽education isn鈥檛 just a one-way street聽(teachers engaging students), it鈥檚 a聽massive interstate of intersecting聽highways and streets 鈥� if you include聽other actors, such as the state, the聽administration, and nonstate actors聽and these intersections propel us to聽think outside the box.鈥�

Courses such as sociology,聽psychology and humanities were found to particularly encourage civic聽gains, according to a 2019 University聽of North Carolina at Chapel Hill聽study. But regardless of disciplines聽studied, the college journey generally聽creates habits in good students that聽translate to those in good citizens.

鈥淭here was a study many decades聽ago that found one of the reasons聽that students had such a high voter聽turnout after they were [college]聽educated, regardless of their major聽and political inclinations, was because聽they had to navigate the bureaucracy聽of securing that education, which gave聽them the confidence to stay engaged,鈥澛燜ine says. 鈥淚f a student can figure out聽how to get themselves registered for聽class, find housing, interpret policies聽on a syllabus, and get financial aid,聽then they have learned what the rules聽are and how to navigate them. That聽then gets transferred to engagement聽with voting and with government.鈥�