Why Civic Education Is Essential to America’s National Identity

As Aristotle explained more than 2,000 years ago, political communities are not merely a group of human beings who happen to be living together in the same geographic area. Rather, they come into being “for the sake of living” and “exist for the sake of living well.” And to succeed — to live well together — each political community needs a shared civic identity. Some countries find it easier to identify their shared goods than others. Citizens of Saudi Arabia share a love for the same religion. Icelanders share the Icelandic language and the sagas that form their national identity. Japanese citizens share a love for their deep and comprehensive tradition as a way of life. Each of these shared loves serves as the basis for a cohesive political community that operates, in part, on the good that is shared. In fact, this has been the story of most political communities throughout human history: Most civilizations start with basic unifying love for shared goods — like religion or stories or traditions — that form the foundation for the political community.

But the United States has followed a different path. Americans do not share a religion, or a language, or a set of stories, or a comprehensive tradition. This was true at the beginning of the Republic and has since become even more so. The Founders recognized this challenge and knew they needed to cultivate a national identity.

About the Author

Lee J. Strang

Lee J. Strang is Executive Director of Ohio State University’s Salmon P. Chase Center for Civics, Culture, and Society.

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As Aristotle explained more than 2,000 years ago, political communities are not merely a group of human beings who happen to be living together in the same geographic area. Rather, they come into being “for the sake of living” and “exist for the sake of living well.” And to succeed — to live well together — each political community needs a shared civic identity. Some countries find it easier to identify their shared goods than others. Citizens of Saudi Arabia share a love for the same religion. Icelanders share the Icelandic language and the sagas that form their national identity. Japanese citizens share a love for their deep and comprehensive tradition as a way of life. Each of these shared loves serves as the basis for a cohesive political community that operates, in part, on the good that is shared. In fact, this has been the story of most political communities throughout human history: Most civilizations start with basic unifying love for shared goods — like religion or stories or traditions — that form the foundation for the political community.

But the United States has followed a different path. Americans do not share a religion, or a language, or a set of stories, or a comprehensive tradition. This was true at the beginning of the Republic and has since become even more so. The Founders recognized this challenge and knew they needed to cultivate a national identity.