ABSTRACT
Citizens are taught that the "who gets how much of what when" definition of politics characterizes American government. The version of human nature often runs counter to ancient assumptions as well as to contemporary humanistic psychology. The effect of an idea of citizenship is apparent from the earliest efforts to acculturate young people into a political system. In public schools the emphasis is not on the polity as a whole, on understanding an "ideal right" or a public good that students might see as a basis for their society. If larger, transcending perspectives have been set aside, what else is left, after all, other than "personal preference" or "rational choice" that seeks one's self-interest? "Preparation for citizenship" then requires little more than that members of the body politic know and seek effectively whatever they take to be in their best interest individually, or in the best interest of the particular group, or groups, of which they feel a part.
