ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the broader issues of inequality in cognitive civic skill development and the distribution of civics coursework and outlines theories of political participation, the current state of civic education, data and methods used, and results. It analyses whether a correlation exists between civic education and civic skill levels, and how such effects differ by racial/ethnic groups. The chapter examines the effect of civic education on political interpretation skills. It examines civic skills that are necessary for political participation in the non-Hispanic white political system that dominates the American democracy. The chapter presents data from the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement Civic Education survey. It suggests that focused attention on civic education for racial and ethnic minority students can contribute toward equalizing the participatory effects of civic education. The chapter analyzes African-American and Latino students to determine the effects of civic education on them.
