Poll: Americans believe they aren’t being taught enough about democracy

Politics NewsPoll: Americans believe they aren’t being taught enough about democracyA new NBC News poll shows that Americans remain committed to the nation’s founding ideals — but widely feel that schools are not adequately teaching what’s needed to sustain them.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00A tour group enters the Capitol Rotunda as morning sun lights up the statues of Ulysses S. Grant and Abrahma Lincoln in 2024. Bill Clark / CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images fileShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJune 20, 2026, 5:00 AM EDTBy Stephanie Perry and John LapinskiFor Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and other bold-face names struggling to bring about a new nation, an educated and informed citizenry was essential to the success of the American experiment. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Nearly 250 years later, Americans largely feel that the country has achieved the ideals set forth by the Founding Fathers despite expressing doubt and pessimism about the future, according to a new national NBC News poll sponsored by More Perfect, a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to advancing democracy. While the survey revealed deep divisions, particularly around class and party politics, Americans found rare consensus in their dissatisfaction with the country’s commitment to teaching how those founding principles apply today.The poll of 3,000 adults nationwide found that 80% think the United States puts too little emphasis on civic education, or the teaching of government and democracy. A majority (51%) said the country’s focus on civic education is much too little. This sentiment cuts across ideological and generational lines: 87% of progressives and 84% of MAGA Republicans say there is too little educational focus on civics. And though the poll exposed enormous gaps between how older and younger Americans feel about nearly every issue, Americans of all age groups were united in the belief that civic ed...