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Civic Education

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Essay
Improving Media Literacy in Middle School
Middle schoolers can be savvy users of news and information—when they know where to look. But they're also easy marks for misinformation, disinformation, and trolls. Helping them find their way in today's media landscape is important both for their futures and for the future of democracy.
Sep 6, 2022
Blog
What You Can Do to Help Stop Truth Decay
Truth Decay, the diminishing role of facts in American public life, isn't a problem that any one person can fix. But there are simple steps that individuals can take to help counter it.
Mar 29, 2022

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Commentary
Social Studies Achievement Has Plummeted Nationally. Four Reasons This Trend Will Not Be Reversed Without Systemic Action
The U.S. Department of Education recently released results from the latest national social studies assessments. U.S. history scores continued a previous pattern of decline and civics scores declined for the first time ever. Reversing these trends will require concerted effort and increased investments at all levels of the U.S. education system.
May 22, 2023
Blog
U.S. Cooperation with China and Russia, Artificial Intelligence, War in Ukraine: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on U.S. security cooperation with China and Russia, artificial intelligence, consequences of Russia's war in Ukraine, and more.
Mar 10, 2023
News Release
Teacher Supports, Guidance for Elementary Social Studies Education Vary Widely Across United States
The basic infrastructure to support elementary (grades K–5) social studies instruction—academic standards, accountability requirements, assessment programs—is inadequate in many states. Even where state-level infrastructure to guide teachers' instruction is in place, its comprehensiveness and quality vary greatly.
Mar 7, 2023
Report
Support for Elementary Social Studies Education Varies Widely Across States
Over the past few decades, U.S. schools have increasingly sidelined students' civic development as one of their priorities. The infrastructure to support grades K–5 social studies instruction—academic standards, accountability requirements, assessment programs—is often missing or inadequate.
Mar 7, 2023
Announcement
Ray Block Joins RAND as Inaugural Michael D. Rich Chair for Countering Truth Decay
Ray Block, a respected academic in the field of political science and African American studies, will join the RAND Corporation as its inaugural Michael D. Rich Chair for Countering Truth Decay effective February 27.
Feb 22, 2023
Commentary
How Teachers Can Shield Students from Harm as Debates Rage over Race and Gender
By conveying to girls and students of color that they are individually capable of overcoming adversity—and that who they are matters—educators might soften the blow of public laws and policies that send the opposite message.
Feb 22, 2023
Commentary
The 'Digital Town Square' Problem
Privately owned public spaces like Twitter are often viewed as “public town squares.” But it's unclear exactly how private companies' influence on the so-called public spaces they control affects actual civic outcomes.
Jan 13, 2023
Commentary
Whether Democracy Is Eroding or on the Upswing Depends on What State You Live In
Voter laws, civic education opportunities, and trust in government are all important aspects of democracy that impact individuals' civic participation. If policymakers had better ways to measure and monitor this “civic infrastructure” beyond just voter turnout, a different, more complicated but complete picture of our democracy would likely emerge.
Dec 13, 2022
Blog
Protests in China, Negotiating with Russia, L.A.'s 'Mansion Tax': RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on protests in China amid the government's zero-COVID policy, the potential harm in negotiating with Russia, building more affordable housing in Los Angeles, and more.
Dec 2, 2022
Report
Defining and Measuring Civic Infrastructure
Is the United States in a civic crisis? Or is American democracy simply evolving? A framework for defining and measuring civic infrastructure can help answer these questions—and preserve a healthy democracy.
Nov 30, 2022
Blog
Civic Education, Twitter's Bot Problem, Police Reform: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses civic and citizenship education in America, addressing Twitter’s bot problem, why community engagement is key to police reform, and more.
Sep 30, 2022
Report
How Do Teachers Approach Civic and Citizenship Education?
Survey results suggest that, in U.S. public schools, civic and citizenship education is often siloed into specific subject areas, such as social science. Only a quarter of educators said that these topics are integrated into all subjects or are part of the whole school experience.
Sep 29, 2022
News Release
RAND and Poynter Develop Policy-Focused Educational Opportunities for Journalists
The RAND Corporation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research institution, is partnering with the Poynter Institute, a global nonprofit dedicated to journalistic excellence, to develop education and training for journalists on today's most pressing policy issues and the process of research and analysis.
Jul 6, 2022
Content
RAND x Poynter: Custom Policy Education for Journalists
RAND partners with the Poynter Institute to create innovative educational opportunities for journalists. Programming focuses on breaking down the policy research process and how critical policy issues affect the general public.
Jul 6, 2022
Announcement
Endowed Chair to Advance Truth Decay Research Established in Honor of RAND President and CEO Michael D. Rich
RAND supporters have contributed more than $4 million to endow a new chair to advance research aimed at countering Truth Decay—the diminishing role of facts and analysis in public life—while paying tribute to RAND President and CEO Michael D. Rich, who is stepping down this year after more than a decade at the institution's helm.
Jun 3, 2022
Blog
Gun Policy, China and Taiwan, Russian Propaganda: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on reducing America's unacceptably high rates of gun violence, what would happen if China “quarantines” Taiwan, and Russia's “firehose of falsehood.”
May 27, 2022
Tool
Engaging Youth with Public Policy: Middle School Lessons to Counter Truth Decay
As part of RAND's efforts to counter Truth Decay, researchers developed a series of five lesson plans to help teachers introduce middle school students to a key element of civic education: understanding and engaging with public policy topics.
May 24, 2022
Blog
Combating Disinformation by Bolstering Truth and Trust
For Jessica Cecil, founder and former head of the Trusted News Initiative, today feels a bit like the Dark Ages after the fall of the Roman Empire, in which agreed-upon facts endure in only a few isolated places of elite discussion and there is no common language of politics. She spoke about the need for governments, companies, news organizations, and relevant civil society groups to work together to combat disinformation at a meeting of RAND Europe's Council of Advisors.
May 24, 2022
Blog
Extremism Online, Russia's Military, Preventing Police Killings: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on the internet's role in stoking extremism and hate, how Russia has failed its military personnel, a research roadmap to help prevent police killings in the United States, and more.
May 20, 2022

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Research conducted by

RAND Education and Labor

Researcher Spotlight

Ray Block, Jr.

Michael D. Rich Distinguished Chair for Countering Truth Decay

Ray Block Jr. (he/him) is the inaugural Michael D. Rich Distinguished Chair for Countering Truth Decay, and a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation. The chair was established in honor of Rich, RAND's former president and CEO, who initiated RAND's Truth Decay work and made it an…
Matthew Kubasak

Ph.D. Student, Pardee RAND Graduate School, and Assistant Policy Researcher, RAND

Matthew Kubasak is a Ph.D. student in the Research, Analysis, and Design stream at Pardee RAND Graduate School and an assistant policy analyst at RAND. He has a B.S. in applied and computational math and statistics and double majored in political science from the University of Notre Dame.

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