The benefits of civic learning are many. This section of the report presents ve of the primary benefits of civic learning and brings evidence to illustrate the importance and extent of those benefits. For both civic learning advocates and those who doubt the importance of civic learning alike, this section provides evidence of its vital importance in preparing students for citizenship, college, and careers.

Benefit of Civic Learning: Promoting Civic Knowledge, Skills, and Dispositions

The future of our republic depends on whether or not the next generation is prepared for informed and engaged democratic citizenship. While the case statement above addresses why civic learning matters in broad terms, this section provides concrete evidence that high–quality civic learning enhances the three pillars of good citizenship: civic knowledge, skills, and dispositions.

CIVIC KNOWLEDGE
Civic knowledge begins with a fundamental understanding of the structure of government and the processes by which government passes laws and makes policy. Democratic citizenship is all but impossible if citizens fail to understand basic concepts such as separation of powers, federalism, individual rights, and the role of government. But responsible citizenship requires even more knowledge—
it demands that students understand the history that continues to shape the present, aspects of geography that are vital to understanding America and the world, and the economics that is necessary to assess public policy options.

Recent research suggests that students who have taken civics courses score better on civic knowledge tests than students who have not had such classes, even once
researchers adjust for demographics, type of school and community, and many other factors that might affect knowledge.( 2) Focusing on specific topics produces more striking results. For example, students who specifically recall studying the First Amendment know more about the First Amendment than other students do, even after many factors are controlled.( 3) The original Civic Mission of Schools report perhaps put it best in summarizing the potential of civic learning: “If you teach them, they will learn.”( 4)

Program evaluations of high–quality civic learning programs find positive impacts on students' knowledge. For example, Kids Voting USA enhances students' knowledge of politics (measured by current factual questions, such as “Who is the governor of Texas?”), reduces gaps in knowledge between the most and least knowledgeable students, and increases the consistency between students' opinions on issues and their own potential voting behavior.( 5) A study of civics courses in which students were required to read and discuss the newspaper similarly found
gains in knowledge and smaller knowledge gaps.( 6)

Overall, the research suggests that taking civics courses boosts civic knowledge. Studying a particular topic can strongly enhance knowledge of that topic when the
curriculum and teaching conform to best practices. Some programs have positive effects not only on the children who participate, but also on their parents, who demonstrate increased discussion and media use at home when their students have higher civic knowledge.( 7)

In turn, civic knowledge encourages civic action. Young people who know more about government are more likely to vote, discuss politics, contact the government, and take part in other civic activities than their less knowledgeable
counterparts.( 8) This holds even when the researchers controlled for income and race, showing that as powerful as socioeconomic factors are, civic learning can increase the knowledge of all students.

CIVIC SKILLS
Civic skills are the abilities necessary to participate as active and responsible citizens in democracy. They are necessary for critical thinking and collective action, and they include speaking, listening, collaboration, community organizing, public advocacy, and the ability to gather and process information.( 9)

For the most part, large–scale tests and surveys do not actually measure participatory skills. Some tests measure academic skills relevant to civics (such as interpreting a written speech), and some surveys of youth measure their confidence in their own civic skills, which is an important precondition of action. In general, studying civics in school is associated with stronger academic skills related to civics and more confidence in one's participatory skills, such as making a speech or writing a letter to Congress.( 10)

As with civic knowledge, the evidence is stronger for the impact of certain well–designed programs than it is for average courses. For example, a randomized controlled experimental evaluation of the “Facing History and Ourselves” curriculum found positive effects on students' ability to interpret evidence, to understand what leads people to make choices, and to analyze cause and effect in
historical cases.( 11)

In turn, civic skills are strongly linked to actual participation. In the words of a study of civic engagement by three of America's most distinguished political scientists, “[t]hose who possess civic skills, the set of specific competencies germane to citizen political activity, are more likely to feel confident about exercising those skills in politics and to be effective—or, to use the economist's term, productive—when they do.”( 12)

CIVIC DISPOSITIONS AND PARTICIPATION
Civic learning also fosters dispositions supportive of responsible political engagement and encourages active civic participation.

Dispositions : The personal dispositions important in a democracy include concern for others' rights and welfare, fairness, reasonable levels of trust, and a sense of public duty. Civic learning can enhance these dispositions. For example, students feel a greater sense of general trust in humanity, support for the American political system, and trust in leaders when they report that their teachers have promoted tolerance and respect for all students.( 13)
Teenagers are more likely to do something to prevent a peer from being harmed if they perceive that their teachers have created a fair and open environment.( 14) A large study of Chicago Public School students found that interactive civic learning strongly boosted young people's commitment to participate in politics and in their communities.( 15)

Again, program evaluations offer support for high–quality civic learning. Civic knowledge and skills help adults form their political attitudes on the basis of facts and issues rather than personalities and attacks.( 16) Classroom discussion in civics classes has been found to boost students' concerns about the unjust treatment of others.( 17) The “Facing History and Ourselves” evaluation, for example, found positive effects on dispositions such as “civic efficacy, valuing the protection of the civil liberties of people with different political views, [and] awareness of the dangers of prejudice and discrimination.”( 18)

An important bridge between dispositions and action is self–efficacy, the sense that one's own actions can make a difference, either alone or in combination with peers. A feeling of self–efficacy is, not surprisingly, strongly correlated with civic action.( 19)

Participation: Voting, participating in community meetings, volunteering, communicating with elected and appointed officials, signing petitions, and participating in demonstrations are just a few of the important activities of citizens. Numerous studies have shown that knowledge gained through courses in civics, history, economics, the law, and geography increase a student's confidence in and propensity towards active civic participation.( 20) Students who complete a year of American government or civics are 3–6 percentage points more likely to vote than peers without such a course and 7–11 percentage points more likely to vote than peers who do not discuss politics at home.( 21) Participation in many extracurricular activities and voluntary associations has also been found to predict civic actions such as voting.( 22)

CONCLUSION
Civic knowledge, skills, dispositions, and participation are mutually reinforcing. Having knowledge and skills facilitates participation, and participation can be a valuable way of acquiring knowledge and skills. The evidence is clear: high–quality civic learning has been proven to increase the civic knowledge, skills, dispositions, and participations of citizens. While subsequent sections of this report will focus on other benefits of civic learning, the foremost benefit is that it is indispensible to creating citizens who can preserve, improve, and pass along our democracy for decades to come.