Full Breakdown
Americans Say Civic Education Is Severely Lacking, New NBC News Poll Finds
6/20/2026, 9:21:13 PM
Civic Education Shortfall Revealed by NBC News Poll
NBC News, in partnership with More Perfect, surveyed 3,000 U.S. adults from May 29 to June 7. Eighty percent said the United States places too little emphasis on civic education—the teaching of government and democracy. A majority (51 %) described the focus as “much too little.” Support spans party lines, with 87 % of progressives and 84 % of MAGA Republicans agreeing.
Founding Ideals and Modern Assessment
Thomas Jefferson and James Madison argued that an educated citizenry was essential to the republic’s success. More Perfect frames the poll as a gauge of modern America’s adherence to that principle.
Key Findings
- 80 % say the United States puts too little emphasis on civic education; 51 % call the focus “much too little.” Support is high across ideology (87 % progressives, 84 % MAGA Republicans).
- 84 % of respondents who closely follow public affairs say civic education is insufficient, versus 69 % of those who do not follow public affairs.
- Confidence in institutions is low (12 % Congress, 18 % federal, 27 % local, 11 % news); colleges (33 %) and public schools (30 %) have the highest confidence among education providers. Governance attitudes are split: 48 % favor strong executive leadership, 48 % view it as dangerous; 50 % say the Constitution remains sound, 18 % think it is outmoded. Family and freedom are the top personal values, and 54 % say most Americans share core values despite political disagreement.
Implications for Democratic Health
The consensus on civic-education shortfalls suggests a link between public knowledge of democratic processes and confidence in institutions. Low institutional trust and divided views on executive power may reflect concerns that an under-educated electorate is less able to hold leaders accountable. The cross-partisan agreement also signals that reforms to civic curricula could attract bipartisan support.
Official Statements & Responses
More Perfect called the survey “a snapshot of sentiment on the health of democracy” and reiterated its mission to promote informed civic participation. NBC News reported that the poll used a mixed-mode design of telephone and text-message surveys, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The poll does not include data on the content or quality of existing civic-education programs, limiting assessment of curricular gaps and causal links between civic knowledge and institutional trust. The margin of error is ±2 percentage points.
Verbatim Quotes
- “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.” — NBC News poll, Polling organization
- “Just 12% of adults nationwide said they have confidence in Congress, and only 18% said they have confidence in the federal government.” — NBC News poll, Polling organization
- “When asked whether the country needs strong executive leadership to try to solve problems directly without the input of Congress and the Supreme Court, 48% of adults said they agreed with that position, while 48% said that it was dangerous.” — NBC News poll, Polling organization
- “The new NBC News poll results also showed that half of Americans think the nation’s form of government, based on the Constitution, has stood the test of time and remains sound for the challenges ahead, up 4 points from the results of a Roper national survey of adults taken in 1976.” — NBC News poll, Polling organization
