Masters of Civics Knowledge

The new year brings a fresh start in many aspects of life. At Missouri Humanities, the new calendar year means the conclusion of last year’s signature series, titled “Missouri Marvels: Humanities, Discovery, and Innovation”. In 2024, Missouri Humanities considered our state’s role in the intricate relationship between discovery, innovation, and the human experience. This signature series showcased an ethical conversation with an astrophysicist, explored global technological advancements, investigated the transformative power of discovery, and helped Missourians navigate the complexities of an ever-changing world. It was a wonderful year of learning — but now you may be wondering, “What’s next?” or “What questions about the human experience are left unanswered?”  

The National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965 is the National Endowment for the Humanities’ founding legislation. The nearly 60-year-old, codified language speaks to the limitations of science saying,

(3) An advanced civilization must not limit its efforts to science and technology alone, but must give full value and support to the other great branches of scholarly and cultural activity in order to achieve a better understanding of the past, a better analysis of the present, and a better view of the future.

(4) Democracy demands wisdom and vision in its citizens. It must therefore foster and support a form of education, and access to the arts and the humanities, designed to make people of all backgrounds and wherever located masters of their technology and not its unthinking servants.[1]

“Democracy demands wisdom” is a deeply inspiring message and leads me to wonder how we, as American citizens, value and demonstrate wisdom.

In 2024, the Annenberg Civics Knowledge Survey found that the majority of U.S. adults cannot name most of the rights protected under the First Amendment. Only 65% of American adults could name all three branches of government, and 15% could not name a single branch.[2]

Thus, as we barrel into 2025, Missouri Humanities is turning our focus from science to civics. Civics is the study of the rights, responsibilities, and duties of citizens within a society. Civics empower individuals to understand how their government functions, enabling them to engage in the democratic process and contribute to society. Funding for civic learning is alarmingly inadequate in our country today. According to the Carnegie Corporation, the United States invests just 5 cents in civic education for every 50 dollars that goes to education in science, technology, engineering, and math subjects.[3]

That’s where Missouri Humanities can fill the need. Our mission is to enrich lives and strengthen communities by connecting Missourians with the people, places, and ideas that shape society. We offer public humanities education to Missourians of all ages as we promote lifelong learning of civics and other topics.  In the coming year we will explore civics, a theme based in social science, through critical and speculative analysis. We will help Missourians explain to what or to whom they give authority, aspiring to support our countrymen in becoming “masters of their technology and not its unthinking servants,” as prescribed by the NEH founding legislation. Additionally, we expect this programming will encourage community participation, assist Missourians in evaluating the ideas, statements, and discourse they encounter, and clarify each person’s role as a citizen.

The 2025 signature series “Missouri Voices: Civics and Citizenry”[4] was conceived by Program Directors Lisa Carrico and Caitlin Yager. Under their leadership, we will consider the individual and collective roles in civic engagement and democratic participation as we examine the bold “American Experient” of a government run by and for the people, a vision rooted in the Constitution. In-person civics enrichment opportunities will take place across the state in addition to digital experiences offered through podcasts and documentary films.   

While you wait for the next “Missouri Voices” program, read or revisit the special issue of the MO Humanities magazine, “United We Stand for a More Thoughtful, Informed, and Civil Society”[5] . Edited by Ashley Vogel, the final section of the publication includes a list of civic resources and community-building tools. The humanities provide continuing education that connects the public with the contextual knowledge necessary for an informed citizenry. Humanities organizations like Missouri Humanities play a vital role in providing platforms for community dialogue and public forums where Missourians from all backgrounds can come together for shared learning, an exchange of ideas, and a collective mastery of civics knowledge. 

[1]National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities Act of 1965. (20 U.S.C. 951, note) Enacted Sept. 29, 1965. P.L. 89-202, sec. 1, 79 Stat. 845; amended May 31 1984, P.L. 98-306, sec. 2, 98 Stat. 223; amended Dec. 20, 1985, P.L. 99-194, sec. 101, 99 Stat. 1332. https://www.neh.gov/about/history/national-foundation-arts-and-humanities-act-1965-pl-89-209

[2] Annenberg Civics Knowledge Survey Archives | The Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania

[3] Healthy Democracies Need to Invest in Civic Education. Here’s How States Can Help | Citizenship | Carnegie Corporation of New York

[4] https://mohumanities.org/signature-series/

[5] https://mohumanities.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/MO-Humanities-United-We-Stand-2024.pdf