1. How Teaching American Identity Can Strengthen Working America. Campaign for Working America
- Author
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Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) and Richard D. Kahlenberg
- Abstract
At a time when Americans are divided, patriotism is declining, and liberal democratic norms are threatened, working Americans, more than college-educated Americans, take appropriate pride in the special contributions of their country. The extreme right and left have for too long engaged in a seesaw of bad policies that foster illiberalism. Policymakers can and should nurture and foster the expansion of programs that will strengthen social cohesion, restore social mobility, and sustain American's grand experiment in self-governance. This in-depth Progressive Policy report outlines nine ideas local, state, and federal policymakers can adopt to help public schools -- and colleges -- return to the central goal of public education. The primary mission, encapsulated by the late president of the American Federation of Teachers, Albert Shanker, is to "teach children what it means to be an American," by which he meant "a common set of values and beliefs" expressed most vividly in the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. This report is the seventh in a series of Campaign Blueprints that can help Democrats reconnect with the working-class voters who have historically been the party's mainstay.
- Published
- 2024