Seeking an involved and informed citizenry.(American Thought)

Publication: USA Today (Magazine)

Publication Date: 01-SEP-05

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THE IDEA OF HAVING an informed citizenry making decisions in a democracy is somewhat new. In the early 17th century in England, for example, there was little interest in such a concept. The issue then was obedience to the king. Very few people were able to vote, and those who did were among the wealthier individuals. Free speech and free press were not really very prevalent before the 18th century when the colonists came to North America. Here, voting in local elections was much more widespread because property ownership, at least for white males, was much more common. The revolutionaries felt that only with an informed citizenry could they protect themselves from a return to the autocratic government of the English king.

After the Revolutionary War, there were bitterly divided political parties, a split which has continued to the present day. The Constitution and the Founding Fathers did not...

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