The strength of our democracy depends on people engaging in robust, respectful disagreement. When disagreements devolve into personal attacks, and individuals cannot listen to opposing viewpoints, we risk undermining the very foundations of our democratic republic.
We’ve both served as attorney general for Colorado, and we’ve each seen firsthand how Coloradans embrace a collaborative problem-solving mindset. Here, each day we work to advance our nation’s spirit of e pluribus unum — out of many, one. That’s the Colorado way.
But too much of our national rhetoric, however, is driven by polarization and demonization. This often takes its form as performative politics by elected officials who use attention-grabbing, outlandish performances on social media and stir outrage through false statements. Such efforts may gain political support, get more clicks, and gather attention. But they fail to advance solutions to pressing problems and challenges.
While one speech or newspaper editorial won’t inspire most to embrace the better angels of our nature, as President Lincoln famously put it, we can all do our part to celebrate Coloradans who are committed to working together to solve problems.
We are both proud to support an effort by the Colorado Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Daniels Fund, to take tangible steps to encourage young Americans to engage in civics and contribute to their communities through the National Civics Bee.
This annual competition is geared toward sixth, seventh, and eighth-grade students nationwide and is warmly embraced here in Colorado. Launched in 2022, participating students first write an essay about a community issue and prepare for months before competing in local competitions, where participants answer questions about how the government is structured and functions. Local winners advance to a state competition, and now, for the first time this fall, a national competition will be held in Washington, D.C.
Having seen these students — and other young people focused on problem-solving — we know that they provide the cure for what ails our political systems.
Consider, for example, Sriram ‘Ram’ Yalavarthy, Colorado’s reigning 2023 state champion. He focused his essay on the urgent need for civility in our nation, arguing that it is essential for sustaining a democracy. In an interview with CPR for Northern Colorado, Ram noted that we “need to be able to have healthy discussions with each other” if our democracy is to endure. Impressive.
Perhaps most notable about the caliber of contestants is that they are middle school students. Last year, when the National Assessment of Education Progress released its Nation’s Report Card detailing what eighth-graders know about U.S. history and civics, headline after headline bemoaned plummeting scores. And rightly so. Nearly 80% of students are not proficient in civics. That should alarm all of us.
Given the challenges young people face, we need to do more to prepare them for citizenship. This requires equipping students with an understanding of the genius of our democratic institutions. Our kids will soon become our leaders and responsible for shaping the future we’ll live in; if they don’t have respect and a firm grasp on the role of our democratic processes, then there’s doubt these institutions will thrive in years to come. Worse yet, they could be exploited for anti-democratic means.
A National Civics Bee is long overdue. The Scripps National Spelling Bee is renowned, and rightfully so. It provides a model for another national competition. We are most grateful to those students, parents, educators, and community leaders already involved in this effort. And to those interested in participating in or helping facilitate a future competition, do so knowing you’re fulfilling a great civic duty. Our future depends on it.
Good luck to all competitors participating in Colorado’s state competition on May 17 in Denver. To whomever comes out on top, onward to our nation’s capital in November for the national competition. Colorado wishes you the best of luck.
John Suthers is the former mayor of Colorado Springs, former attorney general of Colorado, and Chair of the Daniels Fund Board of Directors. Phil Weiser is the attorney general of Colorado and sponsor of the Ginsburg-Scalia Initiative, which celebrates respectful civic engagement and collaborative problem solving.
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