Since the U.S. Supreme Court rescinded constitutional protection of abortion a year ago, every state ballot measure affirming the right of women to make their own reproductive decisions has passed. Those states now include Ohio. Voters there rejected a proposal last night intended to make it harder to enshrine social issues like abortion in the state’s constitution.

As numerous scholars have noted, America is engaged in a “Cold Civil War.” Political differences revolve around adhering to the original Constitution or rejecting it for a living Constitution hollowed of any enduring meaning. In such a situation, the role of civic education could provide a soothing balm to America’s inflamed political passions.

A recent study by the RAND Corporation that surveyed the nation’s public-school teachers identifies the complicated state of American civic education, while perhaps also pointing the way to hope and renewal.

In this moment of intense polarization, Congress can help heal our nation by supporting the Civics Secures Democracy Act. Reintroduced this past month by a bipartisan group of senators led by Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) and John Cornyn (R-TX), this landmark bill finally addresses what’s been neglected for nearly half a century in our schools: civic education.

An educated society is vital to democracy, but are schools obligated to teach students how government works? And who should decide that, the states or the courts? Both questions are at the heart of an appeals case in Boston.

Growing up in Providence, Rhode Island, Ahmed Sesay never had a class in civics. When he graduated from high school in 2019, he had to teach himself how to vote and pay his taxes.