Tom Tancredo Quotes

I had become increasingly concerned in recent years about the lack of civics education in our nation's schools. In recent years, the schools have stopped teaching it. And it's unfortunate.

I begin to feel like I was in the last generation of Americans who took a civics class.

Democracy is something that you must learn each generation. It has to be taught.

A constitutional democracy is in serious trouble if its citizenry does not have a certain degree of education and civic virtue.

How shall those who practice election frauds recover that respect for the sanctity of the ballot which is the first condition and obligation of good citizenship? The man who has come to regard the ballot box as a juggler's hat has renounced his allegiance.

It is absolutely the case that much needs to be done to invigorate and elevate the quality of civic learning in America

Essentially, social education is moral education, and moral education is preparation for citizenship... When Jefferson and others advocated public education, it was to prepare for citizenship in a new, constitutional, democratic society.

I don't think I'm equipped enough to be giving anyone a civics lesson or any kind of message.

Even civics classes have almost disappeared from the schools. So things have not gotten any better.

You can't be a full participant in our democracy if you don't know our history.

When you Google me, you'll find a lot of people don't like Richard Dreyfuss. Because I'm cocky and I present a cocky attitude. But no one has ever disagreed with the notion I represent, that we need more civic education. So far there's 100 percent support for that.

I grew up in San Francisco. And so I'm informed in a certain kind of way about, you know, believing in democracy and believing in America. And I'm a very ardent patriot.

I expect we will become more demanding as citizens.

Civic education and civic responsibility should be taught in elementary school.

Half the states have stopped making civics and government a requirement for high school. Half.

For America to work, Americans have to participate. If they don’t pay attention, they’re going to get screwed.

A popular society must provide a school for citizens where through the best, most accessible and direct means they may be educated in the pure doctrine of Patriotism.

Voting is how we participate in a civic society - be it for president, be it for a municipal election. It's the way we teach our children - in school elections - how to be citizens, and the importance of their voice.

Democracy depends on well educated and engaged citizens.

I think it's very important of course that you're politically aware of what you do.

Democracy is a difficult art of government, demanding of its citizens high ratios of courage and literacy, and at the moment we lack both the necessary habits of mind and a sphere of common reference.

Politics is about the participation and engagement of the wider citizenry - to miss that point would doom us to irrelevance.

But, you know, I'm sorry, I think democracy requires participation. I mean, I don't want to proselytize but I do feel some sort of duty to participate in the process in some way other than just blindly getting behind a political party.

Only a knowledgeable, empowered and vocal citizenry can perform well in democracy.

Democracy is not just voting for your leaders; it's really premised upon ordinary citizens understanding the issues.