The Cradle of Citizenship: How Schools Can Help Save Our Democracy

by James Traub

A sharp critique of our failure to teach civics effectively and a roadmap to a better way.


Schools make citizens. Yet the typical American student is stunningly ignorant of history and In 2022, the National Assessment of Educational Progress found that only 20 percent scored a “proficient” level in civics. In The Cradle of Citizenship, James Traub chronicles a year of observing public schools across the country, mapping the polarized pedagogical landscape that fails to teach in–depth civics knowledge—of the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the country’s founding, and more. Traub examines the history of civic education, the debates between partisans of the 1619 Project and 1776 Report, and the state of Florida’s “war on ‘woke.’” He also finds sources of hope, both in new attempts to bridge the ideological divide and in more traditional forms of instruction that emphasize knowledge and promote deep engagement with works of history and literature. The Cradle of Citizenship combines a withering critique of conventional schooling with a vision of civics education as it should be.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 13, 2026

Reviews

[Brit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not me being indoctrinated into Culturally Responsive teaching rn in school and reading this for fun 🙈

[Ceil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent survey. What excellent schools seem to have in common is having high expectations of the children, minimizing distractions, and having teachers who are deeply knowledgeable in their subject areas. Traub does a good job of showing this more than lecturing about it; he also navigates predictable minefields adroitly

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book! It is desperately needed.