FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE U. S. CIVIC EDUCATION

Abstract

The article highlights the genesis of the formation of American civic education and summarizes its main achievements in higher education in the United States today. It is noted that the United States is the world's oldest constitutional democracy with developed political institutions, the philosophical foundations of which serve as a model to follow, and the pedagogical experience in the field of civic education is useful for study and following. The contribution of the field of law to the formation of civic education in the United States and providing it with a qualitatively new vector of development is outlined. It is emphasized that in a constitutional democracy, effective civic education is a necessity, as it provides the development of the ability to think critically and act consciously in a pluralistic world, as well as competent and responsible participation in the life of both the local community and the state. It is noted that the active civic involvement of student youth requires the acquisition of civic knowledge, the development of intellectual and “soft skills”, as well as certain character traits, including moral and reasonable adherence to the fundamental values and principles of American constitutional democracy. It has been found that civic education in the United States, based on the intellectual and democratic traditions that link the modern era with the history of the American state, is the basis of both a country's democracy and the development of social responsibility of its citizens. In the late XXth – early XXIst century in the United States, there has been an increasing participation of students, university and college professors, the legal profession, and other public and private sector volunteers in the public and political life of American society. Accordingly, it contributes to a significant improvement of the content and organizational aspects of civic education, which is ensured by the quality of educational materials, the introduction of interactive teaching methods and the training of teachers for the field of civic education.