The Lion's Pride Volume 9 (January 2018) | Page 12

The knowledge required for democracy to function is received in
general education courses. Everyone is impacted by the government, so
it is important for American students to learn about democracy in the
United States. In this way, people can become familiar with their rights
and their duties. In Urgo’s view, the real reason behind general
education courses is “that the United States of America is a democracy,
and a democracy is a form of government that requires extensive,
informed citizen participation.” Urgo goes on to outline some of the
basic democratic skills taught by general education courses, such as
“sort[ing] and categoriz[ing]” the knowledge that surrounds citizens on a
daily basis, understanding and parsing statistical information,
apprehending science and technology, and gaining a knowledge of
history because “human beings do tend to think that whatever is
happening to them now has never happened to anyone ever before.”
Indeed, general education courses teach a number of skills which are
necessary for democratic citizens. In particular, social science and
humanity courses, such as history and political science, can both offer
insights into government to help students play a better role in
democracy. Overall, general education is essential to civic preparation.
Furthermore, general education helps to develop a student’s critical
thinking skills. When students learn different subjects, they also learn
different ways of thinking. Math, for example, introduces students to
quantitative reasoning skills. English emphasizes personal interpretation