From time to time, we like to review some of the books available for parents of college students. There is a wealth of literature available to help parents cope with the transition to college and the changes that occur throughout the college years. We’ve offered some lists of recommended reading, and there is something for everyone. Visit our Resources page for suggestions of important books for college parents and their students.
How to Raise a Citizen (And Why It’s Up to You to Do It) by Lindsey Cormack is the perfect book for our time. No matter what your political persuasion, this book prompts parents to think about how to encourage their student to engage in the political process. Cormack explains why the schools no longer stress civics and why it is crucial that parents take on the responsibility of helping their students become knowledgeable citizens.
In the first half of the book, Cormack explains how the “civic know-how crisis” came to be, and what the consequences of this gap can be. She makes the case for why parents must help their children understand how government works and why it is important for everyone to participate in our democracy.
Because she understands that these conversations can be difficult, Cormack shares advice about how to have political conversations with your student – and then she uses the second half of the book to share a short primer in U.S. government – just in case some of us are rusty in our own civics knowledge.
How to Raise a Citizen provides a wonderful opportunity for parents and students to learn and review what they know together and to be inspired to participate in the process of our government.
About the author:
Lindsey Cormack is an associate professor of Political Science and Director of the Diplomacy Lab at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey. She earned her PhD in Government from New York University and is raising a daughter on the Upper East Side of New York City. She created and maintains the digital database of all official Congress-to-constituent e-newsletters in the DCInbox Project.
What the author has to say about the book:
“I started writing this book when my daughter was eight years old. Throughout her life, I’ve read numerous ‘how-to’ books: how to establish a sleep routine, how to do potty training, how to handle tantrums, how to teach her to read and how to brace for the challenges of adolescence. However, along the journey of raising her, I realized there was a significant gap in both our how-to books and society. We do not have collective habits in how to prepare children to be engaged, active participants in our democracy.
Many of our college-aged students don’t know how to vote, haven’t read the Constitution, aren’t aware of the local political offices responsible for quality-of-life decisions, lack understanding of the division of responsibilities, have never pondered the concept of federalism, and have formed their view of the court system based on television dramas.
The purpose of this book is to provide parents with a framework for having discussions about government and politics with their children in a way that feels fun and connective. It’s also meant to encourage you to do this work. . . By being capable and willing to talk about politics and government with our children, we empower them to navigate politics successfully and in turn lead better lives.
As I often tell my students, politics is going to happen to us whether we like it or not, so we might as well understand how the system works.
If you feel like you don’t know enough about government yourself, get ready to put that feeling away, because none of this is that hard to understand. When you’re done with this book you will be ready to talk about politics and government with your kids and hopefully be convinced that you’ll be doing them an enormous favor in doing so.
What others have to say about the book:
“Cormack makes a compelling case that parents play a vital role in raising engaged citizens. This comprehensive guide is a must-read for parents who know our kids need to be more involved in our democracy, but don’t know where to start.”
Julie Lythcott-Haims, Author of How to Raise an Adult
“This book will inspire parents to raise civically-minded children in a me-first world. Written by a sensitive parent and political scientist, it offers practical guidance for discussing politics and government with children in a way that prepares them to become balanced, active citizens instead of passive or polarized ones.”
William J. Doherty, professor of family social science at University of Minnesota and co-founder of Braver Angels
“This book is an absolute revolution! How to Raise a Citizen is an incisive and easy to follow roadmap for a saner political future for us and our kids.”
Brandon Rottinghaus, professor, University of Houston
“Lindsey Cormack has written the guidebook parents need to help their kids cut through the political noise and to understand our complicated governance system. That’s an achievement and a great service.”
Kevin R. Kosar, editor, UndeerstandingCongress.org
You can listen to our conversation with Lindsey Cormack on our podcast. Check out episode #123 – Is Your Student Ready to Be a Citizen? It’s Never Too Late to Learn
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