The goal of this report is to address the gap in the literature on national policies in citizenship education in the Americas, providing an initial mapping of these policies, at the formal and non-formal levels. To that end, the analysis focuses on national policies and standards, the school curriculum within which citizenship education is embedded, places and age levels where citizenship education occurs, and the extent to which citizenship programs are evaluated. Twenty-five countries participated in this study.The study examines trends in education over the past 25 years, as many countries throughout the Americas have transitioned to democratic systems of governance. The authors assert that civic leaders and policy makers in these countries have increasingly begun to examine how schools and other social institutions prepare people to take part in civic life and foster social cohesion. They base their conclusions upon quantitative research assessing the civic-related views, knowledge, and opinions of teachers and students.
