Souter Calls for Civic Education

The more people know about government, the less they'll pay attention to the likes of Rush, Beck, Hannity and the rest of that lot. Learning about government could also lead to an appreciation of government, considering that many in government -- mostly republicans -- spend too much time mocking government. People mistrust government because they don't have an understanding of government and they feel outside of government.
Through all of its communications, the Obama administration has made strides in making people feel invested in government. You'll also note that every time Obama speaks, he's usually teaching something about government.
I also think many people confuse politics and governing.

Retired Supreme Court Justice David Souter urged the nation's lawyers Saturday to help revitalize civic education, warning that the failure of many Americans to understand how the government works poses a serious threat.

"There is a danger to judicial independence when people have no understanding of how the judiciary fits into the constitutional scheme," Souter said in his keynote address to the American Bar Association's annual meeting.

Souter pointed to a poll showing two-thirds of Americans can't name the three branches of government — executive, legislative and judicial. He said that has to change to keep the nation's judges independent of political pressures. MSNBC