WASHINGTON D.C. — This week, an article published by the Daily Wire featured Congressman French Hill's (AR-02) "Future Leaders Council." This civics education program was started by Congressman Hill in 2018 to introduce central Arkansas 5th grade students to a deeper understanding of our Constitution and the values and principles that it supports.
|
Rep. Hill pictured with Arkansas Secretary of State John Thurston and students from his Future Leaders Council in February of this year.
|
|
The full article is copied below.
Arkansas Congressman French Hill Provides A Great Example of What Civics Education Can Look Like
The Daily Wire
Josh Hammer
April 8, 2019
In a Daily Wire op-ed and appearance on "Fox & Friends" last week, I argued that America's crisis of civics — perhaps best encapsulated by the scandalously low percentage of Americans who can even name a single branch of the federal government — poses an acute concern for the preservation of the republic. The Constitution's Bill of Rights is also important, but, as I argued on Fox, it is constitutional structure that is paramount:
|
"Every Constitution Day I hear all sorts of paeans, people talking about the Bill of Rights and how the Bill of Rights is the anchor of all that we are great. And look, I love the First Amendment; I love freedom of speech, freedom of religion. I love the Second Amendment, the right to keep and bear arms. I even love the Third Amendment’s prohibition against quartering of soldiers in the homes, okay?
"But what famously makes America great is actually not the Bill of Rights. Justice Antonin Scalia, the conservative icon on the court for decades, was fond of saying how every tinpot dictator could have a Bill of Rights. And sure enough, the Stalinist constitution in the Soviet Union in 1936, purported to have a bill of rights. But as Scalia said, it’s actually structure that dictates destiny. And insofar as we’re not even naming the three branches of government, it is the separation powers of those three branches that secure liberty by diffusing power. It is our federalist system of dual spheres of sovereignty between the states and federal government that secure power."
|
We risk losing a basic knowledge of — and, more meaningfully, an appreciation of — that constitutional structure at our own profound peril.
One such civics education program that ought to serve as a model for others is the "Future Leaders Council," which was started by Rep. French Hill (R-AR) in 2018. Hill, who represents a Little Rock-area congressional district, appears to be a rare federal legislator — similar to Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) — who appreciates the indispensable nature of civics education to the preservation of the American experiment. According to the congressman's Future Leaders Council press release from one year ago:
|
"During the inaugural class of the Future Leaders Council, the students worked closely with Rep. Hill during quarterly meetings between July 2017 and March 2018. The discussion featured topics including the U.S. Constitution, federalism, checks and balances, and how a bill becomes a law. The students heard from guest speakers, including Arkansas State Representative Doug House and Member of Parliament Rehman Chishti from the United Kingdom.
"The students also held a 'mock congress,' in which they debated bill ideas and drafted legislation. Their bills, the Stronger Teachers Act of 2018 and the Fair Pay for the Armed Services in the Republic (FAIR) Act, demonstrated their commitment to quality education and their appreciation for our servicemen and servicewomen."
|
The Daily Wire spoke today with Steven Smith, Rep. Hill's communications director, and Chloe Maxwell, a staffer based out of the congressman's Little Rock office who was instrumental in the initial formation of the Future Leaders Council. According to Maxwell, the Future Leaders Council meets four times a year during participants' fifth grade year. Classes are held on Saturday mornings in Little Rock, and each participating fifth grader is given a copy of the Constitution. Students are expected to read the actual constitutional provisions relevant to the discussion topic of the week, and are also exposed to historical campaign posters and other ancillary materials that serve a pedagogical function. For the most recent year, the Future Leaders Council had about 35-40 total applicants, and Hill's office finalized a group of 15 precocious participants. They break into mock congressional committees and draft bills that they would like to see enacted into law.
According to Maxwell, there does not appear to be a similar program that any other U.S. congressman currently sponsors in his/her home district.
Reached for comment by The Daily Wire, Rep. Hill said the following:
|
"Our founding fathers believed that an educated population was essential to ensuring the survival of our Republic. My Future Leaders Council was created in this spirit to introduce young students to a deeper understanding of our Constitution and the values and principles that it supports.
"As a father of two children, I know that fifth graders are at the point in their lives where they begin to pay attention to the world of politics. The Future Leaders Council helps provide a road map for young students in central Arkansas to navigate important ideas like checks and balances, federalism, and the rule of law. Having a better understanding of how the Constitution impacts their lives will empower these students to be a positive force in our community."
|
Amen. With any luck, perhaps other congressmen may follow Rep. Hill's lead.
