Institute for Governance and Civics

Strengthening ties in the capital. 🤝 We spent last night at the Florida House engaging with political leaders and FSU Alum about the Institute’s mission. Special thanks to Zack Jones for his powerful remarks on the importance of mentorship and vision in public service. 🍢

The @FSUIGC announced the launch of a new undergraduate degree in Civics and Liberty Studies, an interdisciplinary program designed to prepare students to be thoughtful, data-informed and ethically-grounded civic leaders. Enrollment now open for the Fall semester! Read more ➡️ news.fsu.edu/news/universit…

"The [CLS] degree is one way [FSU] is rebuilding civic literacy and preparing the next generation of thoughtful, effective citizens and responsible leaders. It is designed to marry the big ideas of American liberty with the technical and analytical skills today’s leaders need.”

Florida State University officially launches new Civics and Liberty Studies degree Full story: news.fsu.edu/news/universit…

Save your seat at: igc.fsu.edu/events/unmaske…

The pandemic changed K-12 education forever, but what did we actually learn? 🎒📉 Join us on March 25 for "Unmasked," a special talk by Education Scholar @MichaelTHartney on America's public schools post-COVID. 📍 FSU Student Union | 11:30 AM 🎟️ Free!

Dive into our first-of-its-kind report in 16 years: igc.fsu.edu/research-data/…

Who helps Americans in need better: civil society or the state? 🤔 Out latest data shows 73% of Americans say charities are equal to or more effective than gov't programs. But would charities step up if gov't aid declined? The nation is split 44% to 44%. 📊

What a phenomenal day of scholarship! Earlier this month, we brought together incredible minds from across the country for our first annual Institutions Conference. Thanks to all our panelists and attendees for the vital discussions on American civics. 📸👇

Registration is free and open to all: igc.fsu.edu/events/campus-…

The First Amendment is a cornerstone of the university experience, but how is it applied in practice? ' Hear from two of the nation's leading legal experts

The Next 250 begins with education #CivicLearningWeek #TheNext250 #America250

🎙️ New podcast appearance Educational Liberty Branch Head James Shuls joined Neal McCluskey on the Pioneer Institute podcast to discuss the history of school choice in the United States and how the movement has evolved over time. Listen here: pioneerinstitute.org/podcast-episod…

We also thank Senator Corey Simon for his commitment to expanding educational opportunities for FL students! As the proclamation declares, "the practice of democracy must be taught and learned anew by each generation." Get involved today: civiclearningweek.org

As our nation marks its 250th anniversary, there is no better time to support civic education. 🇺🇸 We are proud to see Florida take the lead! Thank you Senate President Ben Albitron for officially proclaiming March 9–13 as #CivicLearningWeek in FL.

Instead, pessimism rises and falls in cycles based on changing economic and political conditions. We mapped 16 different time series from 1983 to 2026 to track how the American Dream fluctuates: igc.fsu.edu/research-data/…

NEW DATA: Despite popular narratives, belief in the American Dream is not experiencing a steady, long-term collapse. Historical survey data spanning four decades shows no simple downward trajectory in American optimism.

For liberals, the opposite is true. Liberal homeowners are actually slightly less likely than liberal renters to say the American Dream is alive and well today. Read the full breakdown: igc.fsu.edu/research-data/…

NEW DATA: Does buying a home actually make you believe in the American Dream? It depends entirely on your politics. For conservatives, homeownership strongly boosts optimism. 39% of conservative homeowners say the dream is alive vs. 28% of conservative renters.

We surveyed a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults to examine this divide. Read the full report: igc.fsu.edu/research-data/…

However, we are far more pessimistic about the country than our own families. While only 30% believe in the national dream, 39% say it is likely that children in their own family will be better off economically than their parents.

JUST IN: Only 30% of Americans believe the American Dream is alive and well today. 55% explicitly say it is not.