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[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 275 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 275

 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that all public 
 elementary schools and public secondary schools should display a copy 
 of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of 
                                Rights.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 23, 2009

Mr. Murphy of Connecticut submitted the following resolution; which was 
            referred to the Committee on Education and Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that all public 
 elementary schools and public secondary schools should display a copy 
 of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of 
                                Rights.

Whereas the Declaration of Independence expresses the principles of American 
        government that provide the basis for our constitutional order and the 
        Constitution and the Bill of Rights provide the framework for American 
        law and governmental organization;
Whereas the Founding Fathers wrote these documents in order to establish the 
        rights and limitations of Government and to ensure the American people 
        such treasured liberties as freedom of speech, due process, and equality 
        under the law;
Whereas civil knowledge promotes political participation and support for 
        democratic values;
Whereas 67 percent of adult Americans believe that ``it is absolutely essential 
        for ordinary Americans to have a detailed knowledge of their 
        constitutional rights and freedoms'';
Whereas, in contrast, only 16 percent of adult Americans believe they have a 
        detailed knowledge of the Constitution;
Whereas a National Center for Education Statistics (hereafter in this preamble 
        referred to as the ``NCES'') study asserted that an eighth grade student 
        functioning at the most basic level ``should be able to identify 
        fundamental principles and values of American democracy, such as 
        federalism, the separation of powers, checks and balances, government by 
        the consent of the governed, and individual rights'';
Whereas such study also asserted that such student ``should understand that the 
        Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution including 
        the Bill of Rights and other Amendments are sources of these ideas'' and 
        that these ``students should be able to explain why it is important that 
        citizens share the values and principles expressed in the nation's core 
        documents, and they should understand functions of elections, political 
        parties, and interest groups in a democratic society'';
Whereas one out of every three eighth grade students cannot identify and explain 
        such basic constitutional principles, and only 22 percent of eighth 
        grade students are actually proficient in their understanding of the 
        Constitution;
Whereas the NCES therefore has called upon State and Federal policymakers to 
        both ``increase the amount of federal funding made available to states 
        for civic education'' and to ``promote civic responsibility and 
        engagement through actions and words'';
Whereas the NCES further requested in their report that Congress supply students 
        with ``materials about democratic institutions'';
Whereas, according to the Carnegie Corporation, ``40 State constitutions 
        presently mention the importance of civic literacy among students and 13 
        State constitutions express that the central purpose of their 
        educational system is to promote good citizenship, democracy, and free 
        government''; and
Whereas students should be educated about the Declaration of Independence, the 
        Constitution, and the Bill of Rights in the public school system, in 
        order to better understand the ideals articulated within them and to 
        become full and conscientious citizens: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that 
all public elementary schools and public secondary schools should 
display, in a clear and conspicuous location, a copy of the Declaration 
of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.
                                 <all>
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