Unless citizens possess a basic level of civic knowledge especially concerning political institutions and processes it is difficult for them to understand political events or to integrate new information into a meaningful framework. The more knowledge citizens have, the less likely they are to fear new immigrants. General civic knowledge can alter indeed, enlarge our views on specific public issues. For example, the more knowledge citizens have, the less likely they are to fear new immigrants and their impact on the United States. The more knowledgeable citizens are about civic affairs, the less likely they are to express a generalized mistrust of, or alienation from, public life.
Ignorance is the father of fear, and knowledge is the mother of trust.
Civic knowledge promotes support for democratic values. For example, the more knowledge citizens possess about political principles and institutions, the more likely they are to display tolerance for unpopular minorities. Civic knowledge promotes political engagement. All other things being equal, the more knowledge citizens have, the more likely they are to participate in public life. T he role of civic education .