From the perspective of mainstream civics, public life and politics are defined much more narrowly. Politics is rarely presented as anything more than strictly partisan activity, the end to which is winning elections, not solving problems. Because of this, mainstream civics focuses on teaching government process and the skills to influence and participate in this process. For most of us, civic education calls to mind high school government class. We learned about powerful presidents, committee chairs, party leaders, and lobbyists.
Students are lucky if they even hear the word.
In mainstream civics, citizens, as citizens, play only a symbolic, intangible role that often goes un-named. But after the opening lecture, citizens in the abstract become taxpayers, voters, and constituents, members of interest groups, and Constitutionally protected individuals in the concrete. The skills taught in mainstream civics reflect this understanding. As Americans we have the God-given right to plead, complain, and make demands, as individuals and in organized groups, to have our problems solved. Through community service, young people directly work to end problems like hunger, homelessness, and drug abuse.