Democracy Begins at Home: Books to Teach Kids About Our American Government

by Sharon Holbrook

Photo credit: PM Images, DigitalVision / Getty Images

American politics has recently been, shall we say, eventful. Even so, research still shows that American adults have little knowledge of how our government works, with only one-quarter able to name our three branches of federal government.

Yikes! This is troubling, given that the whole point of democracy is to put ordinary citizens in the driver’s seat of governing the nation. Furthermore, if we grown-ups don’t understand our government, how will our children? How will they become equipped to become engaged, active citizens?

Here are some books that we can read together to begin to pass the torch of democracy and liberty on to our kids. (And maybe, just maybe, we grown-ups can learn a thing or two as well.)

After digging into these books, you and your kids will certainly be among those who know our three branches of government. (Okay, okay, I’ll tell you — they are the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.) More than that, they’ll have an appreciation for how exceptional our democratic system is, and how important it is that we all play our part in upholding its protections and freedoms.

 

Have you come across any other great books about our system of government for kids? Share in the comments below!