Although the Founders disagreed about how to cultivate an educated citizenry, most of them agreed that the “diffusion of knowledge” was essential for the preservation of our representative democracy.  Were they right?  Arguably, earlier generations of Americans had an abysmal understanding of economics, politics, and history, but the nation still thrived.  Perhaps the ignorance displayed by their contemporaries is simply par for the course and ultimately a marginal concern.  If civic literacy does matter, we need to consider reforms to institutions that undermine it.  Summer research intern Will Tomlinson joins Terry and Kory to debate the future of civic literacy and civic participation in the United States