The physical preservation of America’s founding documents may seem like a symbolic gesture, but in today’s civic landscape, it carries growing significance. With trust in government institutions declining and civic literacy at historic lows, how well do Americans understand the principles on which their country was founded?

As archivist of the United States, Colleen Shogan was charged with protecting the nation’s most important records — including the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. But beyond their physical care, Shogan views these documents as tools to transform civics education from a lesson about the past to a powerful playbook for living the American Dream.

Today, the need for that education is urgent. A 2024 study from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation found that only 25% of Americans say they are “very confident” they could explain how the system of government works, despite more than two-thirds saying they studied civics in high school. And in 2022, the National Assessment Governing Board reported a decline in eighth-grade proficiency in civics, with less than one-third meeting the standard of proficient — meaning that many of our nation’s students don’t know basic facts about how our system of government works.

These trends raise serious questions about the long-term health of the republic and the ability of its citizens to participate meaningfully in self-governance. Knowledge about our nation’s founding principles and the system of governance bolsters informed citizen participation. This is crucial to solving the problems the nation and individual communities are facing.

There has never been a better time for a renewal in civics education.

We spoke with Shogan about the mission of the National Archives, why she added the Emancipation Proclamation and the 19th Amendment to the National Archives Rotunda, and what role these founding documents can play in reversing the nation’s civic decline. From family reading rituals to K–12 learning tools, she shares what it will take to make civic education — and the ideals of the Declaration of Independence — relevant for a new generation.

Stand Together: You recently served as the 11th Archivist of the United States. What did your job consist of?

Shogan: I led the National Archives and Records Administration, a federal agency of 2,800 employees. My job was to preserve, protect, and share the records of the United States, which document the decisions and actions of the federal government. The National Archives safeguards 13.5 billion pages of records, over 700,000 artifacts, and 10 million photographs in 40 locations across the United States. It kept me busy!

Of course, the National Archives is best known for its stately building in Washington, D.C., which houses the founding documents: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. As archivist, I made the decision to add the Emancipation Proclamation and the 19th Amendment to the Rotunda, and those documents will go on permanent display in early 2026.  I added them because they remind Americans there is a persistent push to fulfill the promises contained in the Declaration. It may be almost 250 years old, but it’s a living document.

Why is preserving these documents physically so important in today’s society?

About 25 years ago, the cases protecting the founding documents at the National Archives were considerably improved. In the current cases, argon gas prevents the degradation of the parchment, arresting the corrosive effects of oxidation. Security was also enhanced. I can’t talk too much about it due to a nondisclosure agreement I signed as archivist, but trust me, a real-life Ben Gates from “National Treasure” fame cannot steal the Declaration of Independence!

The National Archives conserves the documents physically so that future Americans can view them and appreciate their history. However, I visited the Declaration of Independence every day as archivist not expressly to appreciate its considerable age or preservation. Instead, I visited it for inspiration. Thomas Jefferson wrote one of the most audacious statements in history of the world when he claimed that all men are created equal.

Of course, we know that all men were certainly not treated equally when Jefferson composed those words. And women weren’t even on the radar. It’s almost as though Jefferson dared future generations to make good on his promise. We should accept his challenge. The Declaration is our nation’s creed, and as I always say, even though its truths are self-evident, they are not self-executing.

What does the preservation of these documents signal about the importance of civics education?

We have a multitude of problems in the United States, yet one that flies under the radar is the lack of engaging civics education for young people. In 2022, only 22% of our eighth graders in the United States scored at the proficient level for civics education. There’s good reason for this. Only 29% of those students report that they were taught by a teacher specializing in civics or American government.

The lack of resources dedicated to civics has real consequences for the operation of our democracy. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce in 2024 found that 70% of American adults fail a basic civics literacy test, asking questions such as which branch of government drafts laws. One in 3 Americans did not know there are three branches of government in the American system.

When citizens do not understand the basic rules of the game, let alone the driving principles upon which the government was founded, how can we expect satisfactory results?

Decades ago, the United States panicked due to low tests scores in science and math. The Department of Education, state governments, and local school boards responded with additional resources devoted to these subjects. Not surprisingly, test scores rose over time. The moment is now ripe for a civics moonshot to solve this distressing problem.

The future health of our democracy may depend upon it. It’s not just a knowledge chasm that’s the problem. We need to inspire young people towards a life of civic engagement so that they will feel confident in solving the problems facing their communities, utilizing both governmental and nongovernmental mechanisms to improve conditions for others.

For the past several decades, academics have been writing about the diminishment of civil society and voluntary organizations in the United States. Democracy relies upon the trust engendered by a vibrant civic life, and we need to figure out the most efficient ways to provide the tools for rebuilding it.

That’s why I’m laser-focused on this issue, and I’m thrilled that Stand Together is devoting resources and attention to developing new approaches to civics education that inspire the next generation of Americans. This is an “all-hands on deck” problem, and it is not partisan. Everyone needs to work together to solve it.

How can people increase their knowledge of the Declaration of Independence? Do you have any tips for parents looking to educate their children?

Depending on the school or educational environment of your child, the Declaration of Independence may not be taught substantively. Of course, its historical importance will be part of the curriculum, but the real way to learn about the Declaration’s revolutionary principles is to read it — slowly.

Parents might consider reading the Declaration of Independence with their kids. It’s meant to be read aloud, so a fun activity around the Fourth of July could involve family members each taking a turn reading a few sentences, then pausing to discuss what it might mean.

When I became the archivist of the United States, I was dismayed to learn there was no Archives learning modules focused on the principles of the Declaration of Independence. I am proud to say that there are now National Archives K-12 webinars offered on the Declaration for students. If you’d like to access teaching tools concerning the Declaration, this site is helpful. The Bill of Rights Institute’s short video on the Declaration is a great place to start, and BRI provides a more advanced set of lessons, too.

Civics is ongoing education for citizens and should not be confined to kids. If you’d like to read an excellent book on the teachings of the Declaration of Independence geared for adults, I heartily recommend Harvard professor Danielle Allen’s amazing book. Danielle wrote it after she taught the Declaration to adult continuing education students in Chicago.

And if you really want a deep dive, listen to this Library of Congress video in which Danielle and I engage in a close read and discussion of the Declaration’s most important sentences. Happy Fourth of July and cheers to exercising your “unalienable rights” freely and frequently!

Colleen Shogan is a senior fellow of civics education for Stand Together Trust, which provides funding and strategic capabilities to innovators, scholars, and social entrepreneurs to develop new and better ways to tackle America’s biggest problems. 

Learn more about Stand Together’s efforts to defend America’s constitutionally limited government, and explore ways you can partner with us.