In the wake of the 2024 presidential election, I was stunned as many of my peers—college juniors, no less—freaked out upon hearing that Trump had beaten Kamala Harris. On my campus, female students, in particular, voiced fears that their rights, especially access to abortion, would be immediately stripped away. Their fear was palpable, but what stood out to me most was how little they understood about the actual implications of the election and the political processes that shape our rights.
A simple Google search would have shown my peers that Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization—the centerpiece of the abortion debate—didn’t ban abortion outright. It simply returned the issue to the states. And yet, despite the ruling occurring two years before the election while Joe Biden was president, many of my peers reacted as if their rights had been abolished overnight. This hysteria, driven by misinformation and a poor grasp of civics, points to a deeper problem: too many college students are alarmingly ignorant of basic government and legal principles.
A recent survey by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni confirms this. Nearly one in three college graduates failed a basic civics test, getting fewer than half the questions right. The implications are clear—if these graduates are the ones shaping the country’s future, that future looks bleak.
A 2023 PragerU video in which students at California State University, Northridge, were asked basic civics questions further proves my point.
A major factor behind student ignorance is the lack of exposure to diverse viewpoints. Universities are dominated by leftist ideologues who control the political narrative, reinforced by biased instruction from professors. As a result, many students assume their peers share the same ideological views, leaving little room for dissent or independent thought. This pressure to conform—amplified by social media—makes it even harder for students to think critically about the information they consume.
The rise of platforms like TikTok, where unchecked opinions spread rapidly, has worsened the problem. A 60-second video from an anonymous account can distort narratives—branding Trump a bigot for supporting stricter border policies, for example. Lacking critical thinking skills, many students accept these claims at face value, letting viral soundbites shape their political beliefs. This fuels a culture where emotion overrides reasoned debate.
Ultimately, the widespread lack of civic knowledge among college students is a serious concern. To genuinely prepare students for leadership, we must emphasize critical thinking, factual literacy, and intellectual independence—ensuring that future generations are properly informed before becoming politically active.
Image: “Pro-women pro-choice sign at a Stop Abortion Bans Rally in St Paul, Minnesota” by Lorie Shaull on Wikimedia Commons.
