By Douglas V. Gibbs
We’ve all seen those man-in-the-street videos like with Johnny on Jesse Watters Primetime Tonight. We laugh at how little people know about history, politics, and other basic knowledge some of us take for granted. But, according to Todd Starnes, More than Two-Thirds of Gen-Z Don’t Know What America 250 Commemorates.
The Todd Starnes highlights a deeply concerning trend that aligns with what many of us have observed for years. The Cato Institute’s 2026 Fourth of July Survey revealing that 61% of Gen Z doesn’t know what America’s 250th anniversary commemorates is indeed alarming, but perhaps not surprising to those who’ve been tracking the decline of civic education in our country.
What we’re witnessing isn’t merely an educational shortfall but a systematic erosion of our national identity. When 52% of Gen Z can’t identify Great Britain as the nation we declared independence from, and 67% don’t understand why that declaration was necessary, we’re seeing the fruits of an educational philosophy that has deliberately de-emphasized American exceptionalism.
The founding fathers supported the concept of public education, but they envisioned it as a local and state responsibility. Jefferson’s model for Virginia placed education firmly in community hands, with parents and local school boards determining curriculum. The Tenth Amendment makes clear that powers not delegated to the federal government remain with the states or the people, and education is nowhere mentioned in the enumerated powers.
The federal Department of Education, established in 1979, has become precisely what the founders feared: a centralized authority that can impose ideological conformity through funding mechanisms. When federal dollars come with strings attached, local control evaporates, and we end up with national curricula that prioritize social justice narratives over fundamental civic knowledge.
Gabriel Delaney’s warning about this knowledge vacuum leaving young people vulnerable to socialism is particularly prescient given that 53% of Gen Z now views socialism favorably compared to 45% for capitalism. This isn’t accidental. It’s the predictable outcome of an educational system that:
- Minimizes the failures of socialist and communist regimes
- Exaggerates America’s historical flaws while ignoring its achievements
- Presents rights as government-granted rather than God-given
- Replaces civic knowledge with identity politics
The Marxist strategy of capturing educational institutions has been wildly successful. As Antonio Gramsci theorized, the “long march through the institutions” would be more effective than violent revolution. What we’re seeing now is the culmination of that strategy: generations of Americans who lack the historical knowledge to defend the very system that has produced unprecedented freedom and prosperity.
This isn’t just about failing to memorize dates or facts. It’s about losing the narrative of American history. It’s about allowing an invader tell Americans not to believe their eyes and ears and soiling the incredible story of a Union of States founded on revolutionary principles of individual liberty and limited government. When that story is replaced with narratives of oppression and grievance, the foundation crumbles.
The solution must begin with restoring local control of education and returning to curricula that teach American history and civics without apology. This means restoring the moral and virtuous nature of our culture, and eliminating federal interference, supporting school choice, and ensuring that students understand both the principles and the practical applications of constitutional government.
— Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
