There is a common phrase: “Ignorance is bliss.” In some cases, the saying might hold some deep, underlying truth. However, the phrase more openly captures a problem our country continues to face. In our constant celebration of the red, white, and blue, Americans tend to forget the colors of the rest of the world. Despite living in a society with social media and the internet that connects us more than ever, Americans lack global perspectives.
One of my first confrontations with this issue was when I hosted a Spanish exchange student who not only knew a lot about her own government, but about America’s as well. In turn, she asked my friends and I what we knew about the Spanish government. Our answer?
Nothing.
Beyond surface-level representations of their country from movies or TV shows, we could not accurately describe their current governmental systems or history.
This issue reaches beyond just high school students; it encompasses a whole nation. In a study conducted by the Council on Foreign Relations and National Geographic, only 6 percent of the American adults surveyed could answer 80 percent of world affairs questions correctly. It is easy to brush off international issues when they do not seem to directly affect you, but not knowing about the world affects our global image, Democracy, and economy.
Americans’ limited knowledge of foreign affairs and languages makes it harder to respond effectively to crises and build long-lasting alliances, according to The Hill in 2023. Additionally, about 25 percent of U.S. employers are losing business because of the lack of foreign language proficiency, according to The Hill. As a result, our competitiveness as a nation and our capacity to innovate economically and culturally is weakened.
This lack of knowledge often begins in school. For example, at South, upperclassmen are required to spend a full year learning American history and a semester in civics or AP Government and Politics, yet the rest of the world is condensed into a single freshman World History class. Although sophomores also have the choice between classes like Latin American or European history, this still does not give an opportunity to understand the current governments of countries today. There is an international affairs class, however that is an optional senior course that is only a semester. The effects reach beyond the classroom and into the media Americans consume daily; only 17 percent of U.S. adults closely follow international news, according to Pew Research Center.
In my own day-to-day routine, I try to push back on this by reading “The World” section of The New York Times. Adopting simple habits like this has opened my eyes to how understanding governments and actions abroad give us perspectives on our own systems. Seeing what succeeds or struggles elsewhere has helped me analyze the choices of U.S. leaders and the kinds of policies I might want to support as a future voter.
Instead of staying in the comfortable “bliss” that ignorance provides, we have an opportunity to grow as a nation. After the exchange program, I started looking into how Spain’s government works which has in turn given me a better understanding of global politics. By learning more about other countries, I become a more informed citizen.
Beginning to embrace curiosity and take pride in other countries will further our understanding of the evolving systems and cultures of the rest of the world. For most of us, it is only a Go0gle search away.
