What the Founding Fathers Got Right

The founding fathers believed that for the great experiment in democracy to work, those citizens who were educated in school or industry would have the critical thinking skills needed to effectively assess, analyze and debate the social and economic issues of the time and vote for effective government. For them was not about race or sex – it was about education.

Over 100 years of scientific research proved the founding fathers of the United States were very right. The success of democratic institutions around the world is closely related to the educational attainment of the population. Democratic elections do not foster the quality of government in countries with low average levels of education. Education, in turn, has a positive effect on the quality and evolution of government, as well as the health of the economy.

Trapped in the social traditions of the time - slaves and women were in roles that required no formal education and therefore no vote. The effort to change the social traditions for both would run in parallel. It was not until 1836 that a college for women would be established and 1837 the first black college. In 1869 women organized to seek the right to vote. In 1870 blacks gain the constitutional right to vote. It would be another fifty years before women would have the constitutional right to vote. It was not the founding fathers, but our fear of change that kept us from progressing faster.

There seems to be a good reason democracies continue to evolve and why many have made education a fundamental right and free of charge. Again, the fear of change has locked the United States in the traditions of the past. As the United States continues its decline relative to the educational attainment of other democratic nations, we must accept the fact the quality of our government will follow suit. The founding fathers were visionaries betting on a new idea called democracy - and they were right. Perhaps its time conjure their spirits and do it again.