Analyzing Richard Nixon’s “Political Death and Resurrection” to Strengthen Students’ Civic Thinking Skills

Abstract

While historical thinking has a rich literature, civic thinking has been an underdeveloped area of research in social studies education. I discuss in this article three activities designed to strengthen students’ civic thinking skills by examining the “political death and resurrection” of Richard Nixon in the 1960s. These three activities help students critically analyze politicians’ remarks to grasp direct and indirect messages contained within political statements and advertising. The steps and resources to implement these activities are provided. The development of students’ civic thinking skills helps them analyze a politician’s arguments and judge for themselves the merits of a candidate and his or her statements and policy recommendations.