The American people feel powerless and extremely ignorant about politics, government, and the world around them. Civic participation is considered an unsuccessful measure in the minds of many American citizens. When interviewed on the topic; many portray themselves as a small part of a huge entity over which they have no control. Others expressed the lack of time and energy needed to get involved, or the dependence on the country as a whole to make the right decisions. The understanding of democracy and its principles are concepts of unknown and feared territory in relation to a general lack of education on the subject. Therefore, civic participation continues to collapse. Furthermore, the lack of education in the government structure steeped in a romanticized knowledge of history also contributes significantly to this lack of participation. The American people need empowerment through the use of education in the structure of government, history and politics which should begin at an early age and be instituted in every curriculum across the country. Empowerment in Civic Participation In conducting an interview with Sierra Vista Health Care Center staff it became apparent that many do not feel empowered enough to participate in politics. A random sample of fifty people was interviewed, divided into three groups. The first group included those between the ages of eighteen and thirty-five. Group two: thirty-six – fifty, and group three included all personnel over the age of fifty. The only group that felt remotely empowered to make a difference was group two. However, group two consisted of only ten participants. When are you asked for votes? Dawn Anzuelda, a participant in the group, said “no, I don’t know.” when asked why... middle of paper... 013 November. Print.Page, Susan. “Policy Center Bipartisan Poll.” The United States today. 22 July 2013: n. page. Press. "History of the United States." American government. Independence Hall Association, n.d. Web. November 21, 2013. “United States Census Bureau.” Press room. U.S. Department of Commerce, July 20, 2009. Web. November 21, 2013. .Nussbaum, Martha. "Patriotism and cosmopolitanism". Cosmopolitan reader. (1994): n. page. Press. .anda, Kenneth, Jeffrey Berry and Jerry Goldman. The challenge of democracy. 11. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2012. Print.Lau, Richard R., and David Redlawsk. How voters decide. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2006. Print."The Story of the United States of America." US-history.com. Np, 17 October 2013. Web. 21 November 2013. .