More students in a Lawrence High School political science class Monday knew the reigning “American Idol” winner than could name the speaker of the U.S. House.

That mirrored results of a national survey that led its authors to conclude that American youths are disconnected from the political system, and that policy-makers and teachers need to devote more energy to civic education.

“The generational gaps in civic knowledge, attitudes and participation are greater than they have ever been,” said Karl Kurtz of the National Conference of State Legislatures, a co-author of the survey report.

In the LHS class on U.S. politics, 30 percent of students knew Ruben Studdard won the last “American Idol” competition, and 20 percent pegged Illinois Republican Dennis Hastert as speaker.

“American Idol” is a popular television show that features amateur singers.

In the national survey, 80 percent got the Studdard question right and 20 percent fingered Hastert.

LHS student Tom Kimmel, who helped start a Young Democrats group at the high school, said Hastert slipped under the radar of some American youths for a simple reason.

“There weren’t any good scandals with this guy,” he said.

The Representative Democracy in America Project’s report on the survey, “Citizenship: A Challenge for All Generations,” concluded people under 26 don’t understand ideals of citizenship, lack knowledge necessary for effective self-government and have limited appreciation for American democracy.

Paul Stuewe, a political science teacher at Lawrence High School, gives his students a short quiz. On Monday, more of Stuewe's students could name cultural icons than political leaders.

The national survey was drawn from a poll of 632 people ages 15 to 26 and 654 people over 26 years of age.

Key findings of the survey:

• Sixty-six percent under 26 believe it’s necessary to vote to be a good citizen, compared with 83 percent of Americans over 26.
• Half of those under 26 voted in the last election, compared with three-fourths over 26.

¢ Representative Democracy in America project¢ Download the survey report¢ See the opinion poll question and results

• Half of those 26 or younger regularly or sometimes follow government news and believe they should to be a good citizen, compared with three-fourths of those over 26.

In a counterpunch to the survey report, several students in the LHS class said political elites ignored opinions of the country’s younger voters.

“Maybe young people don’t vote because they feel they can’t make a difference,” said student Amy Connolly.

Ninety percent of students in the LHS class said they believed young people have too little political power, but only 43 percent in the national survey agreed with that view.

Student Jeremy Long said the dominance of Republicans in Kansas made voting for president a futile gesture in this state. The Sunflower State will go GOP, he said.

“It doesn’t really matter who you vote for,” he said. “It’s not worth their time.”

Katie Young, another student in the class, said following twists and turns of U.S. political life was discomforting because so much of the news on television and in newspapers was gloomy and joyless.

“Part of it is that it’s all depressing,” she said.

However, the students at LHS were doing exactly what the survey report recommended — taking a government class in school. The survey indicated two of five Americans between ages 15 and 26 who had taken a civics class said their interest in government increased as a result.

The survey also said people who had taken a civics class were two to three times more likely to vote, follow government news and contact a public official about an issue that concerned them.

“We can’t let apathy and ignorance become the status quo,” said Marty Stephens, president of the National Conference of State Legislatures and speaker of the Utah House.