President Ronald Reagan was fond of stating that America is a "shining city on a hill" for the world to admire and emulate. America is indeed proof that democracy works, that we can and must govern ourselves.

As free citizens, we have advanced the noble idea that freedom is the only acceptable state of being and that it is not granted by governments but resides in each of us as a birthright. Despite sometimes falling short of our ideals, we have succeeded in being that shining city on a hill. From our outposts in the new world, we have helped create a new world.

Sadly, too many of our young people today are not only unaware of the great story of America --they are lacking an understanding of why this country is so special and why we must fight hard to protect it. Despite the hard work of tremendous teachers and the efforts of public servants such as Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander, the state of civics and history education in this nation is not good.

Without that base of civics and history knowledge, young people miss out on their heritage and are prone to cynicism and apathy. I have read that more than 50 percent of students polled agreed with the following statement: "You can't trust politicians because they are dishonest."

Another poll has shown that more high school students can identify the Three Stooges than can identify the three branches of our government. A lack of understanding becomes a lack of involvement that leads to a withdrawal from the public life of our republic.

This civic disengagement is very troubling because our system of government and the protection of those freedoms that we too often take for granted are at stake. As former Sen. Howard Baker Jr. stated so well, "When inherent respect for our institutions begins to crumble, moral fervor is too readily substituted for rational debate as the decisive factor in how and why we make decisions." This endangers the very foundation of the republic.

On Oct. 7, I will present the Howard Baker Center's inaugural Address on Civic Engagement. I am looking forward to this because it is a topic near and dear to me and because I will speak directly to so many young people at the University of Tennessee and in the community. I also believe that Baker is a tremendous example of a true public servant, a son of Tennessee who worked hard and contributed so much in so many ways for this country.

I believe that we must reacquaint ourselves with our nation's story, and we must again teach our young people why and how to be involved citizens. We must teach them about the Constitution and how it has framed our freedoms for over 200 years.

We must teach them about the sacrifices of this and past generations and remind them that future sacrifices are inevitable. We must teach them that America has a mission and that we stand for what is good and right in this world. It may sound corny to some, but I am proud to be on the side of freedom, representative government, equality of opportunity and free markets.

Just look at the results of these ideas and compare them with those countries still mired in oppression and economic stagnation. Just look at the influence of these ideas when they go into those corners of the world that do not live in freedom. Once these ideas are planted, it is impossible to make them go away.

We must all be active, engaged citizens to ensure the continued success of America. Of course, that means voting, but it includes so much more. We should all be aware of the issues of the day and make our opinions known. We should volunteer in political campaigns, run for office, write letters to newspapers, call our congressman and senators and so forth.

My hope is that everyone realizes it is a privilege to be an American and we have real responsibilities as citizens. Most importantly, I hope that our young people, who are so bright and intelligent, see and appreciate that they are the rulers of a great and blessed nation.

Fred Thompson is a visiting fellow at AEI.