This document contains the national standards for civics and government for grades K-12. They are intended to help schools develop competent and responsible citizens who possess a reasoned commitment to the fundamental values and principles that are essential to the preservation and improvement of U.S. constitutional democracy. This document is limited to content standards specifying what students should know and be able to do in the field of civics and government. They are not course outlines, but exit standards, that is, they specify what students should know and be able to do as they exit or complete the 4th, 8th, and 12th grades. The standards address the civic mission of the schools, the need for increased attention to civic education, goals and standards for students, both content and performance, standards for teachers, schools, and state and local education agencies. The K-4 content standards ask 5 questions: (1) what is government and what should it do? (2) what are the basic values and principles of American democracy? (3) how does the government established by the U.S. Constitution embody the purposes, values, and principles of American democracy? (4) what is the relationship of the United States to other nations and to world affairs? and (5) what are the roles of the citizen in American democracy? The standards for grades 5-8 and 9-12 are presented through similar series of questions. Appendices include organizing questions and content summary, illustrative performance standard, glossary, acknowledgements, and an index. (DK)