A surprising number of people seem unable to understand that people differ greatly in the way they learn. Yes, we need to learn to think when we think, and to ask questions and examine whether the answers we are given stand up to examination. We need to have some understanding of how governments are supposed to work, and how change can happen.

But straightforward classes in how to reason, and about civics aren't ever going to be the way to learn those things for a lot of people. I don't just mean some people aren't clever enough to understand those lessons, or don't have the attention span expected, though that's part of it. But also there a radical difference in how even the most intelligent and committed people learn. Some of us do it by learning the rules in theory, and then applying it, some of us do it the other way, and the rules and theory come later, if at all. Some of us learn the scales and then how to build the chords, some of us learn the chords and later (maybe) find out about the scales and how the chords are built.

Use the wrong strategy and you risk shutting people out from ever learning. (As happens to most people when it comes to mathematics, just for an example.)