Educating students to be good, informed citizens remains a core purpose of K-12 schools. The purposes of civic education, however, are contested, notes Levine, director of the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement. Levine argues that a citizen is someone who seriously asks, "What should we do?"--someone who can not only talk about public problems and issues, but also figure out what course of action is the wisest and take action to confront the issue. So the purpose of civic education is to teach young people the skills and habits they will need to ask--and answer--that question. The most important skills and habits are deliberating with other citizens, acting collaboratively, and forming "civic relationships." Levine discusses the implications of his argument for the curriculum and pedagogy we use in civics education.