The American educational system, because it is based in behaviorist rather than progressivist philosophy, has not well-served the development of a citizenry capable of effective participation in the democratic decision-making process, the remedy being the progressivist methods described in the later chapters of Progressive Education for Democratic Society. The mistreatment of mind in schools, historically, is intentional, the consequence being the use of curriculum and methods that are intended to inculcate students in a manufactured truth rather than promote the development of critical thinking skills necessary for assessing the truth value of contents. While this emphasis does not educate students to be critically thoughtful participants in the societal decision-making process, it does pave the way for passive acceptance of an unfair and inequitable economic system, its beneficiaries the few and the wealthy while the masses are kept content and relatively subdued. Progressi
