Democracy runs on mathematics. Tallying votes, allocating legislative seats and drawing district maps all depend on mathematical choices that can produce dramatically different outcomes. Math provides a common language that shifts attention away from partisan ideology and toward cooperation, neutrality and shared facts. It sheds light on democracy’s structural problems and provides a way to […]
Math Achievement
Although American students’ math achievement improved slowly between 1990 and 2013 and then plateaued, it fell back sharply during the pandemic. American 15-year-olds rank behind 30 countries and regions on one international test and fourth graders trail 14 countries on another. Math is frustrating for many students, and policymakers agree the U.S. needs to do better in the subject to remain competitive in an increasingly technical global economy. Poor math skills exacerbate inequality, prevent many students from earning high school and college degrees, shut people out of jobs and make it hard for voters to understand complex issues such as the cost of healthcare and the size of the national debt.
