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Civic Literacy

This guide provides information on civic literacy resources.

Introduction

Finding and evaluating any kind of information can be challenging, but the internet has changed the way we access the information that we want, especially information about elections, voting, issues, and candidates. This section of the guide provides resources about how to find and evaluate information online. 

Finding Information

In the digital age, with numerous conflicting views, it can be very hard to find the information that you need. It can also be hard to find an answer to a question you might have about an issue, legislative bill, or other civic activity. The links below are provided by non-partisan sites and provide you with straight-forward information about issues and candidates. 

Search for Legislation

In the news or online, you may encounter information about a piece of legislation. When learning more about a piece of legislation, it helps to go directly to the source! You can read a bill or legislative text in full through the North Carolina General Assembly website (state-level) or Congress.gov (federal-level). You can search for these bills by their name, number, and/or keyword. 

How to Evaluate Information

Evaluating information is essential: you will be able to read and share information that is accurate. These resources can help you as you search online, interpret statistics, and spot misleading information. 

In the video below, you can learn how to spot misleading/inaccurate information with lateral reading. Lateral reading is a quick and easy-to-learn strategy that you can apply to a variety of online information.