If by “conservative” we mean an effort to honor that which has come before us, to preserve that which is worth preserving and to take care when stepping forward, civic education has an inherently conservative lineage. In 1999, Thomas Deans provided an overview of the field of service learning and civic engagement. The first serves university retention goals, the second supports student career prospects and the third contributes broadly to civic learning. Yet civic learning does not necessarily contribute to the knowledge, skills, attitudes and beliefs necessary to sustain American democracy. The achievement of such a perspective is the first object of civic education proper to the university.”This sounds familiar.