Analysis of the Role of Civic Education in Shaping the Character of Intelligent and Democratic Students

Abstract

Civics Education (PKn) in higher education is a crucial instrument in developing national character amidst globalization. This study aims to analyze the strategic role of PKn in shaping students' profiles as smart and good citizens. The method used is descriptive qualitative with a literature study approach. The analysis results show that PKn contributes significantly to improving civic intelligence through understanding rights and obligations, and forming a democratic character (civic disposition) through internalizing the values of tolerance and deliberation. This article concludes that the transformation of learning methods from textual to contextual is the key to successfully forming intelligent and democratic student characters. The method used was descriptive qualitative with a literature study approach that evaluated various curriculum policies and character education theories. The analysis revealed that Civics not only functions as a knowledge transfer but also as a catalyst in improving civic intelligence,which includes political and legal literacy. Furthermore, Civics was found to be effective in internalizing democratic traits ( civic disposition ) such as open-mindedness, tolerance of diversity, and prioritizing deliberation in conflict resolution on campus. This research also highlights the importance of repositioning the role of lecturers from mere instructors to dialogic facilitators. The article concludes that strengthening students' intelligent and democratic character depends heavily on transforming learning methods—from dogmatic-textual to participatory-contextual. The implications of this research call for a revitalization of the Civics curriculum based on solving real-world social problems to ensure the sustainability of democratic values in the future.