In the article published by Jeffery (2002), titled Civic Education and Changing Definitions of American Identity, 1900 – 1950. The author provides insight explanation on the role of civic education and political leaders in changing or redefining the American identity during the nineteenth century (1900 – 1950). The American identity has been challenged by the large influx or presence of millions of immigrants that entered the United States in the early century. To address or tackle these challenges (changing American identities), a group of people who advocate cultural or racial integration demanded that immigrants should shed or ignore their ethnic identities totally while the cultural pluralists stress that immigrants should maintain their ethnic roots. To redefine the American identity, the public school through civic education plays a key role in achieving it because the schools created programs or subjects for Americanize immigrant children, intending to blend their ethnic and American identities.

The article further explained that civic education was introduced during World War II and Great Depression, and it plays a crucial role in the process as it helps students redefine American identity as a commitment to general civic ideals.

The author stresses the role or importance of civic and ethnic nationalism in changing or explaining the change. The two terms are different from one another. Ethnic nationalism highlights the role of ethnicity or ethnic group in influencing a nation’s interest, law, or principles, while civic nationalism is influenced by the democratic process by its citizens. The cultural interest and principles of a nation are determined or influenced by its citizens through a democratic process.

However, the article further explains that it is difficult to achieve American identity changes using ethnic nationalism only because people of a nation are always bound together by descent or blood. The case of Nazi Germany is a vivid example. This is the reason why civic nationalism is seen as an alternative method or approach to changing definitions of American identity because it ignores the influence of gender, race, language, creed, ethnicity, or color as it only places value on having a society of equal right-bearing citizens that are united in patriotic attachment and share similar political values and practices. Having achieved the changing definitions of American identity through civic education between 1900 – 1950, the United States remains the largest nation built on civic nationalism ideology.

Another major point highlighted in the article was the fact that it is difficult to practice the terms civic and ethnic nationalism in the real world as they do in scholars’ minds. The civic education was used to change the assimilation group; this is a group of the minority that are accepted into the larger nation only after they have decided to give up most of their previous ethnic heritage. Another group of people that civic education changed their ideology is the cultural pluralism group. This group of people accepted most elements of the larger culture such as political ideology and language. Although, this group still maintain their ethnic heritage.

The educational policymakers and political leaders use the content and form of civic education to influence different groups in order to achieve their goal of changing the American identity. Through civic education, they instill the ideas, behaviors, and values that children will have as adults. This also help reshape the outside and ordinary people's ideas which also helped redefine American identity.