The democracy itself needs a literate citizen rate in order to keep it in check.

为了保持国家的持续进步,一个民主国家需要更多的高文化素养的公民。

麻省理工公开课 - 媒体、教育、市场课程节选

I also explain new kind of literacy, this new emerging literacy, what we recognize as new literacy, civic literacy, which also is referred to as political literacy.

我也想介绍一下，这种新文化素养，新兴的文化素养，我们称之为“民主文化素养“,也被称为政治文化素养。

麻省理工公开课 - 媒体、教育、市场课程节选

They were very suspicious of the democratic tendencies, or so it seemed, the democratic tendencies of that northern society which was spreading literacy more widely, and eventually the right to vote more widely, at least among white people.

他们也对民主倾向表示怀疑,事实就是如此,有着民主倾向的北方社会,文化教育的开展更为广泛,因而更广大人民有着投票权,至少大部分白人有投票权

耶鲁公开课 - 美国内战与重建课程节选