The purpose of this qualitative exploratory study was to investigate the perceived state of civics education as viewed by practicing teachers in three large high schools (each with a student enrollment of at least 2,200) in the midwestern and southeastern United States, in an effort to discover what teachers in different geographical regions deem as critical to this area of study. While the answers of teachers at the schools are naturally not meant to represent the entire American teaching population, they nonetheless can suggest what educators in different parts of the country--and those working with similar populations and school environments--perceive as the characteristics of contemporary civics education, and what can be done to improve its quality. In viewing the data, it is apparent that a consensus of the high school teachers from all three locations coincided with the reviewed literature--a concern about the lack of knowledge, attitude, and participation of young people necessary for the future growth of the American representative republic. Among their suggestions include: (1) proper instruction in citizenship from the home; (2) integration of a mandatory service learning component into the curriculum; and (3) improvement of civic awareness among students included "teaching ethics in the early grades." A Survey is appended. (Contains 1 table.)