This report investigates the perceived decline of historical and cultural literacy within the American public school system. Lynne V. Cheney, serving as the Chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities, utilizes her position to analyze the state of humanities education during the late 1980s. She argues that the curriculum has become fragmented and disconnected, failing to provide students with a coherent understanding of their own cultural and historical heritage. The report advocates for a more structured, content-rich approach to teaching history and literature to ensure a common foundation of knowledge for all citizens.

Experts and educators frequently cite this report as a significant document in the late 20th-century culture wars regarding educational standards. Readers often note the clear, polemical style of the prose which reflects the political climate of the era in which it was published.