- The politicians you refer to tend to be very well educated. It's not a lack of science and history classes that formed their opinions on these matters.
- Some of the most racist and global warming denying people I know come from STEM backgrounds (mostly the TEMs, less the Ss, but still...). Smart people are just as capable (if not more so) than less smart people at experiencing cognitive dissonance/compartmentalization.
- Disciplinary approaches to science, history, and lit definitely need to be taught. They can be taught (and should be taught) in K-8. The classes in high school are largely college prep and often have little or no focus on the fundamentals of the discipline -- in fact, they often kill the passion of those who entered with passion due to this lack of disciplinary focus.
- We need WAY more education on critical thinking about politics. I think that the current levels of ignorance even among educated folks is a threat to our democracy.
Agreed, but it's a bipartisan habit to invoke the word "science" when you're in effect trying to call your opponents stupid. And it's a bipartisan habit to crush your opponents arguments under the weight of "history". As in "standing in the way of progress" or invoking historical bogeymen to end arguments (as opposed to making valid points).
All of the above are fallacious yet effective. Of course, good science and history classes would help explain those fallacies.
Point being, we need to be careful that we're not just indoctrinating people into our particular bad habits.
