Given the sweeping changes taking place in the world and their potential impact on the life of the individual, it is hard to explain why U.S. citizens have not been as attentive as they should to international and transnational developments. Recent research indicates that U.S. citizens lag behind residents of many Western nations in their awareness of key political actors, institutions, and events in the world. In this era of globalization, the study of civics and government must include international and transnational dimensions. To restrict the study of civics and government to the domestic concerns of the United States is to fail to prepare students for the world in which they must live, work, and function as citizens. This paper, although it does not present a fully developed curriculum or a set of standards, draws attention to what Richard Stanley calls the "Global Triad" of business, civil society, and government. The paper contends that awareness of these realignments is essential to student understanding of what globalization is and why it has meaning for them as individuals and as citizens. It discusses the three major changes in the global economy, the rise of global civil society, and globalization and democracy. It concludes by asking if the benefits of globalization outweigh the costs, finding no certain answer to that question as yet. It recommends that teachers help their students acquire the civic skills and the will necessary to direct globalization in ways that will protect and promote democracy. (Contains 20 references.) (BT)