The IEA International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) investigated the ways in which young people are prepared for, and consequently ready and able to undertake their roles as citizens. Consequently, it studied student knowledge and understanding of civics and citizenship as well as affective and behavioral aspects of civics and citizenship such as value beliefs, attitudes, intended behaviors and current activities related to civic and citizenship education. Contextual data from education systems and schools were analyzed to help explain variation in these outcome variables. ICCS built on the previous IEA studies of civic education (Arnadeo et. al., 2002; Schulz & Sibberns, 2004; Torney-Purta et. al., 2001). In 1971 the IEA Civic Education Study included a 47 item test for 14 year olds in nine countries (Torney, Oppenheim & Farnen, 1975). In 1999 the IEA CIVED study included a 38 item test for 14 year old students in 28 countries (Torney-Purta et. al., 2001) and a 42 item test for 17-18 year olds in 16 countries (Amadeo et. al., 2002). Another chapter in this volume provides a history of these studies from the late 1960s to 2005 (Torney-Purta & Schwille, 2011). In addition to building on these studies ICCS is a response to the challenge of educating young people in changed contexts of democracy and civic participation.