Why did thomas jefferson say that education was important for our type of government?

Because in a Democracy the people in office are chosen by the people. Those who vote need to be informed, they need to understand the issues so that they can vote intelligently. That is why the government has stopped paying enough financial aid for most of the population to get an education. The college students in the 60s & 70s caused too much trouble. They looked at how the government was being run and they protested in mass for a better way. The government didn't like that so they stopped funding education for everyone. The result is what we have today, an electorate so uneducated that they could seriously consider someone like Sarah Palin.