How much do Americans know about their government and its history?
That's the question the American Council of Trustees and Alumni asked in a recent survey, and the answers they received indicate we aren't the sharpest knives in the drawer when it comes to civics, according to a story first reported by Mashable.
In a report call “Civic Knowledge of College Graduates Today” ACTA, a non-profit organization that works to support liberal arts education, asked college graduates and others what they knew of the history and workings of the United States government.
The answers ranged from “abysmal” according to the study’s authors, to “are you kidding me” from just about anyone else.
The survey included 1,000 Americans, some with college degrees, others with varying levels of formal education. Here are some of the things they said:
The Constitution – Only 20.6 percent (overall) could identify James Madison as the Father of the Constitution, according to the survey. Most people chose Thomas Jefferson for that honor. Problem is, Jefferson never attended the Constitutional Convention. That question asked of college graduates got this response: 28.4 percent name Madison, 59.2 percent chose Jefferson.
Amending the Constitution – What does it take to change the Constitution? Almost 60 percent of college graduates couldn't tell you – they failed to identify a requirement that an amendment must be ratified in order to make a change to the document. More than half believed that the president must ratify an amendment.
Who declares war – The Congress has the power to declare war, and 40 percent of the college graduates asked that question got it wrong.
How long do they serve – Nearly half of those responding to the survey could not tell you the term lengths for congressmen and senators – 2 and 6 years respectively.
Who would try the president should he be impeached – The answer is the Senate. Fewer than half of those asked got the correct answer. (The House of Representatives would bring the impeachment charges)
Who is on the U.S. Supreme Court – If you believe 10 percent of those who responded, it's TV's "Judge Judy." Judith Sheindlin, who presides over the daytime courtroom series "Judge Judy," was believed to be a justice on the nation's highest court by one out of every 10 people asked.
The study’s authors pointed out that today's “crisis” in civics education may be more profound than first thought. Older respondents did better answering questions than younger ones did. According to the study, 98.2 percent of college graduates over the age of 65 knew that the president cannot levy taxes, but only 73.8 percent of college graduates aged 25–34 answered correctly.
Apparently, we’re bad and aren’t getting any better, either. In 2012, the study noted, fewer than 20 percent of college graduates could tell you what the Emancipation Proclamation did, and only 42 percent knew that the Battle of the Bulge occurred during World War II.
Another survey in 2015 revealed that more than one-third of those asked could not answer when the Civil War took place, despite having been given four options of 20-year time frames from which to choose.
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