Americans fail civics literacy test

[maxama10]

Out of 2500 people randomly selected more than 1700 failed a civics literacy test given by ISI. The average score was 49% and the average of US elected officials was 44% with only .8% of all people (or 21 total) getting an A.

"even more startling is the fact that over twice as many people know that Paula Abdul was a judge on American Idol than know that 'government of the people, by the people, for the people' comes from Lincoln's Gettysburg Address"

http://www.americancivicliteracy.org/resources/content/our_fading_heritage_11-20-08.pdf

here is your chance to partake in the same test taken by those mentioned above.

http://www.americancivicliteracy.org/resources/quiz.aspx

I'm a 18 year old Senior in High school I only scored a 77% and I'm typically an A student and fairly interested in civics/politics. :tard:

Tomorrow I'm going to make copies of the quiz and ask that my civics class takes this and I'll see what everyone scores. My school is full of :tard:

post up your scores!

[psychowarden]

I got an 86%. 26 out of 30. I was very active in my Speech and Debate club in high school, and history/civics was my favorite subject.

[maxama10]

The results reveal that Americans are alarmingly uninformed about our Constitution, the basic functions of our government, the key texts of our national history, and economic principles.

* Less than half can name all three branches of the government.
* Only 21% know that the phrase “government of the people, by the people, for the people” comes from Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.
* Although Congress has voted twice in the last eight years to approve foreign wars, only 53% know that the power to declare war belongs to Congress. Almost 40% incorrectly believe it belongs to the president.
* Only 55% know that Congress shares authority over U.S. foreign policy with the president. Almost a quarter incorrectly believe Congress shares this power with the United Nations.
* Only 27% know the Bill of Rights expressly prohibits establishing an official religion for the United States.
* Less than one in five know that the phrase “a wall of separation” between church and state comes from a letter by Thomas Jefferson. Almost half incorrectly believe it can be found in the Constitution.

Americans from all age groups, income brackets, and political ideologies fail the test of civic literacy.

* Americans age 25 to 34 score an average of 46% on the exam; Americans age 65 and over score 46%.
* Americans earning an annual income between $30,000 and $50,000 score an average of 46%; Americans earning over $100,000 score 55%.
* Liberals score an average of 49%; conservatives score 48%.
* Americans who go to church once a week score an average of 48%; Americans who never go to church score 50%.

Widespread ignorance of our nation’s history and institutions is a worrisome sign for our nation’s future. As we shall see, today’s Americans share the conviction of the Founding Fathers that civic education is important—and they are right in this conviction. Respondents who score in the top third in civic literacy, the survey shows, are more likely than those who score poorly on the test to participate in the civic life of their communities and country.

these are just a select few statistics more can be found here http://www.americancivicliteracy.org/2008/major_findings_finding1.html

[bornl33t]

this is shocking?
I've know this to be true for a while now...and was handed the proof on the 4th of November..

[maxama10]

Haha, I kind of thought similarly there. :eek:

[PyRo]

You answered 31 out of 33 correctly — 93.94 %

Missed 13 and 27.

[maxama10]

Those were tough, or I thought so at least.

[michbich]

Got 49%, but i'm not American.

[maxama10]

Well I guess you are at the level of the average American polled there. So not bad, for you.

[skife]

72% here

i guess it wasn't as bad as the national average.

[BigEvil]

84.85 %

[Pneumagger]

I'm not surprised that more people know about current popular affairs than the exact details concerning events that happened before their grandparents were born.

[neppo1345]

%66.67

I wouldn't consider this test "basic".

Hell, at least I beat the Canadian.

[behemoth]

%84.85

Apparently me and big evil have more in common than being large italians....

[Dark Side]

28 out of 33.

[BobTheCow]

You answered 29 out of 33 correctly — 87.88 %

Average score for this quiz during November: 77.2%
Average score since November 20, 2008: 77.2%


Interesting how the average online scores are so much higher, I wonder why that is. Lord knows it's not due to a lack of stupid people on the internet... my guess is the type of person to voluntarily take this test online is the type of person that is already personally interested in this sort of thing, or knows they can do well before they start.

[firsttarget]

You answered 30 out of 33 correctly — 90.91 %
Question #8 - C. appoint additional Supreme Court justices who shared his views
Question #29 - B. a resident can benefit from it without directly paying for it
Question #33 - D. tax per person equals government spending per person
As I am working on my MSE, major in history, I probably should have scored higher.

[warbeak2099]

84.85%

I got a couple of economics questions wrong, not surprised there. I'm a history major and a midshipman in NROTC.

This doesn't surprise me in the least bit that Americans are getting dumber and dumber. Look at our education system. The solution our government has come up with is the classic "let's throw more money at the problem!" No child left behind, really? What a stupid idea. We need to revamp the system itself and the method of teaching kids. Kids are learning how to score high on standardized tests to make the schools and states look good, not how to think and reason.

For example, in most public school history classes, students learn facts, names, and dates without the teacher connecting them all to mean something greater. Their tests simply test their ability to retain bits and pieces of information. Utterly useless. Then when they have to write a thesis paper in college, they are lost. You can't fix stupid with money.

[Southpaw]

You answered 26 out of 33 correctly — 78.79 % :tard: I dont this it is too bad considering I have been out of school for 16 years

[Southpaw]

For example, in most public school history classes, students learn facts, names, and dates without the teacher connecting them all to mean something greater. Their tests simply test their ability to retain bits and pieces of information. Utterly useless. Then when they have to write a thesis paper in college, they are lost. You can't fix stupid with money.

This is the difference between a good teacher and a bad one! The problem is there is no insentive to be a good teacher. The union removes the ability to give raises only to the teachers that preform!

[skife]

This is the difference between a good teacher and a bad one! The problem is there is no insentive to be a good teacher. The union removes the ability to give raises only to the teachers that preform!


then you get the occasional teacher that is amazing and comes up with a great history class

"U.S. wars" i took it the whole year and wasn't bored any of the days.

[cdacda13]

You answered 30 out of 33 correctly — 90.91 %

I got number one wrong. I've been reading way too much Locke lately for my Political Theory Class.

[maxama10]

I'm not surprised that more people know about current popular affairs than the exact details concerning events that happened before their grandparents were born.
This statement bothers me, did you mean it so non nonchalantly?

[grEnAlEins]

84.85 %
same here.

I felt that two of the questions were poorly worded/had poorly worded answers.

Two of them were WAGs and I swung and missed :p

[Pneumagger]

This statement bothers me, did you mean it so non nonchalantly?
Matter-of-fact
Regardless of the subject matter, would you expect somebody to know current life events or past events?
For example, I would expect most teens boys to have a much better coprehensionof NFL teams and facts rather than 1960's era football.

[maxama10]

Matter-of-fact
Regardless of the subject matter, would you expect somebody to know current life events or past events?
For example, I would expect most teens boys to have a much better coprehensionof NFL teams and facts rather than 1960's era football.

Alright, yeah you're right, although I don't think 1960's football really compares to our nations politics/history. :p

[Will Wood]

You answered 30 out of 33 correctly — 90.91 %

I got number one wrong. I've been reading way too much Locke lately for my Political Theory Class.

If you had not gotten 30/33 I would slap you for getting the first one wrong haha :dance:

[cdacda13]

If you had not gotten 30/33 I would slap you for getting the first one wrong haha :dance:
I'm still pretty upset about it. I think I deserve an e-slap.

[Head Hunter 221]

You answered 21 out of 33 correctly — 63.64 %

Average score for this quiz during November: 77.9%
Average score: 77.9%


Well, I'm only in the 9th grade so :rolleyes:

[bornl33t]

84.85%

I got a couple of economics questions wrong, not surprised there. I'm a history major and a midshipman in NROTC.

This doesn't surprise me in the least bit that Americans are getting dumber and dumber. Look at our education system. The solution our government has come up with is the classic "let's throw more money at the problem!" No child left behind, really? What a stupid idea. We need to revamp the system itself and the method of teaching kids. Kids are learning how to score high on standardized tests to make the schools and states look good, not how to think and reason.

For example, in most public school history classes, students learn facts, names, and dates without the teacher connecting them all to mean something greater. Their tests simply test their ability to retain bits and pieces of information. Utterly useless. Then when they have to write a thesis paper in college, they are lost. You can't fix stupid with money.



It's because our teachers are not teaching, but indoctrinating.

Strange as it seems, no amount of learning can cure stupidity, and higher education positively fortifies it.
- Stephen Vizinczey

We do not allow tax exempt status to religious institutions with a political agenda how can we fund a school with one? Seems bass ackward to me? :tard:

[grEnAlEins]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081120/od_afp/ushistoryeducationoffbeat

I told you guys that you should have voted for me! I more than doubled the score of the average elected official. This only proves that I am more than twice as qualified :p

[Hilltop Customs]

ehhh got 69.7% :(

IMO understanding the content and context of the quotes are so much more important than the date, title and speakers name. Tests should be based on understanding not memory.

also questions that include "most likely" and "most commonly" are bad questions because they are dedicated to the ideal that every situation is the same. The also induce the misconception that what is most common is correct.

[bryceeden]

75.76% Probably would have done better if I hadn't been up for so long.

[jenarelJAM]

You answered 27 out of 33 correctly — 81.82 %

Average score for this quiz during November: 78.2%


Not bad for being a Computer Science and Engineering major. :D

Surprised I could remember most of that from Gov/Econ class in High School. Man, that class was a joke. Not the content. Just the class.